Announcement
2010 Penguins Cup Semi Finals – Class A
Hudson steals the show as Eagles march to the Penguins Cup finals Serra Catholic 5 Kittanning 3PITTSBURGH –
Serra Catholic has been the hottest team in Class A the second half of the season defeating all three Semi-Finalists Mars, Bishop McCort and tonight’s opponent Kittanning in the season’s second half. Kittanning’s explosive offense would need to outscore Serra as the Eagles held a slight advantage on the defensive and goaltending side in the regular season.
That slight advantage that Serra had became a game breaker in the opening period as Kittanning poured 19 shots on Garrett Hudson and he almost stopped them all to keep his team in the game. Serra took a 1-0 lead as Jarrett Rutchka snuck a shot inside the post on the power play at 11:46. Kittanning stuck back quickly as Jergen Koster blazed behind the Eagle defense just 31 seconds later and beat Hudson through the 5-hole. Serra regained the lead as Garner Kramer unloaded a bomb past Norton at 5:50 to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.
The second period would be the tale of this hockey game as the Wildcats tied the score on a real nice play by Jake Enders who walked out of the corner and buried a wrist shot high over the glove side of Hudson to tie the scored at two apiece at 14:41. Kittanning took its only lead as Enders found Jergen Koster on a long lead pass behind the Eagle defense and buried it to make it 3-2 at 12:46. The game turned on a very smart play by Erik Manetta, who caught the Kittanning defense napping and he scored just 32 seconds after the Wildcats got the lead on a breakaway. Kittanning got into penalty trouble and it cost them the hockey game as Robert Kendi scored on a 5 on 3 power play at 8:02 and then Kendi found the opportunistic Mannetta on the back post for another power play goal at 6:25 and Serra turned the game completely round with a 5-3 advantage. Kittanning mounted a charge late in the 2nd but Serra survived and then just effectively killed the clock in the 3rd period for another trip to the Penguins Cup final, despite being outshot 33-18.
Hudson was outstanding stopping the Kittanning attack for the second half of the hockey game and shut down an offense averaging over seven goals a game.
2010 Penguins Cup Semi Finals – Class AA
Latrobe still on course for a repeat on championship run as they oust Peters with some Fresh troups Latrobe 7 Peters Twp 2PITTSBURGH –
Peters Township won two consecutive State Titles in convincing fashion 2002 and 2003 and in 2004, it was the decision of then coach Mark Cooper to sit current University of Vermont goaltender Rob Madore in the State Finals and they lost to Archbishop Carroll led by current Penguin prospect Eric Tangradi at Neville Island. The next year Cooper did not make the same mistake as he brought a supposedly ineligible Madore out from under the stands of the Penguins Cup Semi-Finals to beat Canon McMillan and went on to win the State Title over Haverford. Well, déjà vu strikes in funny ways as Rob Madores brother Matt Madore was declared in eligible and this years hot freshman goaltender is property of Latrobe named Shane Brudnock and he is looking to lead Latrobe to their 3rd Straight Pennsylvania Class AA title following in the footsteps of Nick Loyacona, who had a huge hand in the first two for the Wildcats.
Some of the Latrobe players who have been a part of the Wildcat success started the process of dismantling Peters as Cody Ray struck first at 13:30 of the opening period. Peters tied the score as Matt Lison scored a power play goal at 12:10 to make it 1-1. Latrobe would not be denied as Dillon Hunter scored on a wrister at 6:56, freshman Noah Batis on a wrist shot from against the grain at 6:41 and another freshman Josh Singley converted a great cross ice feed from Jayson Angus at 5:08 to give the Cats a 4-1 lead.
Peters Cole Snyder cut the lead to 4-2 in the opening minute of the second, but it would be Josh Singley coverting another Angus pass at 6:47 and Jayson Angus at 3:51 on a nice play by Zach Laduke to keep the puck alive at 3:51 of the 2nd. Josh Singley returned the favor to Angus, who picked up his 2nd goal and fired a rocket upstairs to give Latrobe a relatively easy looking 7-2 pasting of the Indians.
2010 Penguins Cup Semi Finals – Class AAA
Seneca Valley makes it look a lot easier this time over USC thanks to Platt and Schutte
Seneca Valley 5 Upper St Clair 0PITTSBURGH –
Seneca Valley and Upper St Clair met in a rematch of last year’s semi-finals and a game that the Raiders prevailed to earn a trip to the Penguins Cup. The Panthers defeated Seneca in the regular season and would have their work cut out for them to earn a spot in the Penguins Cup. Also working for USC would be the last time that Seneca was in Mellon Arena, that they came within inches of going to the State Final. But maybe that would work in the Raiders favor as they may be motivated for another shot at Penguins Cup champs Shaler, who beat them in last year’s final and earlier this year in the regular season.
This game was all Seneca Valley from the start as Brandon Platt had the game of his life with five goals including a slapshot at 5:03 of the first period, a wicked backhander from in between the circles with just 40 seconds left in the first. A beautiful individual effort beating three USC defenders and Matt Wreggett at 3:48 of the middle period, a wicked snapshot just inside the post on the ice at 13:57 of the 3rd and to cap it of conversion of a picture perfect 2 on 1 with Tyler Messisca to put an exclamation point on the 5-0 shutout.
Then there was Ryan Schutte, the forgotten goaltender, who patiently split time in the regular season and then has taken the Raiders leadership role between the pipes and won 6 of his last 7 starts and then helped the Raiders edge Bethel 2-1 in the opening round. Schutte stopped all 22 shots tonight and was just solid between the pipes, controlling rebounds and earning he shutout and another trip to the Penguins Cup finals.
Kudos to Denny Kierstein, who got the right matchups against the USC line of Kline-Murray and Selep and effectively shut them down.
