News and Announcements
CASTLE SHANNON –
Baldwin head coach Mike Cox has been a rare commodity in Interscholastic Hockey these days as he has lasted more than a couple since he took over the program in the 2001-2002 season. The Highlander coach comes from a long history of Baldwin hockey stemming from his father, who was one of the founders of the program to his late brother Jim Cox, who scored the overtime winning goal in the first ever Pennsylvania High School Hockey Championship in 1975 in a 4-3 overtime win over Churchill in Erie, Pa. And also coached the Highlanders to the State Finals to his brother Pat, who has also successfully coached at the Interscholastic level. A testimony is the 33-27-5 mark that Baldwin has enjoyed in a treacherous division including perennial powers Mt Lebanon, Bethel Park, Upper St Clair and Central Catholic over 2 ½ season that Cox has been at the helm including two straight Penguins Cup playoffs appearances. So anyone how doesn’t think Baldwin’s program is headed in the right direction, just doesn’t know 2 year ago, which was the Golden Toronadoes first winning season since 1996-1997, which was the year of the ‘porcelain cow’, which lead Butler to near magical playoff run which ended in the Elite 8 at the hands of Central Catholic. Anyone who looks at the Golden Toronadoes 2-12-0 record needs to not take them lightly because this is a team I suspect will have a better 2nd half of the season and could eke into the playoffs with a few upsets, which almost happened last week as Butler fell 3-2 to Upper St Clair in overtime.
The first period was a pretty close checking affair as Butler provided the only highlight as Greg Rogerson found Spencer Crouse with a pinpoint pass and Crouse beat Baldwin netminder Brian Majeda to the stick side for a 1-0 lead.
The 2nd period was all Golden Toronadoes as Crouse returned the favor as he threaded a nice pass to Rogerson in front, who beat Majeda through the 5-hole to extend the lead to 2-0 at 12:22. Butler went on top 3-0, as Gereme Hensel scored from right on the doorstep at 11:13. Fletcher Crouse completed the hat trick for his line at 9:27, as he found a loose puck in front and chipped it past Majeda to make it 4-0. Baldwin finally got on the board at 3:18, as Mike Joyce scored on a blistering slapshot low on the ice to the stick side, which was the only shot of 24 Highlander shots which would beat Kris Rhodaberger on the evening to make it 4-1.
Butler would ice this game in the 3rd period as Spencer Crouse and Greg Rogerson would score their 2nd goals of the evening and Mike Guethner scored as well for an impressive 7-1 Golden Toronado win before an intimate gathering at Ice Castle.
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All-Star Games ~ Sunday January 30th
Ice Castle Castle Shannon, Pa.
NorthEast Conference vs SouthWest Conference
Class A ~ Northeast 3 Southwest 2
HIGHLIGHTS: Westmont-Hilltop's Anthony DeMarco scores a pair
including the game winner with 1:19 remaining in the 3rd period.
Hilltopper teammate and goaltender Patrick Krumenacker stops all 9
shots in the final period. Deer Lake's Moritz Weissenhorn scores the
other goal for the Northeast, while Quaker Valley's Furman South and
Sewickley Academy's Trevor Heck score for the Southwest.
Class AA ~ Southwest 5 Northeast 2
HIGHLIGHTS: Elizabeth Forward's Billy Repass, Montour's Brian Dugan
and TJ's Brock Heinauer score a goal and add an assist each and
Montour's Chad Talotta and South Park's Ryan Delvecchio score single
to lead the way for the Southwest. Hampton's Patrick Duffy and Pine
Richland's Jordan Yoklic score for the Northeast. Moon's Andrew
Slifkin is brilliant between the pipes stopping 16 of 17 shots in
the final period.
Class AAA ~ Southwest 7 Northeast 0
HIGHLIGHTS: The Bethel Park and Mt Lebanon contingent did a majority
of the scoring as BP's Conner McLean score a goal and added two
assists, Mt Lebanon's Shane Ferguson popped in a pair, Bethel's Tim
O'Brien score a goal and an assist, the Hawks Jacobus Bliek had a
goal and 2 assists, Bethel's Michael Diethorn chipped in two
assists, and Mt Lebanon freshman Tyler Murovich scored a shorthanded
goal [on a Denis Savard spin-a-rama move] to lead the Southwest.
North Allegheny's Paul Dittrich scored and the goaltending tandem of
Cathedral Prep's Ryan Zapolski, NA's Jeff Kristan and Central
Catholic's Bryan Adamczak stopped all 20 Northeast shots for the
shutout.
