Archbishop Carroll Patriots - 1981 AAA 2004 AA

2011 Pennsylvania Cup Class A Champions - Mars Planets

Penguins Cup Class A Champions - Mars Planets

Visit Mars on the Pa Hockey Wall of Champions  

 www.eteamz.com/ushockey/files/NATLCHAMPS11.xls

        The Springfield Cougars (17-5-3) participated in the Inaugural Pennsylvania High School Hockey Championships in Erie, Pennsylvania in 1975 and lost both contests to Erie McDowell and eventual champions Baldwin 2-1 in overtime. The Cougars waited a long time to return the Pennsylvania Class A title game in 2001 at Haverford Skatium and Springfield held a 3-0 lead over Serra Catholic, only to watch that lead evaporate in a disappointing 4-3 loss. The Cougars return to the Pennsylvania State Finals for the 3^rd time and defeated Unionville 3-2 in overtime to capture their 2^nd Flyers Cup Class A crown.

        The Mars Planets (23-1-0) climb to Class A supremacy began in 2008 with their first Penguins Cup final appearance, losing to Quaker Valley at Mellon Arena. Taking one step at a time, Mars won their first Penguins Cup in 2009 and lost to Bayard Rustin at Ice Line 5-0 in the State Final. A year ago, the Planets would redeem that defeat in a big way at Mellon Arena defeating Bayard Rustin 4-1. Mars earned the State Final defeating upstart Hampton in the Penguins Cup 5-0. The Planets have only yielded one goal thus far in the entire playoffs as they try to become the 4^th Pennsylvania School to accomplish multiple Class A titles joining Bishop McCort, Serra Catholic and Radnor.

      Springfield tried to establish their game in the Mars zone early in the first period. At   9:13 of the opening stanza Nick Blaney found a wide open net on a rebound on a nice play by Austin Heakins to use his speed to the outside and give the Planets a 1-0 lead. Springfield goaltender Mike Rice made a terrific leg save on Robbie Sigurdsson at 8:25.

Both teams failed on the power play and the Planets held a 1-0 lead after one period as Springfield outshot Mars 13 – 10.  

      The Cougars got a break in the 2^nd period at 9:03 as Tyler Stepke overhandled puck and Springfield’s Dave Allen scored on bang bang play and great pass from Ryan Brawley from behind the net. With Mars on the power play, at  6:31 Springfield’s Michael Carr was denied on a shorthanded breakaway by great leg save by Stepke. Mars regained the lead at 5:25 on a great individual effort by Elliott Tisdale scoring on backhand that found lower corner for a power play goal and 2-1 Mars lead. Springfield went back on the power play at 4:56 and could not establish a sustained attack and shortly after the penalty was over at 2:45 Nick Blaney ragged the puck behind the Springfield net and then swooped from behind the net and beat Rice on the backhand to give the Planets a cushion with a 3-1 advantage.    

       The gavel on Springfield’s season came at 10:53 of the 3^rd period as Nick Blaney snuck a wrist shot past Rice with some nice work by Joe Bender and Austin Heakins to create open space. Springfield lost their discipline and took a penalty and Mars made them pay as Elliott Tisdale found a loose puck on the goal mouth of a Nick Blaney backhand at 7:28 to make it 5-1. Mars took a couple of stupid penalties and Springfield’s Connor Phillips scored on a slapshot from the point with 25 seconds to go to make it a 5-2 final and Mars captured its second straight Pennsylvania Class A title.