Seneca Valley Raiders

JOHNSTOWN – For people who have been to Johnstown …there is always something about stepping inside the War Memorial that brings a chill up your spine and when it’s a Bishop McCort – Westmont Hilltop hockey game and they only play once a year….well that’s worth the trip over the mountain to J-Town. An estimated crowd of around 1400 turned out on a Friday night, the final night of the regular season for all teams to prepare themselves for the upcoming playoffs. This game had added significance for both teams as the # 3 seed and avoiding Serra Catholic until the Penguins Cup was at stake. For Bishop McCort, they have been here before and head coach John Bradley’s club is looking to get back to their 10th Penguin Cup in 11 years. The Crimson Crushers have had a decent season, which is a little less than the expectations of the five-time State Champion, but three empty-handed trips to the Penguin Cup against Serra with no prize may be weighing on McCort. A recent loss to Serra for the second time this season may have been another reminder. The Mighty Hilltoppers have new life under Art McQuillan and have been the hottest team in Western Pa, the only blemish a 6-4 lost to Mars. King Arthur says their fightin to get on the bus at another shot at that trip, which many a Hilltopper before them has not completed…..to West Chester to Pennsylvania Cup Class A. The task at hand thing evening was the villan arch rival Crimson Crushers, who continue to make Westy’s life miserable in recent memory. Last years meeting saw Westmont hold a 3-1 lead in the Scholastic Showcase and watch it evaporate in the games final four minutes and then the season finale of 2002, where Westmont held a 4-0 lead after two periods, only to have a furious McCort rally extinguish the Hilltoppers 5-4. Sludgin…. Trudgin….the Mighty Hilltoppers with Bob the Bus Driver, Brace, the ‘first lady’ Queen Arthur and even little Cullen McQuillan, with battle scars from a recent scrap, likely with a Crimson Crusher, all in attendance with a cast of thousands to see if maybe this group of Hilltoppers could exorcise the Crushers. In and evenly played first period, Westmont and McCort battled to a 8-7 shot total, but the game took on a familiar tone as Anthony DeMarco scored at 7:22 to give Westmont a 1-0 lead. Bishop McCort fought hard in the second period to tie the game and outshot the Hilltoppers 12-5, but Pat Krumenacher stood tall for Westy stopping all twelve including two sliding saves on McCort’s scoring machine Joe Delic. At 5:42, DeMarco found a loose puck on a rebound and deposited it past Ron Stenger and Westmont took a 2-0 lead to the locker room. Could the Crimson Crushers come back…..well Bishop McCort dominated the play as Delic hit the post at 9:09. Justin McCloskey had a chance to put Westy up 3-0, but was stopped by Stenger at 8:28….then Scott Kenner missed for the Hilltoppers on the breakaway with 7:09 left and the score still read 2-0 Westmont. Then a break for McCort as Westmont was whistled at 6:07…a turning point ? The Crushers now where throwing everything and the kitchen sink, but Krumenacher wouldn’t let them on the board and the mighty Hilltoppers held on for a 2-0 victory, the # 3 seed and a big confidence booster going into the playoffs.