Freeport Yellow Jackets

2004 St Margarets Fall Face-Off Semi-Final ~ North Allegheny 4 Franklin Regional 1 If the State Finals were held in October, NA may be vying for its unprecedented 34th consecutive Pennsylvania Cup. Head Coach Tom Pandolfo is looking for the NA magic to strike in March. The defending Fall Face-Off champions earned their 4th consecutive trip to the finals with an impressive 4-1 defeat of a very good Franklin Regional team. Matt Pekins scored two power play goals to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead late in the second period. The Panthers cut the lead to 2-1 as Chris Faught scored on a five minute power play. Derek Rusbarsky, who sat out all of last season and the five minute penalty, decided to redeem himself to add insurance with two tallies late in the 3rd period to salt the path for the Tigers to the finals on Thursday at 8:30 at Harmarville. Semi-Final ~ Plum 4 Fox Chapel 2 After Fox Chapel pounded a very inexperienced Shaler team in Monday’s opener 8-2, Head Coach Jim Damp had to be tickled in taking the Foxes vacant coaching position. Division rivals Plum were looking for a return trip to the Fall Face-Off finals after falling to North Allegheny in last years championship in a 5 overtime barnburner. David Dincau opened the scoring for the Mustangs in the middle of the first for a 1-0 lead at the end of one. Fox Chapel’s superstar Matt Quigley arrived just in time to see Phil Mains give Plum a 2-0 lead well into the 2nd period. Jonathon Smith buried a breakaway chance just 48 seconds later after a superb backchecking effort by Dincau, who sent Smith in alone with an equally fine pass at 7:45 for a 3-0 Mustang lead at the end of two. The Mustangs would watch Fox Chapel storm back in the third as Joe Budz slammed home a rebound a little over a minute in the final period. Dincau capped a big game with his second goal from just in front to extend the lead with 10:32 remaining. Kyle Misour would close out the scoring as the Fox Chapel forward beat Brandon King on an impossible angle to make the final score 4-2 and a trip for Plum to the finals for the 2nd consecutive year. Consolation Round Shaler 3 Hampton 0 After being throttled by Fox Chapel in the opener, the Titans responded with a better effort as goaltenders Ben Burns and Nick Bennardo stopped 35 of 36 shots in a 3-1 victory over Hampton. Al Gore, Bob Snyder and freshman Brian Ulanowicz scored for Shaler. Pine Richland 5 Central Catholic 4 [2 OT] A young Central Catholic showed resilience as they fought back from a 4-2 deficit to tie the game late in the 3rd period. Pine Richland’s Josh Fodor had other ideas ending the game late in the 2nd overtime period for a 5-4 Ram victory and a spot against Fox Chapel in Thursday’s Consolation game.