St Joseph's Prep Hawks

Franklin Regional 2 Moon 1 CORAOPOLIS – Moon (13-5-1) and Franklin Regional (13-6-1) are two teams in the Class AA landscape that have had pretty good seasons. If you take into account that the Panthers started the season 1-4 in their return to Class AA, FR is now 12-2-1 since the end of November with losses to division foes Greensburg CC and Indiana, this is a team that has done so under the radar which is probably how Head Coach Jim Daugherty would like to keep it but a victory over the Tigers will open a few eyes as Franklin will have their season finale Monday with # 1 ranked and defending State Class AA Champions Pine Richland. Meanwhile, the Tigers have only lost in the 2nd half of the season to Pine Richland and Thomas Jefferson and have really been a consistent club throughout the regular season playing a disciplined style of hockey to put together one of the better seasons in Moon history. This game will have significance in the final bye in Class AA after the Tigers face # 2 Latrobe next week and the regular season winds up. The winner of this contest will assume the inside track on the 4th and final bye and home ice advantage should both teams be unable or unable to knock off higher ranked opponents. Franklin came out in the opening 15 minutes and carried the play to Moon outshooting the Tigers 15-5, but Tiger goaltender Matt Wynn held FR off the board in a scoreless first period. The game remained scoreless deep into the second until with 6:01 remaining, Joe DeNardo lit the lamp to give Moon a 1-0 lead. Franklin Regional ties the score later in the period as freshman Steven Shirk was set up by Eugene Mack and gave the Panthers a 1-1 tie with 2:36 to play in the period. FR held a 19-10 shot advantage, but the score was tied after two periods. FR started the final period on the power play and was unable to capitalize. With 10:40 to go in regulation, Carl Richter fired a long lead pass through center ice that Ryan Kramer plucked out of the air and beat the Moon defense and was in on the breakaway and beat Matt Wynn on the forehand to give the Panthers a 2-1 lead. Moon went on the power play with 8:49 to go but FR effectively killed it off and held a slim lead. Moon’s Matt Reese took a long shot that hit the crossbar with 4:30 to go and the Panthers clung to their lead. FR got a power play with 2:42 to go and was unable to score the insurance goal and gave the Tigers a chance to pull their goaltender, which they did, but were unable to score as Anthony Livecchi closed the door and Franklin Regional scored a huge win on the road keeping their hopes alive for a bye and home playoff berth.

Bethel Park 3 McDowell 2 ERIE – The Bethel Park Hockey program has made a bold step to separate themselves from the rest of Class AAA in 07-08. Not only does the majority of Jim McVay’s club play on the Phantoms Split Season team, but the Hawks have made a huge commitment to play in the best competition possible on the weekends, including several trips to Cleveland and Western NY to hone their run for the 2007 Penguins Cup and Pennsylvania State Championship. Bethel is now 16-0-1 and ranked # 1 in Western Pennsylvania and appears to have the inside track on the 6 other contenders, who will occupy seeds 2-7 in the Class AAA playoffs. McDowell’s Nels White had a goal for 2007 to become part of the exclusive club, which includes Bethel, Mt Lebanon, Central Catholic, North Allegheny, Meadville and Upper St Clair, who have dominated the Class AAA landscape over the past half to a dozen years and seem to have their programs ready every year for a playoff run. The Trojans have not tasted the Penguins Cup Semis since the PIHL was founded in 1999 and would really like to become an annual contender. McDowell has made some significant strides in their play in the league and outside of the league this season and appears ready to make a move in the Class AAA. Tonight’s contest with Bethel Park would be one more test to measure their progress over this season and maybe give the program confidence that it can compete with the big boys when it counts a little less than three weeks from now. The Trojans opened the scoring early in the first period as freshman Shane Reese threw the puck to the net and Jimmy Martin beat the Hawk defenseman to the puck and chipped it past Pete Cosentino to give McDowell a 1-0 lead. The Hawks tied it with 7:43 of the first period as Graham Cohen picked up a rebound and beat Ericcson on a typical BP goal with hard work to make it 1-1. In a very evenly played opening period, shots were eight apiece. On to the second and McDowell