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2007-2008 PA Hockey Top 25
Every year Pa Hockey goes through the process of picking the top 25 players in Eastern and Western Pennsylvania. We invite your thoughts on Pa Hockey on our selections and certainly value your opinions.
And if that isn't enough our annual list of the top 5 Fans is here and Top 5 Freshman who have come on the scene as well as our Top 5 coaching performances [Western Pa]. Finally, if you are going to start a championship organization and need a place to start and I would guess that these kids are top notch in many people's lists.
Enjoy it + Comments are welcome..... And if you don't like it you can always discuss in on the Roundtable ..... The Pa Hockey Top 25 is one reason why it the # 1 Interscholastic Hockey Website in the State of Pennsylvania !
The Pa Hockey Top 25 for Eastern and Western Pa is now posted ........only on Pa Hockey !
2006 Meadville Bulldog Invitational
2006 Meadville Bulldog Invitational - Semi-Finals
New Quaker Valley knocks Mars down a peg 5-3!
CORAOPOLIS –
Mars (13-0-1) has been pretty much on cruise control since their November 27th beating of Quaker Valley at Cranberry. The Planets have outscored opponents 104-11, but a study shows that they have given up twice as many goals in away games than at home. The goal of all of this is for Mars to advance to their first ever Penguins Cup and the looming # 1 seed with a game and a half lead would receive a significant boost with a win over the Quakers. Let’s forget about the Post Gazette # 1 ranking that the Planets have held since the first weeks of the season and lets focus on the mental aspect facing this team that has plagued them in the past. While Quaker Valley was busy with competition over the holidays, coach Tim Coleman’s squad decided to rest and with the lack of competition in Class A, Mars will have to find a way to keep hungry and sharp down the stretch to try to move on to the Penguins Cup and last week’s 1-1 tie with defending Penguins Cup champ Freeport, is just a reminder that ANY team is just one goaltending performance away from elimination and Quaker Valley will testify to that.
Quaker Valley (13-2-0) lost to Serra Catholic and Mars in November and has reeled off a series of wins to become the hottest team in Class A since those setbacks. Taking into account that the Quakers had a semi-surprised return of Mik Lemieux as a Chirstmas present to QV’s fortunes brings a whole different element to the offense, which now becomes multi dimensional with Lemieux, Colin South and George Jackson leading the offense and Noah Zamagias move back to defense to solidify a defense with Cody Scott. Head Coach Kevin Quinn’s smile was a little more noticeable as the Quakers got ready to take on # 1 Mars, who now stands in the path of the Quakers redemption of the Penguins Cup loss from a year ago and possibly a 2nd State Title in 3 years. The underlying philosophy of the Lemieux return may be questioned in some parts and certainly I have been outspoken about Eligibility, but in this case it really has nothing to do about who he is, but the principal is that Mik Lemieux is a player who was developed in the Quaker Valley organization, played three years for the team and SHOULD be eligible immediately for those of you naysayers.
Quaker Valley jumped all over Mars in the opening period as Noah Zamagias gave the Quakers a 1-0 lead. Mik Lemieux made his presence known as he set up Colin South on a nice passing play to extend the lead to 2-0 before the ‘Concerned Citizens’ of Mars and Quaker Valley could get settle in their sets, which was a nice crowd for the premier matchup in Class A for a scheduled 9:00 PM start courtesy of the promotionally challenged PIHL (who sent the Riddler to watch this games instead of someone who might know a little about hockey), who is more interested in promoting themselves than their teams. At 3:18 of the period, the Quakers nearly made it 3-0, but Mars Brady Sipe broke up a play between South and Lemieux with a tremendous backchecking effort to keep the two goal deficit for the Planets.
The second period turned into a goaltending dual between Mars Greg Lewis and QV’s Zach Taylor as the teams battled for the all important third goal of the contest in the first five minutes of the second. Quaker Valley would get the prize as Lemieux took a Colin South feed from the top of the circle and whipped it past Lewis and the Quakers now had a 3-0 lead at 9:12. Mars answered on the power play as Brady Sipe took a shot from the left point and Jake Robasch pounced on the rebound and jammed it past Zach Taylor and the Planets were on the board at 3-1 at 6:08. That momentum didn’t last long as Colin South drew a penalty and put the Quakers on the power play at 4:44. South took a cross ice feed from George Jaskon and fired a bullet off the cross bar that appeared to go in, but just in case Mik Lemieux made sure and tapped it in for a 4-1 QV lead heading to the ice cut. Shots were 33-20 in favor of QV.
