Seneca Valley Raiders

CANONSBURG – Pine Richland is off to a 5-0-1 start and after an opening 4-4 tie against Canevin has plastered the Class AA competition by a 51-4 margin running off five straight victories. I am sure many of the Rams have had this date scheduled on the callender from the time the schedule was published and have been pointing toward this game even though it is the first of December. Head Coach Jimmy Black’s team is no secret and they are a contender for the 2006 Penguins Cup, fresh off the final appearance a year ago when PR lost to Peters Township, who went on to win the 2005 Pennsylvania State AA Championship in Hershey 4-0 over Haverford. It would have been a pretty romantic match-up, if the Indians now 3-1 would have defeated Thomas Jefferson, who rattled off five unanswered goals for a 6-4 upset at Rostraver on Monday night. Peters Township has won the Pa State Title three out of the past four years and has a stranglehold on the Penguins Cup for the past four years, with the only hiccup being a 4-2 loss to Archbishop Carroll in the 2004 Pa AA title game. Coach Rick Tingle’s squad is the favorite to win it again and when the Penguin allows his Peters Hornets out of practice, they are arguably the best team in the State of Pennsylvania at any level, but none where in attendance for this early season match-up with PR. All where in attendance Monday night against TJ, so there are no excuses for PT. Chris Papciak has rejoined the Indians squad adding to the firepower of this team come March, when as we learned a year ago it really counts. A sparse gathering of Concerned Citizens of Peters Township and Pine Richland were in attendance for the big match-up. Peters would get the first opportunity on the power play at 12:39 and the Rams limited the chances and killed it off. PR received their first opportunity on the power play at 7:34 of the opening period and also failed to crack Mike Mastracci. At 4:50 of the first, PR went back on the power play, but Dustin Roux almost scored at 3:39 shorthanded or the Indians as his backhand just trickled wide. Mike Mastracci made a great stop on Josh Fodor from point blank range at 2:32. Peters got the next power play at 2:17, but could not crack the scoreboard in a scoreless opening 15 minutes. At 9:45 of the second period, Peters was whistled for a delay of game penalty as Mastracci’s clearing attempt went over the glass. At 5:32, Mike Mastracci made a great stop on Brian Miller from on the doorstep. The game went to the ice cut at 0-0. Richland’s Josh Fodor great chance at 14:42, but Mastracci made a diving stop to keep the Rams off the board. Stoney Hildreth got into the act at 12:59 stopping Chris Papciak. The Rams continue to pick their play up and pressure and Mastracci made another skate save on Phil Trombetta. Then with 11:34 remaining in regulation, Pine Richland was whistled putting the Indians on the power play. Brendan Conlon and Josh Fodor would take advantage of lack of backchecking by the Peters power play unit as Conlon found a loose puck in the corner and hit a streaking Fodor, who buried a wrist shot low to the stick side to give the Rams a 1-0 lead at 10:24. With 7:30 remaining, PR got a big insurance goal as Kyle Adams crashed the net and gave the Rams a 2-0 lead. The flood gates opened at 6:17 as Steven Adams buried a snap shot on the stick side to make it 3-0. PR continued the pressure and picked up an impressive 3-0 win at Southpointe.