Freeport Yellow Jackets

DELMONT ~ Mt Lebanon coach Paul Taibi learned a lesson this week after his team defeated Central Catholic last Friday night 5-2. The Blue Devils traveled to Meadville to face the defending Pa AAA State Champion Bulldogs and came up on the short end of a 2-1 score to knock Lebo from the ranks of the unbeaten. So ‘the quiet’ Mr Taibi learned that all 3 of his talented lines of forwards will need to produce come playoff time for the Blue Devils to advance deep into the Penguins Cup playoffs. Gateway on the other hand, would love to have such a problem and head coach Lou Biancanello inherited a squad, which lost almost a dozen seniors and is made up of a sprinkling of players with Varsity experience and the majority of players, who have made up a very successful Junior Varsity team in prior years. The Gators would love to take a page out of Mt Lebanon’s 2002-2003 campaign, which saw the Blue Devils rebuild in a hurry after losing ….hmm a dozen or so seniors. This game was all Mt Lebanon as the Gators tried to skate with Mt Lebanon’s three lines toe to toe and did well in the 1st period only yielding an Eric Sloan goal at 9:55. The second period was all Blue Devils as Jack Millhouse scored a pair at 12:34 and 11:36 to extend the lead to 3-0. Michael Jordan converted on the power play on some nice work by Tony Valerino and Sloan at 6:53 to extend the lead and Valerino scored at 3:50 to turn a close opening period game into a 5-0 ice cut advantage. Mt Lebanon preserved the shut out for Matt Vaughn in the 3rd only surrendering 7 shots on the evening, while pummeling John Michael Domenick with 35 shots en routé to a three goal final period as Valerino [13:18], Craig Naderson and Dan Wilen added goals for an 8-0 pasting of Gateway.