Archbishop Ryan Raiders

2005 Chicago Showcase Bensenville, Illinois 4/14/05 Team Pittsburgh vs Team Wisconsin Team Pittsburgh opened up the 2005 Chicago Showcase with a heartstopping 5-4 loss to North Dakota. Mario Panucci [Montour], Mark Polidor [West Allegheny], Ryne Savisky [West Allegheny] and Dan Sidle [Penn Trafford] scored as Team Pittsburgh rallied for three goals in the 3rd period but could not score the equalizer controlling the play, but in hockey you must play three periods. As they headed in to the second game with a highly touted Wisconsin club, one had to wonder if Team Pittsburgh would win a game and possibly fall out of the coveted A Bracket, where they have competed since 1997. Team Pittsburgh has competed in the Chicago Showcase for every year since 1984 and the past 18 years under the guidance of Dave Klasnick, who serves as General Manager for the team and provides a great experience for the players who are fortunate to make the team after the rigorous four day tryout and two weeks of practices. Head Coach Ed Figas of Serra Catholic along with assistant Kevin Zielmanski of Central Catholic, were joined by Dave Fryer of Canon McMillan for a big test for the team. So the homage to Bensenville, where I joined the Montour boys and an intimate gathering of folks who made the trip to Chicago, which was my first since 1998 after 3 years. In the opening minutes of the game, Wisconsin put Team Pittsburgh on their heels with good pressure, but where limited in their chances. Team Pittsburgh stuck first as Billy Repass [Elizabeth Forward] made a tremendous play to intercept a pass and throw it to the net and across the goal line, but the referee was out of position and waived the goal off. Then at 10:31 of the first on the power play, Kyle Sidle [Penn Trafford] dug the puck out of the corner and fed it to the slot where Mario Panucci was stationed and fired a bullet high over the glove side of Wisconsin goaltender Jeff Henderson for a 1-0 lead. Team Pittsburgh used it’s speed and played tenaciously against a much bigger and supposedly more physical opponent and countered hit for hit. Then a heads up play by Shane Ferguson [Mt Lebanon] at 5:27 led to the next goal as Fergy caught Henderson off balance and fired a snapshot on the ice to the far corner and Pittsburgh now had a 2-0 lead. Pittsburgh continued playing pretty smart defense but got a little sloppy late in the 1st period as Wisconsin’s Shay Tainter incepted a pass and beat Drew Stanton [Canon McMillan] on the short side. Back and forth the teams went in the 2nd period and both goaltenders shined as Pittsburgh held a shot advantage of 13-8. Wisconsin had their chances, but Drew Stanton stood tall and Wisconsin showed undisciplined play nullifying several power play chances and essentially killed their momentum or any momentum as Pittsburgh took a slim 2-1 advantage to the third. Wisconsin nearly tied the game at 10:07 of the third period as Brett Olson was robbed by Drew Stanton from point blank range. Team Pittsburgh had a couple of power plays midway through the third period and was looking for the knockout punch and they did it as Kyle Sidle [Penn Trafford] slammed home a rebound after a great setup by Josh Jones [Serra Catholic] and Paul Dittrich [North Allegheny] for a 3-1 lead with 6:15 left. Drew Stanton closed the door on Wisconsin stopping 26 of 27 shots including a statement save on towering Sean Wiles with 2:25 remaining for a hug 3-1 win for Team Pittsburgh and secure a spot in the playoff round, which begins Saturday. 2005 Chicago Showcase Bensenville, Illinois 4/15/05 Team Pittsburgh vs Team Northern New England After defeating Wisconsin on Thursday evening, Team Pittsburgh all but secured a berth in Saturday’s Quarter-Final round. A win over Northern New England could propel Team Pittsburgh into a preferable matchup in next step. In 1999, Team Pittsburgh danced to the finals before falling in the Championship to Minnesota and in 2001 a semi-final appearance falling to Minnesota once again. Both of those teams were laiden with players, who have since moved on to the Division 1 level from AAA midget and Junior A. This team is a little different not because of the talent, but more emphasis on this group is the team chemistry, character and unselfishness of a group of 20 players not expected to do anything in a tough A Bracket At 7:55 of the opening period, Ryan Zaploski [Cathedral Prep] made a great leg save from right in front and moments later Pittsburgh went on the power play, but could not capitalize, but built momentum and started to get scoring chances. Goaltenders