Archbishop Ryan Raiders

INDIANA – The Kittanning Hockey program was born in 1972 at the Belmont Arena and provided 33 exciting seasons of Interscholastic Hockey and amazingly has only 5 losing seasons in that stretch, which is a testimony to the program development through the Armstrong Amateur Hockey League and people like Hugo Montebell, Jon Spangler, Joe Ritchey, Al Stipp, Jeff Smouse and John Wilson, to mention just a few people, who have been instrumental in helping the program develop and flourish to over the years with community support and teamwork in the hockey program. All of the fundraising and learn to play hockey programs and commitment has culminated 490 wins 223 losses 36 ties and an opportunity to become the first program in Western Pennsylvania to win 500 games including regular season and playoffs. I say opportunity because the Cats [2-2-2] now have 492 and are slightly behind Upper St Clair, who is at 495 wins courtesy of 489 wins and a 6-1-0 record in 2005-2006. What makes this even more interesting is that three of Kittanning’s favorite sons Jon Yackmack, Lee Grafton and Jamie King are leading the current team and giving back to the game that they played for the Hometown team. Grafton played Junior A hockey and Yackmack and King played at the Division 1 level with Sacred Heart and Mercyhurst, respectively. Opening night in Indiana at the Indiana Ice Center [f/k/a ‘The House of King Samuel’,complete with strobe lights, the Hockey Hooligans included in a capacity crowd in attendance for this evening’s contest. This is really a special night for the future of a program holding a 192-87-23 in its first 300 games of existence in Interscholastic Hockey. The date of June 26th could have been a real significant date in Indiana HS Hockey History as the Ice Center closed and almost for good, but some ‘Very Concerned Citizens of Indiana’ including head coach Dom Glavech made some things happen to rally the community and the Ice Center is now open and the team is on the ice again. The Indians have struggled early on this season with no ice and injuries wit ha 2-3-1 mark with losses to Greensburg CC, Canon McMillan and Kittanning, which is not normal for a program which has been to the final four 3 out of the last 4 seasons including two heartbreaking losses to Peters Township in 2002 and 2004. So a rematch of the Wildcats and Indians, a great rivalry with two teams who expect to be in the playoff chase in a very interesting Class AA Penguins Cup, which will begin in March 06. At 13:21 of the opening period, Kittanning struck as Nick Troup scored from right in front beating Mike Kennedy on the game’s very first scoring opportunity as Colin McKelvey worked the puck to the front of the net. Indiana came right back on the power play as Jay Petina pounced on a Steven Geisel rebound at 8:47, to knot the score at one apiece. Mike Kennedy made a terrific save at 2:52 on Colin McKelvey on almost a sure goal on the back door power play opportunity. The Wildcats would get 38 seconds on a 5 on 3 with a little under two minutes remaining in period number one, but Indiana was able to kill it off. At 6:19 of the second period, Colin McKelvey stole the puck and streaked in on a shorthanded opportunity and was pulled down evening the play to 4 on 4 and almost scored as he carried the puck and Indiana goaltender Mike Kennedy into the net. The teams settled in a very territorial battle with the shots 20-16 in favor of Kittanning. On to the third and Mike Kennedy robbed Lee Heilman at 10:15 with a diving save, but the Cats would not be denied and scored the go ahead goal with 9:47 remaining as Nick Troup picked up his second goal on the power play. Justin Kovatch came back just 7 seconds later with a bullet that beat Kennedy at 9:40 to give Kittanning two quick scores and a commanding 3-1 lead. Kittanning capitalized on a flurry of shots giving them a 8-1 shot advantage through 7 minutes of the third. Indiana finally got the puck into the Kittanning zone and Jonathon Ogden picked up a loose puck on the doorstep and beat a sprawling Joey Mecurio with 1:52 remaining to close the gap to 3-2. But this would be Kittanning’s night as just 19 seconds later at 1:33, Nick Troup completed the hat trick scoring from the left side of Mike Kennedy to give the Wildcats a 4-2 lead and victory # 493 for the program causing a mass exodus of the Hockey Hooligans student body made their way to the exits as Kittanning outshot Indiana 33-22.