Class Open ~ Northeast 4 Southwest 2
Chartiers Valley boys light it up as Drew Paocelli scores the hat
trick while teammates Eddie Olczyk adds a goal and 2 assists and
Tommy Miller chips in 3 assists for the Northeast. Ringgold's Dan
Tonini and Wheeling Park's Derek Felici score a goal and an assist
apiece for the Southwest. Maybe next year these players will play
using real all-star jerseys and not cheap imitations or maybe
through my wishful thinking there will be no Open Division?
Couple of Comments:
Great venue and Great Hospitality by the Ice Castle folks made
these games fun for all !
Click on the logo or the TITLE to access printable rosters for Class A, AA, AAA and Open
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All-Star Games
Ice Castle Castle Shannon
Northeast Conference vs Southwest Conference
Class A Game ~ 12:30pm
Class AA Game ~ 2:30pm
Class AAA Game ~ 4:30pm
Ooen Division ~ 6:30pm
Best hockey game of the season ends in a draw and curfew !
Posted by Jeff Mauro at Jan 7, 2005 4:00PM PST
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Note: My apologies for folks waiting for this game summary as I curfewed myself after Johnstown Wednesday, State College Thursday and Neville Island last night !
NEVILLE ISLAND –
As I strolled out of my house on Christmas Eve after putting the finishing touches on the 2004 Pa Hockey Scholastic Showcase, I finally had a chance to relax and pick up the morning paper. After reading a well done and very much appreciated article about the tournament by Marky Bilson in the PG East the day before, I wandered to the Sports Section of the Post Gazette and found an article by Colin Dunlap titled ‘Local hockey programs could use a big check’ [which I have attached for your enjoyment. The interviews include quotes from the President and overpaid Commissioner, who took this opportunity to express how desperate the PIHL is for money and sanctioning by the PIAA, which PIAA Executive Director Brad Cashman dismissed in two very thoughtful and obvious sentences.
The PIHL has 55 varsity teams, which has been reduced from the 79 when it started with for the inaugural 1999-2000 and the number of total teams has gone from 206 down to 174 at the start of this season. The reason is as the illustrious President says ‘is money’ and the second reason the PIAA wants nothing to do with it is that there are 200 plus schools playing Varsity hockey in the State of Pennsylvania, including the 141 in Eastern Pennsylvania and the 26 Independent and Laurel Highlands schools who refuse to pay all of the fees associated with the PIHL. I did not see ANY quotes where either the President or Commissioner offer to reduce costs by taking a pay cut for the over 125,000 of administrative costs hidden in the PIHL Budget or maybe resignations for the complete mismanagement of the organization by a very stale and self serving Executive Board and its Commissioner’s office in 5 of their 6 year [not including the year I was President, which was when it was managed].
The third and more important factor for all of us, who attend the games on the ice is the product and folks, Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey, as I suggested in my Quaker Valley – Bishop McCort game summary is in the lobby. The illegitimacy only took one night to rear its ugly head as our Shaler team took a six hour round trip & spent nearly $ 1000 for bus to State College only to have the game curfewed with 2 ½ minutes left in overtime because the League Rep, who is paid by the PIHL and showed up late for the game, let nearly 15-20 minutes run off the curfew clock and two teams, who are fighting to stay out of the basement, was not afforded an opportunity to win, lose or draw, which is a joke and a bad product if your selling it anyone.
Which brings us to Friday night’s game of the season between two of Class AA’s top teams, Montour ranked # 2 in Post Gazette for Western Pa and # 4 in State and winners of nine straight games against Canon McMillan ranked # 1 in Post Gazette in Western Pa and # 1 in State by Pa Hockey. For two schools where a big game at Canon McMillan constitute a wrestling match or for Montour possibly Basketball, but for both teams in hockey is a rarity, in fact between both schools have a total of three playoff wins in their 11 and 19 year histories respectively and neither have ever ventured past the 2nd round of the Penguins Cup playoffs. So who could blame Doug Stanton for going away with the Junior B Penguins, the game that meant everything for these teams, really is still looking for legitimacy. No Scouts, No Press [except for PA Hockey], No PIHL President, No PIHL Comissioner, No PIAA and the only thing is someone forgot to tell the fans because Neville Island was packed in the stands and two deep along the railing at the top of the stands including coaches and players from Pine Richland, West Allegheny, Kittanning and Peters Township. And the PA Announcer, who gracefully said ‘ It doesn’t get any better than this !” And he was right on the money until about 8:30 PM.
Montour struck first in this big game in the 1st Period as Chad Talotta gathered a deflected shot of Ross Polk of a shot from the left point from Aaron Siegel and deposited behind Drew Stanton for a 1-0 lead at 10:56. Canon Mac tied the game on the power play at 7:59 as Eric Lang scored from all alone in front. Justin Cormack gave the Big Macs the lead with 1:51 left in the first on a wrist shot past the stick side of Nick Gallioretto.