Mars did not quit and they could have laid down in this game after Mike Heltman was stopped on the breakaway with 12:25 remaining in regulation. Mars had a golden opportunity with 11 ½ minutes left on a 5 on 3, but Zach Taylor made a great save on Mike Mazzota at 10:38 and Quaker killed it off. On a QV power play, Mars goaltender Greg Lewis made an unreal stop on Mik Lemieux, but left the game under his own power. Mars kept on grinding and finally broke QV as Ian Finney redirected a Michael Tracy shot from the left point through the 5-hole with 3:39 to go and give a glimmer of hope to the Planets. Any fire the Planets had was extinguished just ten seconds later as Colin South found an empty net after Marty Lamneck made a save on Mik Lemieux and it was now 5-2. Time ran out as Mars continued to pressed for goals as Mike Mazzota scored on a beautiful shot inside the post to make the final count 5-3 in favor of Quaker Valley, who pinned the first loss of the season on Mars, which could prove to be a preview of a third meeting and that would be in the Penguins Cup final in March.
Canevin gets a break and holds off West Allegheny 2-1
Canevin 2 West Allegheny 1
CORAOPOLIS –
West Allegheny coach Norm Cook learned one thing about his team after their 4-0 loss to Franklin Regional last Friday night. The Indians will need both leading scorers Ryan Kumpfmiller and Jeff Cupelli in the lineup and the rest of the lineup to contribute key goals for West A to contend for the Class AA Penguins Cup in March. There is no question that the Indians are contenders and along with Latrobe, Franklin Regional and tonight’s opponent Canevin are the odds on favorites to win it all. West A made it to the Semi-Finals a year ago and is looking to go one step further this season and with the goaltending of Kyle Mortimer and Anthony Sweet, will be a tough team to beat when the bell rings.
Bishop Canevin has never won anything in hockey, it’s because Canevin is the hockey power that everyone remembers that won State Championships in 1983. 1984 and 1989. And when it comes down to it, that history and tradition is pretty important, but in the scheme of the 2008 Penguins Cup AA, I liken this race to 1998, when out of nowhere came Thomas Jefferson to win three straight Pennsylvania State Class AA crowns. For Kevin Zeilmanski, that was the year when he took the helm at Central Catholic and won the Class AAA Penguins Cup, only to fall to LaSalle in the Pennsylvania High School Hockey Championships. A new start at Canevin, coach Zeilmanski has had a profound effect on the Crusaders in his first year and with a combination of youth and veterans and some pretty good goaltending in Zach Bogden, is in the thick of things in Class AA and has to be one of the teams to watch come March.
Overcoming West Allegheny is one of those obstacles that has held Canevin back the past few years and this is a big week that the teams will meet twice and could very well decide the top two or three seeds in the Penguins Cup playoffs. The Crusaders and Indians have waged many battles over the last few years and these two over the next week will be pretty important in the seeding of the Class AA playoffs. Canevin and West Allegheny both skated hard in the opening minutes with the Crusaders having an edge in the territorial play in the opening minutes. Vince Nicolella had a great chance at 11:41 only to be turned aside by Kyle Mortimer. Canevin continued to press and went on the power play at 4:32, but West A stiffened. The Crusaders kept on coming and it finally paid off when with 53 seconds to go in the period Cam Zappi converted a Josh Daley pass beating Mortimer for a 1-0 Canevin lead.
On to the second period and West Allegheny picked up their pace and would get the equalizer at 6:38 as Ryan Kumpfmiller beat the Crusader defense and Zack Bogden to knot the score at one apiece. Canevin almost pulled ahead at 5:29 as Mike Mannsmann had a golden opportunity on a 2nd rebound with a wide open cage, but Kyle Mortimer robbed him with a phenomenal glove save. At 3:28 Jeffrey Cupelli beat the Canevin defense but Bogden stoned him and West A was given a power play, but could not score as the game headed to the ice cut tied at 1-1.
Canevin came up with the big goal to take the lead at 10:20 as Vincent Nicolella scored on another nice feed from Josh Daley and the Crusaders were now on top again 2-1. West Allegheny apparently tied the game with 7:22 to go as Ryan Kumpfmiller buried a wrist shot upstairs past Bogden. The play was blown dead as referee Jeff Sheran ruled that a Canevin player was in the crease and called a goaltender interference penalty, much to the dismay of the ‘Concerned Citizens’ of West Allegheny and to the delight of the Blue Raspberry Canevin faithful. It was a very good call from my angle as not one Crusader was within a stick length of the offender from West A, who was clearly in the goal crease and got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Needless to say, this was a very big break for Canevin, who could not convert the power play. The Indians got another chance with the man advantage, but Canevin stood tall and with the goalie pulled furiously tried to tie the game, but the Crusaders withstood a final minute barrage for a 2-1 victory. Canevin cannot rest on it’s laurels too much as these same teams will meet again on Monday.