Seneca Valley Raiders

Canon McMillan 5 South Park 3 CASTLE SHANNON - Canon McMillan entered this week with a 7-5-3 mark holding down the # 8 slot tied with Indiana. For coach Dave ‘a/k/a the Boy Wonder’ Fryer, it has been an interesting campaign, especially wince the Big Macs captured the # 1 seed a year ago. Canon Mac will have to win some big games down the stretch to secure home ice in the opening as earning a bye in the opening round may be a stretch. South Park, on the other hand, is fighting for their playoff lives and after a 1-7-0 start head coach Ray Sabitini has to like the way his club is playing, posting a 3-1-1 maek since the first half break. The Eagles have playoff tradition with 16 straight playoff appearances dating back to 1990, reaching the Penguins Cup only once in 1995 losing to Bishop McCort in Class A. SP currently holds down the 12th and final spot in a battle with Latrobe and Moon. Canon McMillan opened up a 2-1 lead in the first period on goals by Jesse Patnesky 45 seconds in the game. South Park’s tied the score at one apiece at 10:53 as Chris Ondek scored on a long shot for a shorthanded tally. The Big Macs regained the lead with 6:34 left in the opening period as Erik McKown gave his team a 2-1 lead. Shane Bickar continued to keep the Eagles in the game stopping all 9 shots in the middle period and the CM lead to 2-1. Matt Nichol scored a beautiful goal with a wrist shot over the glove side of Mike O’Neill with 3:55 remaining in the 2nd to knot the score at two apiece. At 13:27 of the third period, Justin Cormack scored as he picked up his own rebound off the boards and deposited it past Shane Bickar. Matt Nichol tied the score with 8:53 on a rebound goal to make it 3-3. The Eagles took a penalty with 4:55 to go and opened the door for a Canon McMillan power play, which reaped benefits as Josh Tohey found Jesse Patnesky on the back door who beat Shane Bickar to the far post and gave CM a 4-3 lead with 3 ½ to go in regulation. Justin Cormack scored a huge insurance goal with 1:19 to go intercepted a SP clearing pass and lofted a wrist shot through the 5-hole of Bickar to make it 5-3 and lock down a big win for Robin the Boy Wonder’s Concerned Citizens of Canon Mac.