continued to gain confidence against # 1 Bethel with action at both ends. The Trojans would take the lead at 8:55 of the middle period as Nick DiSanti cashed in on a rebound from right in front of the net beating Pete Cosentino to give McDowell a 2-1 lead. With 5:56 to go in the 2nd period, the Trojans had a golden opportunity to extend their lead on the power play, but took a penalty to nullify that chance. The Hawks took advantage of that momentum swing as Bryan Brown made a real nice play from the right point to wrist the puck to the net through traffic, which appeared to hit something in front and found the outside corner of the net just inside the post to tie the game 2-2 with 2:38 to go in the period. McDowell held the advantage in shots at 11-8 in the period, but Bethel held the territorial advantage late in the period and took the lead as Tommy Whetsel’s rebound was gathered by Matt Quigley, who deposited the go ahead goal behind Ericcson to give Bethel Park a slim 3-2 lead heading to the ice cut with just :28 remaining before the break. On to the third period and McDowell was looking for the equalizer and almost got it as Shane Reese had Cosentino beat but his shot just glanced off the side of the net and the score remained 3-2 in favor of the Hawks. The Trojans next big chance came on the power play with 7:48 to go, but Bethel Park dug in and with great corner work would not let the Trojan have any room nor any chances. McDowell pulled the goalie, but BP played excellent defense and the Trojans could not get close as Bethel Park earned a very impressive 3-2 win at the Erie Civic Center and remained unbeaten and locked down the # 1 seed in the upcoming playoffs. For McDowell, a close call, which might mean the Trojans will more than likely be on the road for round 2 of the playoffs in a very tight race for seeding that will transpire over the closing weeks.

Latrobe 4 Thomas Jefferson 2 GREENSBURG – In a battle of division leaders, Latrobe (14-4-0) and Thomas Jefferson (13-4-2) are currently in the 2nd and 3rd seed positions entering the final weeks of the regular season. Coach Ron Makoski’s Wildcats have been pretty steady with the exception of a 3-1 loss to Indiana and have played many of the bottom feeders in Class AA that have dominated the second half schedule. A match-up with Thomas Jefferson, winners of seven straight after opening the second half loss to South Park. Coach Don Powell’s team is looking to hold down a bye and maintain the 2nd or 3rd seed position to avoid Pine Richland in the Penguins Cup semis. Both teams can ill-afford a loss with Moon, Franklin Regional and Hampton within striking distance of supplanting either team should they slide. Latrobe’s Ryan LaDuke opened the scoring at 10:47 of the first period as he walked down the middle of the ice and beat Spencer Neel with a wrist shot on the stick side to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead. At 9:44 of the first the Jaguars went on the power play, which Latrobe killed and then the Wildcats went on the man advantage at 6:18 and a 5 on 3 for a half minute at 4:52, but it was Brock Heinauer who beat the Latrobe defense to the puck and beat Nick Loyacona on the forehand at 4:21 to tie the score at 1-1. That was shortlived as Jeff Joe Regula buried a slapshot from the top of the right circle with 4:03 to go to give the Cats a 2-1 lead. Shots were 5-3 in favor of Latrobe in the opening period. Latrobe took a two-goal advantage at 11:41 as JeffJoe Regula was set up on a beautiful cross-ice pass by Michael McCurdy. The Jaguars rebounded at 11:22 as Danny Joseph scored on a rebound to make it 3-2. Michael McCurdy scored from on the doorstep at 4:14 and Latrobe regained its two-goal lead 4-2. TJ went on the power play in the final two minutes of the 2nd period but could not score as the shots were 13-9 in favor of the Cats and they took a 4-2 lead to the ice cut. At 12:56 of the third period, the Jaguars had an opportunity on the power play, which got even better at 11:59 on a 5 on 3 and nearly scored at 11:36 on a wild scramble in front. The Wildcats did a very effective job killing the penalties after a few near misses and the lead was still two. Nick Loyacona made a terrific sprawling save at 9:36 on Joe Sabol, who thought the puck went in. With 7:32 to go, the Jags had another chance that was unsuccessful and yet another chance with 5:15 to go but Nick Loyacona stopped all twelve shots generated by TJ in the third and looked very sharp in doing so. The Jaguars could not score despite outshooting the Wildcats 27-21 and Latrobe earned a 4-2 win over Thomas Jefferson.