West Allegheny 2 Canevin 0 MT LEBANON - Another night for a log in the fireplace as some ‘Concerned Citizens of Canevin and Concerned Citizens of West Allegheny’ braved the elements and wandered out on a night where 11 out of 13 games on the schedule were postponed due to bad roads. That didn’t stop a limited Who’s Who night at the Mt Lebanon Rec Center as perennial top 5 fan Earl Bugaile, the MSA Crew, NA coach Tom Pandolfo, Batman and Robin [f/k/a Canon Mac coach Dave Fryer] and King Tut, the professor of Egyptology to see a big Class AA match-up between the Indians [8-0-0] face the Crusaders [5-1-2], with the lone blemish to the WA club losing 4-2 on opening night for both clubs. Canevin’s hockey program is on the rise according to long time Canevin head Kenny Vance and with players like Zack Haluszczak, Jason Ruggerio and Josh Daley leading a new offensive look and a strong developmental program coming behind this group. If head coach Brian Henderson’s team expects to make things interesting come March, it will need to postion itself in the top 8 for home ice advantage. West Allegheny has not looked back since the season opened in November and has been perfect thus far handling four of the Elite 8 teams with ease beating Canon McMillan, Greensburg CC, Thomas Jefferson and Canevin by two or more goals. The Indians feature a balanced attack and as a novelty pays attention to the defensive end as well, which will be a huge factor in any playoff success they may have. The first period was quick moving with only one penalty and limited number of scoring opportunities as West Allegheny outshot Canevin 10-6. The second period was more of the same as the Crusader’s Joey Ziemianski and the Indians Kyle Mortimer stopped several chances at both ends keeping the game scoreless. West Allegheny held a shot advantage of 17-13 in the middle frame, but the game remained scoreless going to the ice cut in a very fast paced and entertaining hockey game. With 12:40 remaining in regulation, West Allegheny went on the power play from only the second penalty of the hockey game and a golden opportunity to take the lead. Zack Haluszczak had a couple of shorthanded opportunities, one glancing off the post. The Indians would cash in at 11:16 as Tony Lutz took a Steve Sarachene pass and deposited pass Ziemianski for a 1-0 WA lead. At 7:59 of the 3rd period, Ryne Savisky rang a shot off the far post which caromed out of the net right on to the stick of Ryan Kumpfmiller who pushed it into an empty net for a 2-0 lead for the scarlet and gray, according alumnist Robin the Boy Wonder. Canevin went on the power play with a little under 6 minutes to go and Kyle Mortimer made several nice stops and the Indians penalty killing took care of the rest. The story of Canevin’s night came with 1:03 remaining as the puck came to D.J. Zeh, who could not finish a bang bang play from right on the doorstep as Mortimer somehow found the puck and kept it out. The Indians would hold on and complete the shutout with a 2-0 victory and move to 9-0 on the regular season.

Penn Trafford 4 Franklin Regional 2 DELMONT – Penn Trafford 6-2-0 and Franklin Regional 5-2-0 squared off in a battle for first place in the East Division of Class AAA. Coach Jim Daugherty’s Panthers have started the season with a solid effort losing only to Fox Chapel and North Allegheny. Todd Purvis’ Warriors have won some exciting contests as well falling to # 1 Mt Lebanon and McDowell. The records added some flare to what is becoming a big rivalry for the top spot in the Eastern Division. Penn Trafford and Franklin Regional battle for most of the opening period to a scoreless tie. The Warrior’s Chris Cerutti walked out of the corner and beat two FR defensemen and Adam Treml with 1:30 remaining for a 1-0 lead. Less than a minute later with :36 ticks remaining in the 1st ,it was Cerutti on the breakway and beating Treml again for a 2-0 lead. The second period was a penalty fest as the team exchanged power plays as PT clung to a 2-0 lead. The Panthers broke the scoreless drought with 2:05 remaining in the period as Ryan Kramer scored on a rebound to make it 2-1. The Panthers had a golden opportunity to seize the game, but instead decided to play to the capacity crowd of FR and PT fans at Center Ice. The undiscipline of some of the Franklin players put their team shorthanded early in the third period, breaking any momentum of the Kramer goal. The Panthers killed off a 5 on 3 disadvantage, which started at 11:11 and preceded to take another penalty at 9:23 and again at 8:12. Penn Trafford could not mount a serious scoring opportunity during all of the power plays and it looked like the Panthers would survive. In fact, a miracle happened as Joe Nicoletti dove and cleared the puck out of the zone the length of the ice at 7:40 and a misplay by Warrior goaltender Joel Sterniak waundered into an empty net to tie the game at two apiece. Moments later it almost happened again as Greg Peters intercepted a Sterniak clearing attempt and deked the goaltender and the puck lay on the goal line but never crossed at 7:11, which was as close as FR came to taking the lead. The Panthers would take another penalty at 6:50 and this time Penn Trafford would make them pay as Chris Cerutti fired a wrist shot from the left point high over the glove of Treml to complete the hat trick and give his Warriors a 3-2 lead with 5:28 to go. Cerutti iced the game with his 4th goal displaying great speed and then beating the Panther goaltender on the backhand to close out the scoring and give PT a 4-2 victory and sole possession of 1st place in the East Division, despite being outshot 27-24

