Freeport Yellow Jackets

2004 Penguins Cup AA Finals PITTSBURGH – It wasn’t a secret to anyone that if Indiana goaltender Mike Mentch played well that Indiana would stand a fair chance of advancing far in the playoffs. What people maybe underestimated is the maturity and great leadership on this Indiana team with players like Zach Diamond, Michael Nesper and Mike Hart, who along with handful of other seniors in the lineup have been to the Penguins Cup before and still remember the pain of losing a heartbreaker in 2002 to Peters Twp 3-2. You Indiana is battling history and entered the Western final for the third time in its history, the other time being in 1996 as the little Indians were edged out by eventual State Champions Greensburg Central Catholic 4-3 after having a 3-0 lead. Would this be the year that Indiana could finally put it over the top and move on to face Archbishop Carroll, a team that the little Indians soundly defeated in a Kitttanning pre-season tournament. Everyone who counted Peters Twp out in the regular season is either very foolish or just doesn’t understand that these Indians are the champions until someone defeats them. Peters has been real impressive in opening victories over South Park and a humiliation of a very good Kittanning squad 8-1 last Tuesday. Peters was looking like a team finding its stride as veterans Chris Clackson, Si Bishop and Dan Crogan were leading the way and the younger Peters players such as Gerry Raymond, Dustin Roux and freshman goaltender Rob Madore were coming of age. Head coach Mark Cooper had to be tickled inside as he watched the maturation of a team which he feels is on a mission to three-peat. The first period was a feeling out process which played right into the hands of Indiana as Mentch and Madore stopped five and six shots, respectively and the period ended scoreless. Indiana continued with their plan in the second period with strong defensive play and keeping Peters pinned in their own end by dumping the puck in deep and setting a very effective forecheck, which stifled the potent Peters Twp attack. After a neutral zone turnover by Peters, Indiana capitalized as speedy Michael Nesper took a Jason Boske lead pass and beat Rob Madore on the backhand at 6:59 of the 2nd period. Peters Twp came right back as Kevin Kustron spotted and fed Gerry Raymond in tight and Raymond crashed the net and scored at 5:08 to tie the game at one apiece. Peters Twp went on the power play with 2:43 and had a chance to take the lead, but Indiana had other ideas as Corey Mills set up Nesper on a shorthanded breakaway and beat Madore again this time on the backhand to give Indiana a 2-1 lead with 1:49 to play. If there was a backbreaking goal of this game it would come with :09 left in the middle period as Joe Lenz hit Cory Mills with a long lead pass on another breakaway and Mills beat Madore on the backhand giving Indiana a 3-1 lead and seemingly control of the hockey game. There is always one important factor to remember in a championship run or game and that is that champions are sometimes the hardest teams to eliminate because they never quit and they just keep coming at their opponent. Peters Twp is no exception and after some great work by Gerry Raymond at 10:35, Dustin Roux delivered a big goal and pulled Peters Twp within one 3-2. Indiana would come right back as Cory Mills scored on a great individual effort and beat Madore on the wraparound to the post with 9:44 remaining to give Indiana a 4-2 lead and control of the hockey game. Indiana just kept playing smart and looked to be on their way to their first Penguins Cup championship, but these games have the weirdest ways of playing out sometimes and one mistake or undisciplined penalty or maybe history of the teams involved just come back and bite one team and fuel another’s comeback. An interference call om Indiana at 6:35 put Peters Twp on the power play and this set the ball in motion for Peters Twp after Mike Mentch robbed Chris Clackson at 6:59 with a great glove save. Clckson and Si Bishop found Dustin Roux all alone in front behind the Indian defense and the PT Indians pulled within one at 4-3 on a power play goal at 6:23. Another penalty at 5:35 on Indiana caused some growing concern and use of a timeout as Peters Twp players were just exhausted and may have caught a huge break courtesy of Indiana’s panick. Indiana did a marvelous job of killing off the Peters advantage and was still in the lead and looking to eliminate the two time defending State Champion. The quintet of Dustin Roux- Gerry Raymond-Chris Clackson- Dan Crogan and Si Bishop must have played six of the last eight minutes and coach Mark Cooper wisely used his timeout with 1:50 remaining. Indiana just kept stopping everything that Peters could throw at them and when the puck went out of the zone with thirty seconds left it looked like Indiana was on its way. Peters frantically got the puck in the zone and a heads up play by Chris Clackson who calmly gathered the puck and somehow pushed it to the net through a sea of Indiana defenders was a last ditch effort, which was pounced on by a relentless Kevin Kustron, who poked the loose puck past Mike Mentch with just 6.8 seconds left to tie the game and send it to overtime 4-4. 44 minutes and 3 seconds of great championship hockey came down to six and 8 tenths of the clock and the Indiana fans, bench and players could only watch helplessly as Chris Clackson lobbed wedged [as a Peters follower would describe] a lead pass high in the air to a wide open Si Bishop at 6:56 of overtime and a great breakaway opportunity for Peters Twp. So the kid who was essentially a part time player, with just four goals all season, but a major part of two championships as a defenseman, would decide the Indiana Indians fate as he move in on a breakaway and buried a wrist shot high over Mike Mentch breaking Indiana’s heart and sending Peters Twp on to their third consecutive State Final to meet Archbishop Carroll on April 10th at the RMU Neville Island Sports Center.