North Allegheny 2 Meadville 2 (OT) CRANBERRY – A Friday night in Cranberry could only mean one thing as the North Allegheny Tigers took to the ice on Senior Night to face the historic Meadville Hockey Club, who have been guided now for 20 years by Jamie Plunkett, who in my opinion when the history books are written, will go down as the finest coach in the state of Pennsylvania for the sport of ice hockey. A who’s who night of Western Pennsylvania Hockey occurred on this evening at the Cranberry BladeRunners as several of Western Pa Hockey’s personalities were in attendance as the Bulldogs (12-4-0) and Tigers (14-4-0) sparred in a February game that will have significant impact on a bye and a top 4 seed in the upcoming Class AAA playoffs. Many people ask me why I spend so much time being involved in Pa Hockey promoting a sport for a league than obviously doesn’t support my endeavors and has done everything it can not to help Pa Hockey promote its own product. Well I have news for those people and people who put disgusting personal posts on the Pa Hockey Forum about my family and myself….. long after all of the players and parents go away from this game, I will be covering Pa Hockey and doing it my own way whether anyone likes it or not. When my brothers first took to the ice in 1970 in the first Interscholastic Hockey game at the old Alpine Arena, Interscholastic Hockey has been in my blood and I have shared some great moments with many people and made some of my best friendships in this sport and it is something that no one can take away and for my friends, I share memories with them as well. So here’s some recollections of last nights combatants. Last night, like many I spend in the rink was a trip down memory lane. A chance to catch up with Brian Cole, whose family was a staple with the Richland program of the early 1970 and recount the great playoff battles between Churchill and Richland in the early to late 70’s and the story of the North Allegheny 1977 WPIHL Championship in which Bob May, the first NA coach, who was in attendance last night for Senior Night and the leader of that championship team, who fell short that year in the State Championship to my Churchill family as 30 years ago our program reached and captured a title that had eluded our program the first two years against Baldwin and Mt Lebanon. The mid to late 70’s was about the time I first met Frank Black, whose sons Jimmy, the current North Allegheny coach and Bobby, who is assisting Jimmy at NA and are following in the footsteps of their father, who provided a tremendous service to the hockey community in many aspects that people who appreciate this sport can only imagine as a coach, rink manager, administrator and visionary when hockey was in its early days at the Sewickley Arena, the Alpine, the Belmont, Kirk Nevin, Rostraver and the Arena. Coincidentally, a young guy who came along and started his coaching career with the Fox Chapel and then the Tigers by the name of Ron Steedle, who was in attendance last night and served in the Shaler program from the early 80’s until two years ago [22 years as a coach in Interscholastic hockey] and I had the very good fortune of coaching with and continue our mission collectively with our 12th year in the Keystone State Games. During the mid-1980’s is when I first met Jamie Plunkett and although I don’t recall the exact meeting, I know he was working and helping at the Allegheny College club team and I was a player-coach with Dave Keon at Bethany College. My recollections of playing a game at a rink near Allegheny College were that it was very cold and had a side missing to the building similar to the Wheeling Park rink we played our home games at. As legend would have it, a year or so later coach Plunkett got the call from the Phillis family as took the helm with the Bulldogs and that rink I played a college game in 23 years ago has become a shrine of high school hockey with the 8 State Championship Banners, the tributes to players who have left us at an early age, a meeting place for the people of the town of Meadville to watch their boys, the Bulldogs try to make another run at Pennsylvania High School glory. And it hasn’t come with out its struggles as a dry spell hit Bulldog hockey after the first seven titles in 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996. Coach Plunkett, supported by his wife Sue and two daughters, continued to work toward and believe the Dawgs could reach the promised land. And by the