Archbishop Carroll Patriots - 1981 AAA 2004 AA

CORAOPOLIS – Quaker Valley ended the 2004 Penguins Cup playoffs with a disappointing loss to Somerset and the losses of several key players cast an uncertain future for QV. The pipeline for Kevin Quinn still looked pretty good coming into this season with several proven freshman from the amateur level and a proven scorer in Furman South, who was mysteriously absent from QV’s biggest game of this early season after two easy blowouts in their opening two tilts. Serra Catholic has won 4 out of the last 5 Penguins Cups and head coach Tom Mooney is pinching himself these days as the Eagles have gone from their customary 12 or 13 players on the bench to a full squad. For all the people who cry foul, many of them needed to attend this game and watch the ‘old guard’ Serra players of Justin Lubasch, Joey Manning and Josh Jones mentoring the newest Eagles how it’s supposed to be done. And believe me these new Eagles are fast learners, which translates into the FACT that Serra has excellent coaching and a very disciplined system of how to win. So # 1 vs # 2 would be contested or would it be? The Eagles started out with their normal feeling out process defensively in their own end, but Quaker Valley could not create any solid scoring chances. Mike Ellis held the puck in at the left point and fired a bullet, which Aaron Nolte tipped past Zac Zinger to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead at 11:56. Just 52 seconds later, with the Eagles shorthanded, Joey Manning show the patience of a surgeon as he held onto to the puck what seemed forever before moving it to the net where Josh Werner crashed and scored and Serra was quickly ahead 2-0 at 11:04. Eagle netminder Nick Koroly did his best Timmy Johnson impression as he stopped QV freshman Tim Hall at 9:22 and Kelly Elson at 6:20. After a questionable icing with under a minute to play in the 1st, Tim Hall made a great play off the faceoff, side stepping the Serra center and moving the puck to the net where a wide open Jason Burress popped home a rebound to cut the lead to 2-1 with just 17 seconds left in the opening period. Momentum is a big factor in big games and early in the second after Nick Koroly robbed Tim Hall from point blank range, it looked like QV was mounting a comeback. The very next shift was when Serra took control of this hockey game as Justin Lubasch, Philip Ivkovich, Steven Gruhalla and Josh Jones controlled the Quaker zone for well over a minute and put Quaker Valley on their heels. Josh Jones made a great play as the Serra defenseman walked off the far board and buried a snap shot through the 5-hole of Zac Zinger to make it 3-1 at 10:46. QV came back as Mikail Lemieux, took a great pass from Hall and scored low on the ice to cut the advantage to 3-2 at 8:22. The big goal in this game came at the eight minute mark as Bryan Hickey would not be denied scoring on a second rebound after a great save by Zinger to make it 4-2 Eagles. Quaker Valley seemed to deflate and Serra was the opportunist as Justin Lubasch added goals with 6:39 and just 35 seconds left in the second period to turn this one into a Serra rout through two periods. Championship teams know how the put the exclamation point in statement games and Serra wanted to send a little message to Class A teams that the Penguins Cup in theirs until someone knocks them off and the third period was a prime example as Joey Manning scored on a wrist shot at 14:06 and set up Justin Lubasch on a great play late in the final period to mark an impressive 8-2 thrashing of a very good Quaker Valley team, who should be one of the Eagles biggest threats in Class A.

CORAOPOLIS – For the patrons attending the late game at the Airport arena last night, it was very noticeable how spacious the room was on both the South Fayette and the Quigley benches. For the Lions, it is very understandable since South Fayette is a first varsity program and according to club officials, its just a battle to keep players due to money concerns and the ‘kool aid’ effect of amateur programs, who are looking to steal any players they can and might I add at a much lower cost. So SF had the league minimum twelve players on the bench at the start of the game and added two more when the freshman game next door was over midway through the second, which is a testimony to Head Coach Tim Darnely and the SF people. Welcome to life in the PIHL South Fayette ! Quigley, well they know all about this life as the Spartans have been battling for years to keep their program afloat. When returning goaltender Craig Mohr decided just to play for the Junior B team, Quigley was stuck and almost wasn’t able to field a team. Fortunately, Kyle Milbert, having never played goalie before volunteered and with the help of former standout goaltender Luke Belsky and the Quigley coaching staff, the Spartans now have a goaltender and a team. The first period was back and forth with both teams having some decent chances and as we all know games are built on breaks and momentum. At 8:49 of the first, Quigley received the ultimate ‘gift’ as a South Fayette defenseman trying to clear the puck to safety accidentally scored on his own net. The play happened so fast that neither the crowd nor Lions goaltender Sean Kennedy could react and it was 1-0 Quigley. The Spartans scored the conventional way at 7:40 as Sean Wormald scored on a rebound to make it 2-0. South Fayette pulled within one at 7:13 as Jason Pastorious tipped in a shot from the point past Kyle Milbert to cut the lead to 2-1. On to the second period and while SF goalie Sean Kennedy was frantically trying to get back his stick, Quigley freshman Josh Marshall took advantage with a slick shot to the stick side at 10:22. On the very next shift, it was Marshall again after a nice feed by Tim Powell, beating Kennedy to the stick side and the Spartans now had a 4-1 lead with 8:32 left in the period. Marshall had two good chances for the hat trick, but was robbed by Kennedy at 7:12 and shot one off the crossbar with a backhander at 3:49. Late in the 2nd period, Michael Darnely scored to pull South Fayette within two at 4-2. The third period was all Quigley as Michael Conti, Sean Wormald and Jake Belsky scored to make the final 7-2 in favor of the Spartans.

