Every year Pa Hockey searches high and low for the former Pennsylvania Interscholastic talent that has moved on to play Junior A in the USHL, NAHL, EJHL and Collegiate Hockey in the NCAA Division 1 in the Atlantic Hockey, CCHA, College Hockey America, ECAC, Hockey East,  and WCHA.

     We found 103 players from Pennsylvania including 64 from Western Pennsylvania and 39 from Eastern Pennsylvania who made our coveted list. Now we know some of you have the inside information that we may have missed a couple of players, so please let us know.

      Onward and Upward we go for 2009-2010 and enjoy the list !

  www.eteamz.com/pahockey/files/PIHLCOLL10.xls

 

 

 

CRANBERRY –

 

      Mars (11-0-0) season in 2009-2010 has been a lot calmer under Steve Myers in his first full year at the helm for the Planets. The defending Class A Penguin Cup champions have been unchallenged through 11 games and frankly have made it look easy with the exception of a 5-4 victory over Serra Catholic. Mars is more interested in returning to a State Championship game they fell to Bayard Rustin a year ago and righting the ship of the Western Pennsylvania teams, who have lost 6 out of the last 7 Pennsylvania Class A titles to the Flyers Cup counterparts.

 

      Kittanning (9-0-0) was moved to Class A from Class AA against their wishes as the Wildcats have been in Class AA since 1994 and were Class AAA under the Armstrong Central banner. Jamie King’s squad has dealt with the hand given to them scoring 99 goals in its first 9 games and has been unchallenged thus far this season. The Wildcats did lose to Mars in the St Margaret Fall Face Off in October, so Kittanning was looking to see how their team measured up to the # 1 ranked Planets in a potential Penguins Cup final preview.  

 

          The game between these two undefeated teams was close checking in the opening period for the first ten minutes until on a 4 on 4, Mars Eliott Tisdale found Mike Mazzotta behind the Kittanning defense and Mazzotta beat the Kitanning goaltender Cory Norton to the stick side to give the Planets a 1-0 lead. The Wildcats went on the power play and Jordan Ford wheeled around the net and found Josh Miller in the slot who scored through the 5-hole of Tyler Stepke to tie the score just 24 seconds later. Kitanning took their first lead just 29 seconds after they tied the game as Andrew Contreal scored on a rebound at 3:40. The Wildcats seized the momentum in the middle of the period, but a terrific individual effort by Mike Mazzotta would knot things up again as the Mars forward unleashed a wicked slapshot that beat Norton high to the blocker side with just 35 seconds remaining in the first period.

 

        While Kittanning was unsuccessful on several power play opportunities in the second period, the Planets seized control of this contest as Russell Miller scored on his own rebound after a nice cross ice pass from Tyler Thomas at 13:44. Mars would take a two goal advantage at 5:23 of the period as Austin Heakins scored on another rebound goal to make it 4-2. The Planets were cruising and Nicholas Blaney beat the Kittanning defense on a pretty move and buried a snap shot high over the glove of Norton to give Mars a 5-2 lead after two periods.

 

        The teams traded power plays early in the 3^rd period as Kittanning could not mount pressure on the Mars defense, who played very sound fundamental defense. With the Wildcats pressing and unable to clear their own zone, Elliott Tisdale would close out the scoring with 7:19 to play in the 3^rd period gathering a Tyler Whiteford rebound and burying a wrist shot high to the stick side to put an exclamation point on a 6-2 victory for the Planets as they continued their undefeated season and march in defense of their Penguins Cup Class A title from a year ago.  

 

Quaker Valley		8	Center		3	A	NO HIGHLIGHTS PROVIDED
Deer Lakes		1	Serra Catholic		13	A	NO HIGHLIGHTS PROVIDED
Knoch		1	Hampton		2	A	NO HIGHLIGHTS PROVIDED
Moon		6	Cathedral Prep		1	AA	Brandon Smitsky scores three time as Moon takes down Prep
Baldwin		2	Montour		1	AA	NO HIGHLIGHTS PROVIDED
Meadville		2	West Allegheny		2	AA	Jason Kumpfmiller stops 26 of 28 shots for West A and Dean Wisinski and Clayton Stockton score for Meadville
Canevin		4	Wheeling CC		0	AA	Vince Nicolella, John Facchiano, Matt Whitmann and Matt Walsh score for the Crusaders and Zack Daley earns the shutout for Canevin with 16 Saves
Elizabeth Forward		5	Franklin Regional		7	AA	NO HIGHLIGHTS PROVIDED
Thomas Jefferson		3	Latrobe		5	AA	NO HIGHLIGHTS PROVIDED
Peters Township		10	Chartiers Valley		1	AA	Matt White and Cole Snyder scores three goals each as Peters dismantles Char Valley
Gateway		2	Central Catholic		3	AAA	NO HIGHLIGHTS PROVIDED
Shaler		1	State College		1	AAA	NO HIGHLIGHTS PROVIDED
Pine Richland		4	Seneca Valley		6	AAA	Brandon Platt posts hat trick as Raiders knock off Pine Richland
North Hills		2	Canon McMillan		6	AAA	NO HIGHLIGHTS PROVIDED
Mt Lebanon		1	Bethel Park		1	AAA	NO HIGHLIGHTS PROVIDED
Plum		12	Hempfield		1	AAA	Jake Kuhn notches HT as Mustangs destroy Hempfield