way, they finished that building under superintendent Plunkett and built a pretty neat place effectionately known as the ‘House of Chills’. In 2003, with Mt Lebanon and Bethel Park out of the way courtesy of my former club Franklin Regional (that I spent three great years with only to give up to help build the PIHL and have returned to in the past year to rebuild tomorrow’s Panthers), the Bulldogs faced off against a bunch of kids who were part of a freshman and developmental program developed by a gentleman named Gary Swingle, who I coached with and learned a lot about life and coaching from and gave nine years to the Franklin program, which resulted in 5 trips to the Penguins Cup finals that fell short. I took a lot of ribbing from coach Plunkett and the Bulldog faithful at the time about wearing a Franklin jersey to broadcast the game as the Meadville hat provided by Doug Nickerson, whose son Christian I coached in Keystones earlier that year, disappeared in the overflow crowd at RMU Island Sports Center. The Dawgs dispatched a very talented Franklin team that knocked off Bethel and Lebo and moved on to the State Finals against one of the most talented teams ever to play for a State Championship in Malvern Prep. Malvern was a team with no less than 5 current NCAA Division 1 hockey players played the Dawgs, but coach Plunkett’s team lead by Christian Nickerson completed the dream ride for the Meadville Hockey nation at Ice Line 5-4 in as thrilling of a hockey game as I’ve seen in 36 years. My fondest memory was of Jamie telling me he never thought he’d see it again with a tear in his eye and with his great family by his side on the ice. So here we are in 2007 and the man who drives the Bulldog Hockey program continues the strive for excellence. And trust me, when the Dawgs take the ice, people pay attention as 5 time Pennsylvania Champions Bethel Park coach Jim McVay [who has deservingly been selected to guide 2007 Team Pittsburgh] was in attendance to scout two potential playoff opponents in March, who will try to defeat Bethel Park, who has defeated both Meadville and North Allegheny. The interesting revelation is that when Jamie Plunkett coached his first season at Meadville, Jim McVay was playing on an Upper St Clair club that compled the 2nd perfect season in Pennsylvania Class AAA 4-3 over Malvern Prep, only two years after Conestoga, who was coached by former Upper St Clair coach Taylor Railton, did it in 1985. Plunkett’s Meadville teams completed that feat against Pennsylvania competition no less than five times during the late 80’s and 90’s. So while coach Plunkett coached game # 1000 earlier this season, Jimmy Black has been trying to start a tradition at North Allegheny after leading Pine Richland to the Class AA Pennsylvania title a year ago. The North Allegheny program has long been a successful one, but is looking to put it over the top with a State Championship and its choice of Jimmy Black, Bobby Black and Rich Conlon (a former State Championship player with South Hills Catholic) is a very good one as the Tigers are well on their way to continuing the process of moving toward their 3rd consecutive Penguins Cup final appearance. The Tigers have been Class AAA’s hottest club and have not lost a game on the ice in the regular season since early December. Wes Waldschmidt, whose brothers Billy and Garrett, were strong players for the Tiger program and younger brother Brady is also a member of this years Tigers, has been the catalyst of the NA surge over the past month. And as the NA Hockey Club honored Wes and the other five seniors and in a touch of true sportsmanship, the senior members of the Meadville Bulldogs, one had to wonder what effect this game would have as both clubs are pointing to March and the Class AAA playoffs. The opening period of this contest was a typical North Allegheny – Meadville matchup with tight checking and good action at both ends as both goaltenders Max Richards of NA and Mike Licinski of Meadville were sharp in the early going. North Allegheny carried an advantage in play due to a couple of power plays, but Meadville played strong in their own end limited the Tigers chances. Two giveaways in the defensive zone led to the games opening scores as North Allegheny’s Josh Herbert picked off a clearing attempt and beat Licniski through the 5-hole at 3:38 for a 1-0 lead. It was shortlived as Pat Leone returned the favor with 3:15 to go beating Richards on a wrist shot high to the stick side to knot the