In the 2nd period, Gallioretto made a key stick save on Jesse Patnesky to keep the deficit at one goal at 10:54. Canon Mac played opportunist at 6:17 as Justin Cormack intercepted an errant pass in the neutral zone and with good speed made a move to his left and wristed it past Gallioretto through the 5-hole to give the Big Macs a big 3-1 lead. The remainder of the period was an exchange of penalties as the game got a little chippy.
At 13:14 of the third, Montour went on the power play with an opportunity to get back in the game, but could not scored. Montour received another power play and a ton of momentum at 8:42 as Justin Cormack also received a 10-minute misconduct and exited the game. The Spartans converted this time as Danny Shiwarski took the puck from his own end and found Joe Clarke at the top of the circle, who Stanton high over the stick side to cut the lead to 3-2 with 7:40 remaining. Montour came right back at 6:28 as Joe Clarke banged home a rebound on the doorstep after some nice work by linemates Zach Perry and Shiwarski to tie the game at 3-3. Then at 4:36, the Big Macs went on the power play with a golden opportunity to regain the lead and Nick Gallioretto stoned Nick Cusolito with a diving stop with 3:11 left in regulation. Joe Clarke made a great effort to get the puck out of the zone and was hauled down at 2:52 giving Montour the turkey on the table and an opportunity on the power play. After Drew Stanton robbed Joe Clarke’s bid for the hat trick, the Spartans would not be denied as Zach Perry scored from an impossible angle with 53 seconds left to give Montour a 4-3 lead with 53 seconds left. The Big Macs came back and pulled the goalie and Jesse Patnesky provided the magic scoring with just 5.7 seconds left in regulation after Danny Shiwarski hit the post on the empty net.
On to overtime we went…..and the game was curfewed with 3:56 left in overtime. Maybe the PIAA would like a tape of this because this game was great, but we will never know what would have happened because of a stupid rule made up by an illegitimate organization of people who should resign because they are doing their best to ruin the sport we all love !
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JOHNSTOWN –
Ah the War Memorial and might I add the beautifully refurbished Cambria County War Memorial and home to the Chiefs of Johnstown and ‘Old tyme hockey’ and of course, home to the 5-time Pennsylvania Class State Champions Bishop McCort Crimson Crushers, who have had their State Championship banners removed from the rafters of the War Memorial and now are posters tacked up on the wall in the lobby near the locker rooms. Maybe this is a statement of where High School Hockey is right now and that is in the lobby!
So in the road less traveled this mighty story brings us back to the Rostraver Ice Garden for the 2002 Penguins Cup Semi-Final game between Serra Catholic and Freeport and the story of Nick DeCroo [Which is coincidentally, the year after I left as President of the PIHL because I saw what many of you are seeing right now, which is the dismantling of High School Hockey by the now current administration]. As a freshman, DeCroo had scored 40 + goals that season for the Yellow Jackets and led them to the promised land with a 15-5 regular season record and two playoff victories over Deer Lakes and Quaker Valley and now had a possible shot at a State Championship for a Freeport program that had never been anywhere.
As the story continues, Freeport got the shaft that night at Rostraver as DeCroo, who took less than a dozen penalties all season, was whistled for four, by a ridiculous display of partial refereeing that will never be equaled and to this day was influenced heavily by members within the PIHL Brass who had ties to Serra Catholic. The result was the ice being showered with debris by the distraught Freeport fans, a few punches thrown and connected and cries of foul rung throughout Western Pennsylvania about this ugly display of sticking it to one team by officials. In fact I was threatened [and I have witnesses to attest to this] for my Game Summary by a Penguins Cup playoff committee member for my candid account of the game and I invited that person to take a shot because I would taken care of him after his first and last punch.
What does this have to do with Quaker Valley and Freeport? Well, waiting in the lobby that night was good old Mr Haney, with contract in hand, in the form of a Hornets coach and for Mr Decroo, ‘Today was his lucky day!”. Why would DeCroo want to play for Freeport and enjoy his friends he grew up with and play in front of big crowds at the Belmont and possibly lead Freeport to glory, when he could come drink some ‘Kool-Aid’ and play for the Hornets. So DeCroo said goodbye to the Yellow Jackets and played 2 ½ seasons for the Hornets Midget AAA and was headed for Junior A and Division I hockey at maybe Ohio State or wherever?
From reports to sources close to Pa Hockey, it is now my understanding that earlier this year didn’t make the cut at Junior A and when he was asked to return to the Hornets he supposedly declined. So this player is now ‘Road-Kill’ and he went from Freeport to the Midget AAA Hornets to Junior A to home and is possibly considering going to school maybe at Duquesne, with his old teammate Mike Bender, who stayed at Freeport and is now in year two at Duquesne. So like Jim Fuhs and Luke DeLorenzo and Matt Quigley before and after him he drank the Kool-Aid and Mr Haney got him! So DeCroo, now a would-be senior at Freeport is at a crossroads…. can he return to Freeport, who is now 7-2-0? I don’t know?