 

Westmont Hilltop		1	Freeport		4	A	NO HIGHLIGHTS PROVIDED
South Fayette		1	Beaver		4	A	NO HIGHLIGHTS PROVIDED
Mars		6	Kittanning		2	A	GAME SUMMARIES

 

National Invitational Scholastic Showcase

December 4-6, 2009 ~ Jamestown Savings Bank Arena  – Jamestown, NY

          The Pa Hockey Foundation is sponsoring the National Invitational Scholastic Showcase event on December 4^th - 6^th, 2009 at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena in Jamestown, New York. With the 2008 State Championships in over 43 States across the United States being competed across the country, we are working toward a unique event featuring some of the top High School Hockey programs in the country for a three-day event during the 2008-2009 season. This event will host the best teams regionally and nationally to compete for the Governor’s Cup at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena in New York.          

       This Invitational event will be open to State Champions, Finalists, Semi-Finalists and Exempt Champions and we will attempt to limit to a total of four to six schools from any particular area [State or Region] to ensure that each school participating will face three out-of-state opponents in the preliminary round of competition. The tournament will be played on 2-3 rinks in prime time for this round robin event.

Sunday December 6, 2009 Semi-Finals

New Trier Green

5

Prairie Ridge

1

New Trier Green kept rolling in defense of their Governors Cup title from a year ago with a 5-1 win over Prairie Ridge. Mark Harris broke a 1-1 tie late in the first period and put the Trevians ahead to stay with his second at 9:32 of the second period and completed the hat trick at 6:08 of the second period. Matthew Powell and Michael Vail added goals for NTG. Alex Taulien scored for the Wolves.

 

Holy Ghost Prep

2

Hamilton SE

1

OT

Holy Ghost Prep has been coming to Jamestown for four years and this year is the first under new Head Coach Gump Whiteside. After Hamilton SE took a 1-0 lead on a goal from Robbie Stein, the Firebirds began a barrage of shots on the Royals goaltenders that totaled 39 in regulation and 48 inclduing overtime. Brian Singmaster tied the score at 14:15 of the 3^rd period and the teams played into the overtime period tied at 1-1. Grant Cooper made a terrific play to keep the puck in at the left point and fired a bullet through traffic that aluded goaltender Grant Davis and Holy Ghost Prep earned a spot in the Governor’s Cup final.

 Finals

1:00 PM

RINK 1

FINAL

New Trier Green

3

Holy Ghost Prep

1

      Holy Ghost Prep broke out on top as John Motto scored at 4:08 of the opening period to give Holy Ghost Prep a 1-0 lead. The Firebirds goaltender Steven Berardi was brilliant keeping HGP in the lead stopping 26 of 27 shots through two periods as New Trier Green finally solved him at 5:47 of the second period as Matt Hickey scored to tie the game at one apiece.

      The game headed into the 3rd period tied a 1-1 and the Trevians continued their shot barrage on Berardi and goaltender Greg Ogard was keeping Holy Ghost at bay as well. With 7:30 to play in regulation, NTG's Michael Vail gathered the puck on the near boards turned toward the center circles and unleashed a rocket wrister shot over the glove of Berardi to give the Trevians their first lead 2-1. NISS MVP Will Harris clinched a certain victory just a minute and a half later scoring with 6:04 to go to give New Trier Green all the goals it would need to capture it's second straight Governor's Cup title with a 3-1 victory over a very good Holy Ghost Prep Firebirds squad. Will Harris was named the Most Valuable Player in the NISS with 9 Goals and 3 Assists in 5 Tournament Games.

        The National Invitational Scholastic Showcase Director's Dozen All-Tournament Teams includes:   

Will Harris - New Trier Green - MOST VALUABLE PLAYER 

Steven Berardi - Holy Ghost Prep

Brendan Bradley - Holy Ghost Prep

James Kline - Upper St Clair

John Motto - Holy Ghost Prep

Greg Ogard - New Trier Green  

Thomas Seravelli - Holy Ghost Prep

Justin Short - Hamilton SE 

Robbie Stein - Hamilton SE

Alexander Taulien - Prairie Ridge  

Aidan Verbeke - Fenwick

Michael Vail - New Trier Green

Alex Wetzel - New Trier Green