score 1-1. North Alllegheny has opportunity after opportunity in the second period with three consecutive power plays at 11:46, 7:37 and 5:31 of the middle period, but Meadville killed all of those penalties and built some significant momentum in the process. Coach Plunkett called a timeout prior to the third penalty and maybe to rest his troops or calm the down or possibly to break NA’s momentum. In any event, it worked and it was almost prophetic as Morgan Nickerson stole the puck at just missed on the back hand at 4:39 and Alex Drelick breakaway attempt was stopped by Max Richards. This game was like a playoff game as the drama built and both teams worked feverously to gain an advantage and the go ahead goal. Meadville would take the lead in this hockey game as Mike Noonan would not be denied poking the loose puck on the doorstep past Max Richards with 7:14 to play. The Tigers had a chance to tie the game immediately following the Dawg goal on another power play, but again Meadville stiffened and held a slim 2-1 lead. Meadville continued to bottle up the Tigers in their own end with excellent forechecking and pressure. The game hit the final minute and a terrific outlet pass to senior Danny Gaertner by the Tiger defense created an odd man break and Gaertner beat the Bulldog defenseman and lofted a shot toward Mike Licinski and defenseman Tyson Stupy was there to pounce on the rebound and beat the Meadville goaltender with just 21 seconds left to tie the score 2-2 with just 21 seconds remaining. The teams battled on through overtime, the best chance coming off the stick of NA’s Donnie Lewis, that just trickled wide of the net after Mike Licinski made the save. The game ended in a 2-2 tie and as both teams appear ready to challenge for the Class AAA title to be decided a month from now and could face each other again in the 2007 Penguins Cup playoffs, The night didn’t end with the game as Plum and Seneca Valley faced off and some more hockey memories flourished. An opportunity through Frankie Valli and at least one of the 4 Spartans, Garry to meet W & J Head Coach and former Pittsburgh Penguin Peter Taglianetti ensued in the lobby and a chance to thank him for an accomplishment that 16 years later still warms all of our hearts when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 1991 and 1992. At this time we really don’t know the future of the Pens, but we all reflected our hope that Mario is able to have a new arena for Pittsburgh, Sidney, Geno, Marc-Andre and the boys can fill our kids memories of Stanley Cups in the coming years and Pa Hockey can continue to bring memories alive for families, players and coaches for years to come!

Delmont - Franklin Regional 3 Greensburg Salem 3 (OT) When you get to this point in the season, for the teams that have clinched playoff spots, its all about positioning. With Greensburg Salem’s (11-7-0) division title hopes dashed by a paperwork snafu and a forfeit of two games, the Golden Lions are now setting their sights on wrapping up a playoff position the old fashioned way of earning it and Head Coach Anthony DeFazio would like it no other way. You see, Salem played a lot of hockey over the past five years including a majority of their play in the Laurel Highlands League with dicey drives to Altoona and over the Laurel Mountains that resulted in players and families getting home well after midnight to play in a league that really ended their season in a meaningless way and not in the Pennsylvania State Hockey Championships or Penguins Cup. The Golden Lions the opted for the Open Division, which is a manufactured league of teams playing hockey for medals that look like the were stolen from Chuck E Cheese’s pinball gallery. Salem was handed a spot in the Class AA playoffs a year ago and lost in a playoff game against Moon and went home. Coach DeFazio and the Greensburg Salem Hockey Club has taken their medicine and with a win tonight against division foe Franklin Regional could wrap up a playoff spot by earning it for the first time since 1999, when Larry Weimert’s team completed a miraculous second half of the season turnaround to sneak into a playoff spot edging out Franklin Regional by one point. Franklin Regional has already has clinched a playoff spot and coincidentally has been playing in Class AAA since Salem last was in the playoffs in 1999 and was really a second tier AAA program with the exception of 2003 when FR went all the way to the Penguins Cup finals beating AAA powers Mt Lebanon