This story continues as I am sitting with Mike Mastovich of the Johnstown Tribune Democrat to cover a very big hockey game between Pa Hockey # 2 ranked Quaker Valley [8-1-1] and # 4 ranked Bishop McCort [8-3-0] and before we could settle into our seats, I feel a tap on my shoulder and its Joe Delic, who played four years for the Crimson Crushers and led them to 3 Penguins Cup finals, which they could not beat then and still Class A power Serra Catholic.
Joe mentioned that he is attending of all places, Duquense University and now that he has his studies underway is thinking about playing hockey at Duquesne for my old buddy Tim Bosack, who Joe and I have competed against in the Keystone State games over the past few years and is doing an outstanding job with in ACHA Division I and I recommend kids to explore if they are looking to play competitive hockey in college and want to attend a great institution. So I called Tim last night and will speak to him today about Joe and his aspirations and wouldn’t be ironic if Delic reunites with Keystone linemate Mike Bender and possibly Nick DeCroo. So Joe was taking his time off from school to watch his younger brother Justin and his Crimson Crusher teammates take on a high powered Quaker Valley team, which is in my opinion the best team in Class A in Pennsylvania behind Serra Catholic.
Poor Kevin Quinn knows all about the story and can probably relate with Freeport and Nick DeCroo. The Quakers have been knocking at the Penguins Cup door for the past three seasons and the missing piece to the puzzle can’t help QV get over the top. And it probably won’t in 2004-2005, because now Furman South has taken Ben Herring’s place as the player who is playing for the Hornets missing QV games who signed Mr Haney’s contract of the ‘Road less Travelled’ and has to attend Hornets practice on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday or whenever they schedule it. South is now not only ineligible for Team Pittsburgh, which you have to play in 75% of your high school games, a Chicago Showcase rule [which I intend to write to the AHAI committee, if I see ONE player who tries out for Team Pittsburgh and breaks the rule], he is now is jeapordy of being ineligible for the Pennsylvania State Playoffs, which require 10 regular season games along with teammates and FRESHMAN Grant Scott and Tim Hall, who are also missing Quaker Valley games for Hornets practice.
And its not coaching either, because Kevin Quinn, who played hockey at a higher level and knows more about hockey than the entire Hornets staff, could teach these kids a lot about hockey and frankly is probably pretty disgusted after dedicated a better part of nine years to the Quaker Valley program. So the QV JV less South less Hall less Scott less Kelly Elson, still injured took to the ice to face the Crimson Crushers before an intimate gathering of less than 60 – 70 people at the War Memorial in a rematch of a 2-1 game won by the Quakers in the first half of the season.
The first period was pretty uneventful as McCort outshot Quaker 8-6. The best chance of the period came for QV at 5:23 as Crusher goaltender Ron Stenger came sliding out to play the puck and left an open net, Quaker Valley’s George Jackson couldn’t beat defenseman Paul Reilly, who made a skate save to keep the game scoreless.
On to the second period and the Crimson Crushers struck first at 12:35 as Cory Mock’s wrist shot from the right point through traffic and hit something in front and found its way past Zac Zinger for a 1-0 McCort lead. Aaron Thomas and Chad James on the assist as McCort outshot QV 12-11 in the 2nd.
The 3rd period had lots of action and many good chances as Zinger and Stenger looked sharp between the pipes. At McCort’s Aaron Thomas was robbed by Zac Zinger on a rebound and a diving save as Zinger was sprawled on the ice and kept it out. QV went on the power play at 12:11 but BM killed the penalty. At 6:27, the Quakers had a flurry of shots but the Crushers Ron Stenger made several nice saves, including a point blank chance on Bret McNamara after big scramble in front. At 5:54 Zinger stopped Thomas with poke check from right in front. Finally, with just 4:18 to play QV made a nice play out of the corner by Wilhelm Forster who out maneuvered Crimson Crusher defense and slid puck to George Jackson who found Bret McNamara wide open at post and scored to tie the game at one apiece. Then the drama after Zinger made a nice save on Zac Seidel to force a face-off at 1:38. On the ensuing face-off at 1:36, Chad James won draw clean to Aaron Thomas who beat Zinger on the stick side to make it 2-1 McCort and the Crimson Crushers would hold on for a big win in Johnstown.
Wake up Kool-Aid drinkers………..you are missing out on your best days of High School and spending a lot of your parents money for something that can be obtained by playing for your school AND amateur hockey right here in Western Pennsylvania! Maybe Monday - Thursday should be High School and Friday - Sunday Amatuer including Travel ... what a novel idea ?
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