Raymond Quattrucci of Northern New England and Ryan Zapolski faced 16 and 12 shots respectively in a scoreless opening period. In the second period, when it looked like Team Pittsburgh was in trouble Ryan Zapolski kept NNE out and then the speed kicked in as Kyle Sidle [Penn Trafford] set up Raymond Gillies [Serra Catholic], who buried a snapshot past Quattrucci for a 1-0 lead at 11:06 of the 2nd. At 7:26 of the 2nd New England went on the power play and then at 6:49 Ryan Zapolski made another great save sliding across to stop a chance on the back side. In a very entertaining two periods of hockey, Team Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead to the locker room. On to the third we went and in the opening minute Team Pittsburgh did a lot of running around and failed to clear the zone and through that struggle did not give up a goal, but committed a penalty at 12:48 giving NE an opportunity on the power play and this time they converted as Dan Rautenburg snapped a rebound over a fallen Zapolski to tie the game at one apiece. At 11:04, Team Pittsburgh went on the power play, which became a 5 on 3 at 9:57 with a golden opportunity to take the lead. At 9:25, Mark Polidor was absolutely robbed by Quattracci, who sprawled got a glove on it at the last moment. Pittsburgh went back on the power play with 5:56 left and Quatracci made another big save on Polidor with a little over 4 minutes remaining in regulation. At 2:36, Tyler Martin got stone by Zapolski with the glove. With 1:48 left, Pittsburgh went on the power play and at the buzzer Mark Polidor’s slap shot rang of the post and the game ended in a 1-1 tie. 2005 Chicago Showcase Bensenville, Illinois 4/16/05 Team Philadelphia vs Team Ohio Team Philadelphia entered this morning’s contest against Team Ohio with a 1-2-0 record in the 2005 Chicago Showcase under Germantown Academy coach Gump Whiteside. The amazing fact if you look at the Team Philadelphia lineup is the absence of the best players from Malvern Prep [Nick Averona did participate], Germantown Academy [Jack Morrison was injured], Archbishop Carroll, Archbishop Wood and even Pennsylvania Class A State Champions Penncrest are nowhere to be found. The Chicago Showcase is to represent ‘the best players’ in each area and it doesn’t. In fact, of the Pa Hockey top 25 in Eastern Pa, Philly has a half dozen to a dozen players, which may answer why it is stuck in the C bracket of the Chicago Showcase. They don’t have to look far as the next bench over to Team Ohio, which seems to have the same dilemma as their lineup does not include any participants from perennial State Champs St Edwards and Ohio powers Bowling Green, St Ignatius among others. These are states who have been playing interscholastic hockey for well over 30 years and should be competitive with the rest of the country and they are competing in brackets with Florida, Team South [Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia & Mississippi] and Team Southwest [Arizona, New Mexico, Texas & Oklahoma]. The cost may be one issue which can be addressed [currently $ 500 – 700 per player] and possibly a little more publicity through Webcasting the event for Team Pittsburgh and Team Philadelphia, which will be put on the table for next season’s event, with the proceeds from sponsorship over and above the costs going to fund both teams and giving people across the country an opportunity to tune in to a great event. Team Ohio struck first at 13:32 as Andrew Lachiewicz [Troy HS] took a pass from Jake Coyle [Padua] and beat Alex Adoni [Plymouth Whitemarsh] to give Ohio a 1-0 lead. At 5:22 of the first, LaSalle’s John Williams got loose shorthanded and buried a wrist shot upstairs past Craig Butler [Kent Roosevelt] to tie the score at 1-1. Ian DeLong [Kutztown] made a great play at 1:43 left in the opening period with a backhand upstairs to give Philly a 2-1 lead. At 3:52 of the 2nd, Team Ohio’s Jake Coyle tied the game on a deflection of a pass from the sideboards. Less than a minute later, Team Ohio regained the lead as Mike Kasmer crashed the net and beat Adoni to make it 3-2. With 15:22 left in the third period, LaSalle’s L.G. Gattison had a chance on a breakaway but was stopped by Butler. Then with 13:53 left in the final period, Ohio’s Mike Kasmer [Trinity] scored on a wrist shot from the top of the circle to give Ohio a 4-2 advantage. With 25 seconds left Ohio put the game on ice as David Goldsmith [Shaker Heights] scored on a wide open chance on a nice setup by Charlie Fox [St Francis DeSales], which was almost a gimme to make the final 5-2 in favor of Team Ohio.