Plum 5 Norwin 2 DELMONT - Plum 3-4-0 looked to even its record on the season against Norwin 1-6-0 in the late game at Center Ice. Plum coach Sean Keller’s team has some inexperience and will look to make a playoff drive into the season’s 2nd half, while Dave Warren’s Knights have been disappointing after some lofty expectations prior to the season. Norwin took the lead at 6:58 remaining in the opening period as Jimmy Recuperio was in alone and beat Mike Bronder for a 1-0 lead for the Knights. Plum cam back with 1:25 left as Jonathon Smith’s shot from the point through traffic was tipped by Ben Colosmo through the 5-hole Mike Pochan to tie the game at 1-1. On to the 2nd period and Jonathon Smith picked up a loose puck at 12:41 and beat Pochan through the 5 hole to give the Mustangs a 2-1 lead. Plum extended their lead at 4:18 of the second as Jonathon Smith found Matt Giunta in the slot and Giunta roofed a shot over the glove hand side to give the Mustangs a 3-1 lead. Giunta returned the favor with 2:27 of the period finding Jonathon Smith, who fired a wrist shot on the stick side beating Pochan for a 4-1 lead. In the third period, the teams traded gaols as Shawn O’Conner scored an unassisted tally at 12:00 and Jimmy Recupero picked up his second goal for Norwin with a little over 3 minutes remaining to make the final count 5-2 in favor of the Mustangs.

Mt Lebanon 9 Shaler 0 HARMARVILLE – A great night to throw another log on the fire in the fireplace or for the intimate gathering at the BladeRunners an opportunity to see two trains heading in opposite directions [and no references to the CanonBall Please…Ralph and Alf]. Shaler, now 1-8-0 fresh off playing its 7th game in the past four days after an appearance in Erie at the McDowell Invitational, not in the Varsity Tournament, but in a AA Tournament against Beavercreek, Ohio, who the Titans lost to in today’s final 5-3 against and two other teams who are not very competitive. First year coach Steve Esau’s team has rattled off 8 straight losses in league play and appears headed for a 9th this evening on paper against Mt Lebanon. . The Shaler Hockey program, now in its 35th year has struggled the past few years for one reason and one reason only and that’s the pipeline once built by 22 year Coach Ron Steedle has been depleted and replaced by warm bodies, who many could not make Mt Lebanon’s Junior Varsity team. And their parents, many who are former soccer mothers and no nothing about hockey and felt compelled to bend the organization By-Laws and hold a kangaroo court to remove a legendary coach and true gentleman, who built the hockey program and gave it respect and winning seasons for 17 out of 22 years with a record of 245-155-32, which is a .600 + winning percentage during the regular season, which wasn’t good enough for the Tele-Tubbies. Mt Lebanon is on a roll at 8-0 and is the # 1 ranked team in the State of Pennsylvania in the latest Pa Hockey Elite 8 poll. After last season, head coach Paul Taibi appeared headed out of the Mt Lebanon’s organization, but the remaining people in the organization who understand what Taibi brings the program with respect, discipline and hockey knowledge asked him to stay and coach a team with talent, determination and balance needed to win a State Championship for the first time in 29 years. The Blue Devils have destroyed the competition in AAA including an impressive 5-1 victory over defending Class AAA champions Bethel Park. The first period was a Mt Lebanon flurry as the Blue Devils blasted Shaler goaltender Nick Bennardo with 22 shots to the Titans 1, with 2 ½ minutes remaining in the opening period. Lebo started the scoring at 13:16 of the 1st as Jesse Root scored on a backhand through the 5-hole. Then the game turned into the Shane Ferguson show as the crafty winger scored on a tap-in set up by Josh Mandic at 11:10, a one-timer from the opposite face-off circle at 9:16 and a blast over the shoulder of Bennardo at 8:17 as Mt Lebanon cruised to a 4-0 lead. On to the second and the Blue Devils pelted Bennardo with 21 more shot to Shaler’s 4. Ferguson scored his fourth goal on a rebound at 8:43 and added another on a beautiful set-up by Tyler Murovich for a tap-in shorthanded goal at 6:41. What make’s Mt Lebanon a great team was exemplified with under a minute to go in the period as Josh Mandic broke up a two on zero breakaway and poked the puck to safety and preserve Robby Behling’s shutout bid and take a 6-0 lead to the locker room. The third period continued the onslaught on new canon fodder Brent Baburich as Matt Bartkowski scored on a slapshot from the left point at 11:09. Lou Argentari scored another at 6:56 to make it 8-0 and continued the running clock on Shaler, which appears headed to the PIHL holy grail Open Division next season and can hide from playing competitive Varsity hockey with all of the other bad teams doing the same thing. Rick Beuke fought off the Shaler defenders for another goal with 4:45 to go to make it 9-0. Final shots Mt Lebanon 57 Shaler 6 and the playoffs for one team and a 1-9 season for the Titans and a long road ahead.