and Bethel Park before their magic carpet ride was ended abruptly by Meadville in the Penguins Cup final. With a program diminishing in numbers and frankly in trouble of becoming non-existent, the Panthers enrollment numbers for the school dipped below the Class AAA Mendoza line opting Franklin back to Class AA. So the Panthers, who have been under the radar with the run of Pine Richland in Class AA and the emergence of Moon and Latrobe and re-emergence of Thomas Jefferson, are trying to catch one of those schools and capture a first round bye in the top 4. The FR lineup is back to the now you see him now you don’t phase with players missing for those all important Kool-Aid practice sessions when amateur coaches threaten bench time for players who miss for high school games and it’s really getting old at this point as Junior C teams and midget AAA teams who are not even ranked in the top 40 in the country are performing this function. In the end, Franklin will need to win three out of their last four games or start the playoffs at home as a 5th-7th seed and face a very good goaltender and likely an upset instead of a bye and become a darkhorse for the 2007 Penguins Cup. Franklin came out storming in the opening period and controlled the play from the outset outshooting GS 10-2 with one power play opportunity but no scores as Lion goaltender Shane Talarico was flawless. Greensburg Salem had two power plays of their own in the final six minutes and although unsuccessful on the first one at 1:21 of the opening period shifty Shane Davis beat two FR defenders and whipped a wrist shot past Anthony Livecchi to give Salem a 1-0 lead. The Golden Lions almost made it two zip, but Carl Richter made a nice play to clear the zone and draw a penalty in the process to turn the tide and the momentum late in the opening period. A series of penalties and makeup calls were prevalent in the early part of the second period and Hank Fontana found open ice on a 3 on 3 situation and was in on the breakaway at 13:49 only to be stopped by Livecchi. Greensburg had a golden opportunity on a 5 on 3 power play but it was Franklin who was the aggressor and killed the first penalty and force a turnover a nice play by Eugene Mack, who found a wide open freshman Steven Shirk, who deposited the puck into a wide open net to tie the score at one apiece with 7:02 remaining in the second period. The Panthers started to find their rhythm and with 2:37 left in the period Turner Andritz made a great play to keep the puck in the zone and fire it to the net and the shot hit freshman Johnny ‘63’ Miller and the young Franklin forward has easy pickins and an open net for a goal and a 2-1 Panther lead. The game picked up pace late in the period as Eric Yurenko had a breakaway only to be stopped by an acrbatic save as Anthony Livechhi sprawled out like Dominic Hasek to stack his pads and snag a shot ticketed for the upper half the net and stone the GS sniper to keep FR in the lead 2-1. The Panthers struck late in the period as Ryan Kramer spotted another freshman defenseman Michael Adams and threaded a perfect pass from the opposite corner to the right faceoff circle and Adams unleashed a wicked slapshot to the stick side of Shane Talarico and into the net with :05 to go and give Franklin Regional a 3-1 lead at the ice cut. Franklin Regional was well on their way to victory, but had the most dangerous lead in hockey of two goals. Greensburg Salem was pretty lifeless and looked to be headed into its final games with West Allegheny and Thomas Jefferson in a possible must win situation. Sometimes you need a little luck in games like this and with all of the struggles in the long road back for the Greensburg Salem Hockey Club and a real heads-up play by an unlikely source as David Hamilton got the puck in the corner and just threw an attempted pass to the front of the Franklin net and it caromed of a Panther defender through the 5-hole of Livecchi with 5:13 to go in regulation to give the Golden Lions new life and now a 3-2 hockey game. Salem now had momentum and with their top line on the ice and well rested Franklin was now on its heels and GS took advantage as Hank Fontana found a loose puck after a scramble in the right circle and buried it up under the crossbar to tie the score at 3-3 with 4:45 to go and we had a brand new hockey game. The Golden Lions almost won it as Shane Davis shot with :01 was turned aside by Anthony Livecchi and as the teams battled through overtime for a 3-3 tie.