Freeport Yellow Jackets

SOUTHPOINTE ~ West Allegheny coach Sean Hart has watched has his team has compiled a 5-9-2 record over the seasons first 16 games and the Indians have lost to all of the teams ahead of them in the standings including Kittanning, Montour, Indiana, Pine Richland, Thomas Jefferson [twice], Peters Twp, Canevin and Trinity. If the Penguins Cup playoffs began today, West Allegheny is sitting in 12th place and would travel to Indiana, but as it stands right now the Indians are holding on to that 12th spot by a mere half game over Moon. I think what coach Hart is looking at in the standings is what or who is in front with Trinity, Canevin and Greensburg CC all within reach, so tonight’s game had a little desperation to it. Canon McMillan has all but secured a playoff spot and should clinch home ice advantage for the playoffs, which are a month away. Coach Bob Fryer’s Big Macs or Lightning [not sure what their nickname is?] have been a pleasant surprise and held a top 5 ranking, until they got a little dose of reality as they were shelled by Kittanning last week by the score of 8-2. The Big Macs have played well against the better teams, which made this performance a little out of character. A nice turnout on just an awful night on the roads for Senior Night at Iceoplex, which is one of the best places in Western Pennsylvania to watch a hockey game, whether in the stands, which were pretty full or in Jay’s Restaurant. Canon Mac’s Shannon Anesetti was the story early as she stopped Mark Polidor at 13:54 and made an even better save on a tip from in front by Ryne Savitsky at 12:49. West Allegheny struck first as Polidor made a great move at the top of the circle faking to the right and firing a bullet to the left corner low on the stick side at 9:48 to give the Indians a 1-0 lead. At the other end, WA’s Dan Kuzio made nice save on Nick Godfrey at 8:45, but the Big Macs would tie it as Jeff Warnock muscled his way past two WA defenseman and lofted a wrist shot high over the glove side of Kuzio at 6:22. West Allegheny went on the 5 on 3 power play at 2:49 and Mark Polidor gave his team the lead on a rebound at 2:12. The West Allegheny super sophomore’s hooked up again to extend the lead as Ryne Savitsky took a great pass from Polidor and broke in all alone and beat Anesetti with a wicked backhander upstairs at 12:23 for a surmising 3-1 West Allegheny lead. Jesse Patnesky brought CM back within one on a nice play by Doug Stanton, who made West Allegheny pay for not clearing the zone and fed a wide open Patnesky for the tap in at 6:20. After Shannon Anesetti stopped Steve Sarachine in front, Polidor banged home the rebound to complete the hat trick at 4:21 and give the Indians a 4-2 lead. Sarachine would provide a big insurance tally at 10:44 of the third period on a nice pass from Polidor to make it 5-2 and Nick Godfrey would score on a rebound late in the final period at 1:27 to make the final 5-3 in favor of West Allegheny, who moved a little closer to securing a playoff spot.