St Joseph's Prep Hawks

Hampton 4 Greensburg Salem 2 VALENCIA – Hampton (8-5-1) is stuck in a log jam in the Class AA playoff picture just one game out of a top 4 seed and only two games above the 12th and final playoff spot and near playoff extinction. This is a place where the Talbots have been since 2003 and head coach Allen ‘Whitey’ Walsh is trying to break and return Hampton to the 9 of 10 winning seasons the program enjoyed from the mid-1990’s through 2003 in Class AA. With notables Greensburg CC, Kittanning, Canevin and Indiana on the playoff bubble, you can bet that those teams are looking at the Talbot’s recent losses to Peters Twp and Latrobe and start licking their chops. And with upcoming games against tonight’s opponent Greensburg Salem, Thomas Jefferson, Kittanning and Pine Richland, every point will be critical to playoff survival. If anyone can talk about survival, it would be the Greensburg Salem Hockey Club, which was near extinction and opted for the low cost Laurel Highlands Hockey League for a couple of seasons. Last season, coach Anthony DeFazio’s club returned to play in the Open Division, only to capture a Class AA playoff spot and whether deserved or not opened some eyes in their own club in a play in game against Moon, who earned a playoff spot by playing for it. The Golden Lions realized that they should be playing in Class AA all along and returned this season. Salem was cruising early on in the season at 6-2-1 and battling Latrobe for first place in the East Division, when they showed integrity and caught a paperwork snafu, which cost them a win and tie on the ice, suspensions to their coach and fines of over $ 1000 (which I understand the Villans have back pedaled and forgived……hmmm it’s an election year). Anyway, the Golden Lions are currently 9-5-0 and on the cusp of a home playoff berth battling Moon, Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Regional, but could be as many as a 10 team race by the end of the season. On a snowy night before an intimate gathering of ‘Concerned Citizens’ of Hampton and Greensburg Salem, a very important match-up for positioning of seeding began. The Golden Lions had the first opportunity on the power play at 13:55 of the opening period, but the Talbots were able to keep the puck out of the zone for most of the man advantage. Another Golden Lion power play at 6:58 but to no avail. Hampton struck first at 4:41 as Justin Bahorich scored from on the doorstep to give the Talbots a 1-0 lead. On to the 2nd period and at 11:17, the Golden Lions went on a 5 on 3 power play and made no mistake as Bryan Relihan took a perfect cross ice pass from Rick Coyle and deposited it past Shane Talarico with 10:56 to go and give the Talbots a 2-0 lead. A.J. DeFazio had a chance on a breakaway which was stopped by Lance Hutton at 9:15. Moments later at 8:43, Shane Talarico made two nice save on Hampton’s Chase Evans. With 6:05 to go in the second period, the Golden Lions got caught in a turnover and Bryan Relihan made them pay as he beat the GS defenseman and Talarico with a wrist shot high to the stick side to make it 3-0 in favor of Hampton. Salem would go on the power play with 4:28 to go in the middle period and an opportunity to climb back in the hockey game. Interestingly, one of the top lines in Class AA did not see the ice and the score remained three zip. With :52 remaining in the second, Shane Davis danced out of the corner and with a perfect feed threaded a pass to Hank Fontana who chipped it past Hutton to make it 3-1. The third period was uneventful until 7:48 to go in regulation when the Talbots were whistled for tripping, but the Talbot’s playoff heavens were answered with 6:52 to go in regulation as Cody Parker’s 120 slapshot sailed over the glove side of Shane Talarico to make it 4-1 on a shorthanded goal. Kevin Ber scored for Salem with 14 ticks left to make it a 4-2 final. Hampton picked up a huge win and is now has moved up in the seedings a couple of notches.