ERIE - Pa Hockey Special Report courtesy of the McDowell Hockey Club Bethel Park Blackhawks - 7 McDowell Trojans - 1 The Bethel Park Blackhawks used a balanced scoring attack to defeat the McDowell Trojans 7 - 1 Thursday night in a PIHL contest played at the Erie Civic Center. Bethel Park displayed a wealth of team depth as they rode the strength of 6 different goal scorers in the easy win. The visitors jumped ahead early and as a power play expired when Ed Bendik one-timed a loose puck past Trojan goalie John Cleary just 4:09 into the game. Bethel Park would double their lead before the period expired as Timothy O’Brien scored the first of his two goals with 4:38 left in the 1st. Two goals in the first 3:11 of the 2nd period would give the Blackhawks a 4 – 0 lead and more than enough breathing room. A power play goal by BP’s Matt Slogan with 4:09 left in the period was followed by McDowell’s lone goal as Kaylan Rhoades would tip home an Andy Kohler shot with 1:09 left to cut the Blackhawk lead to 5 -1 heading into the 3rd. But Bethel Park would continue applying the pressure into the final period and tack on two goals for the final count. Bethel Park controlled the action for most of the game out- shooting the Trojans 40 – 8 on the night. The #2 ranked Blackhawks improve their PIHL record to 4 – 0 while McDowell falls to 2 – 2 in the league (7 – 3 – 1 overall). Goals By Period: Bethel Park / 2 – 3 – 4 = 7 McDowell / 0 – 1 – 0 = 1 Goal Scorers: Bethel Park / Timothy O’Brien (2), Edward Bendik, Jacobu Bilek, Matthew Slogan, Michael Diethorn, Logan Bannon McDowell / Kaylan Rhoades Shots On Goal By Period: Bethel Park / 12 - 15 - 13 = 40 McDowell / 3 - 3 - 2 = 8

CORAOPOLIS - Special report to Pa Hockey provided by Indiana and Moon Hockey Clubs The Indiana High School Varsity Ice Hockey team awoke in the third period to defeat Moon at the Airport Ice Arena Tuesday night. Indiana, short-handed by the loss of senior Joey Lenz and junior Adam Rusiewicz managed to outshoot their opponent 27-17 for the win. Cory Mills led the scoring 1:20 into the third period, assisted by Ryan Rivosecchi and Zach Damico. Damico came back with the winning goal with 4:37 on the clock on an assist from Joe Appolonia and Mills. Goaltender Mike Kennedy recorded the win with 16 of 17 saves. Indiana now 2-0 travels to Ice Connection in Butler Sunday night to face Pine-Richland at 7pm. Ian Brown scored the lone Moon to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

CORAOPOLIS - CORAOPOLIS – A that Pa Hockey provides every year is to compile a yearbook for the Western Pennsylvania schools and the media, which includes history, contact information, Pa Hockey Website information and other somewhat useless statistics including changes in the coaching position. Now I am not going to say that coaches should stay somewhere forever, but sometimes a change of venue is good for a coach or coaching staff. When West Allegheny hired Norm Cook and his assistant Kevin Moore, who coached at Ambridge, I could tell you that this was a very good move on the part of the Indians. With the returning and upcoming talent, West Allegheny’s program can think about returning to the playoffs, which the Indians have accomplished 8 out of the last 10 years and possibly challenge for a Penguins Cup, which occurred four consecutive years from 1996 through 1999. West Allegheny is off to a quick 2-0 start and looks to be heading back over the .500 mark, which it has done for 9 out of the last 11 years. Elizabeth Forward also has a new coaching staff led by John Mooney, who knows all about State Championships and Penguins Cup leading the Eagles to three straight Pennsylvania Cup A titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Along with assistants Larry ‘Briggs & Stratton’ Briggs and Pat McShane, Mooney is looking to take EF’s program to a new level with the same discipline and team effort his teams are accustomed to. The Warriors celebrated their move from Class A to Class AA with an opening night victory over a less than stellar Johnstown team and coach ‘Moon’ knew his team would be in for a stern test against WA, especially without Jeremy DelMaster, Brian Doak and Casey Burns, who had to fulfill EF soccer and other commitments. West Allegheny came out flying in the first period and took control of this contest rights away as Marek Polidor celebrated his return to the lineup with a goal at 12:51. Kevin Walsh extended the lead with 9:18 remaining in the first and Ian Skacan [6:47] and Ryan Kumpfmiller [:46] converted as the Indians launched an 18 shot assault on Warrior netminder Mike Cole for a 4-0 1st period lead. The Indians picked up where they left off in the 2nd period as Rob Hoetzlein scores on a rebound to make it 5-0 at 12:40. Elizabeth Forward finally broke through when Billy Repass scored at 10:20 from just in front of WA netminder Dan Kuzio. West Allegheny just put the game in overdrive courtesy of Ryne Savisky, who scored at 10:07 and again at 9:38 to turn this one into a waltz 7-1. Savisky then set up Steve Sarachene at 6:40 and Marek Polidor at 2:45, with very nice passes on odd man breaks and the Indians led 9-1 after two. West Allegheny had the game in hand and Elizabeth Forward played to win the third period since the outcome was decided and Chase Lizik scored at 6:34 to make the final 9-2 in favor of the Indians, who pushed their record to 3-0-0 in this early season. WA outshot the Warriors 37-13 before a very nice crowd at the Airport Arena of festive West Allegheny students and patrons.