Pine Richland 3 Moon 2 (OT) VALENCIA – Moon (11-4-1) has been playing some pretty good hockey this season with a balanced attack, physical play and strong defense. The Tigers are currently holding the 3rd seed with a tough schedule ahead over the final month of the season. The first test is a visit with undefeated Pine Richland (13-0-0), who have gone virtually unchallenged over the opening 13 contests of the regular season. Coach Bob Kennedy of Pine Richland and Craig Bioni of Moon have their clubs preparing for the playoffs, with the Rams getting set to defend their Class AA Pennsylvania State Title and the Tigers trying to lock up a top 4 seed and home berth in the playoffs, which is a little over a month away. The opening period was pretty much a feeling out process but the Rams started to pressure the Moon defense and had a couple of opportunities, but Matt Wynn made several nice stops and the Rams missed the net on some others. The game remained scoreless after one and headed to the 2nd period. The Tigers drew first blood at 10:44 as Zac Smith tipped in a shot from the point by John Mathe on the short side of Stoney Hildreth to give Moon a 1-0 lead. The game picked up with physical play on both sides and very clean play by both teams. Matt Wynn stopped a Phil Trombetta backhand at 5:06, which was the Rams best chance of the 2nd. With 3:27 to go in the period, Evan Goetz threaded a pass to Dylan Trombetta cross ice, who beat Matt Wynn to tie the score at 1-1. Richland would have an opportunity to take the lead with 2:46 to go in the middle frame, but it would be Moon’s Jon Davis who stole the puck and raced 180 feet on the breakaway only to be stopped by Stoney Hildreth with 1:53 to play. Wynn stopped Reed Loney from point blank with :41 seconds to go as the penalty expired. In the closing moments, Moon took a deep breath as the Trombetta’s got loose and just missed. The Rams struck at 13:53 of the third as Eric Febert scored from in front beating Matt Wynn low to the ice for a 2-1 lead. With 8:11 to play Moon would get the equalizer as Jon Davis made a tremendous play to control the puck shot it to the net and Cedric Brazeau pounced on the rebound and buried a wrist shot high toi the stick side with 8:17 to play. Moments later, the Tigers went on the power play with 8:02 to play, which was nullified by some excellent pressure offensively by Phil and Dylan Trombetta. Richland had an abbreviated power play as the action picked up. Cedric Brazaeu hustled to beat the PR defense and forced a penalty with 4:42 to play putting the Tigers on the power play and a chance to take the lead but Pine Richland used great penalty killing. After the Penalty expired Phil Trombetta had a great chance with 2:24 to play and Matt Wynn stoned him. PR got a power play with 24 seconds left and Dylan Trombetta nearly ended it with 6 ticks left as his shot rang off the pipe to the right of Matt Wynn and we headed to overtime. Still on the power play, it would be Dylan Trombetta, who walked out of the corner and launched a wrist shot high over the glove side of Matt Wynn to give Pine Richland a power play game winner at 4:49 of OT and a thrilling 3-2 victory and maybe a little respect for a very good Moon club.

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette has named Zac Zinger the Athlete of the Week for January 16, 2007. Zac has been a four year starter for the Quakers and was one of the key components to the 2006 Pennsylvania High School Hockey Class A Championship team for QV. Most recently Zac helped lead the Quakers to the Pa Hockey Scholastic Showcase Director's Cup final and was named to the Director's Dozen. The Quakers are currently undefeated at 12-0-1, ranked # 1 in the Post Gazette in Class A and # 1 in Pennsylvania in the Pa Hockey Elite 8 poll for Week 10. Congratulations to Zac Zinger and the Quaker Valley Hockey Club.

Hopewell's Nate Guenin, a former member of Team Pittsburgh, Ohio State University and Hopewell High School will play his first National Hockey League game for the Philadelphia Flyers . Guenin, who played for Ohio State University and has since joined the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL becomes the 4th player from Western Pennsylvania in the past 3 years to play in the NHL joining R.J. Umberger of the Philadelphia Flyers, Ryan Malone of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Billy Thomas of the Phoenix Coyotes. Congratulations to Nate Guenin and good luck !

The Boy Wonder has issued the 2nd edtition of the Three Rivers Rink Report and it is now available for you all to enjoy. This 18 page Newsletter is an outstanding account of Interscholastic and Collegiate Hockey in Western Pennsylvania !