Butler Toronadoes

DELMONT ~ Bethel Park and North Allegheny have played some memorable games in the Pa Hockey Scholastic Showcase over the 9-year history. In the 2003 semi-finals, North Allegheny scored with 6:37 remaining in OT, as John Bishop scored on wrist a shot to beat Bethel Park. In 2001, Bethel Park would stomp NA 7-2 to gain the Medal Round and then go on to capture its 2nd straight Director’s Cup title. In the 1999, Director’s Cup final its was MVP Matt Garman leading the Tigers in a 4-1 victory over Bethel Park. The Hawks and the Tigers have combined to win four out of the last Director’s Cup as a testimony to the strength of each program. This Director’s Cup final would represent a little more for Bethel Park coach Jim McVay and North Allegheny coach Tom Pandolfo, as the Hawks are ranked # 1 in the Pa Hockey Elite 8 State Poll for Class AAA and the Tigers are ranked # 2. Both teams are in a battle for the top spot in Class AAA in Western Pennsylvania and this game could preview the 2005 Penguins Cup, which will be played in March. Big game ? Well this is December and not March, but the Pa Hockey Scholastic Showcase has produce State Champions in 3 out of the last 4 years and is a pretty good indicator of things to come in March. The opening period of the 2004 Director’s Cup final was a chess match of line matchups and more of a feeling out process for both teams. A tight defensive battle produced just twelve total shots and only four for North Allegheny. The Tigers would make one of those count on the power play at 2:35 as Garrett Waldschmidt took a feed from Alan Halapin from behind the net and beat Bryce Merriam through the 5-hole for a 1-0 NA lead. The second period was even more defensive as the teams played very efficient defense limiting scoring chances to a very few. Bethel Park went on the power play at 6:44, but Jeff Kristan made several god saves to hold the lead for North Allegheny at 1-0. Paul Dittrich made a play that would turn this game to the Tigers intercepting a pass and beating a pinching BP defenseman and spotting Matt Pekins behind the Hawk defense and Pekins did the rest soaring down the slot and burying a wrist shot high over the glove side of the Bethel Park goaltender for a huge goal and a 2-0 advantage at 4:41. Bethel took a penalty at 3:40 and North Allegheny would take advantage as Garrett Waldschmidt scored and put North Allegheny on top 3-0 at 3:27. Bethel Park just kept working and finally scored on Kristan at 7:52 as Tim O’Brien redirected a Jacobus Bliek shot past the NA goalie to cut the lead to 3-1. Any thoughts of a Hawk comeback were quickly erased as pesky Alan Halapin deflected a Paul Dittrich shot past Merriam just 38 seconds later to re-establish a 3 goal NA lead at 7:14. Garrett Waldschmidt would put the exclamation point on an impressive win for North Allegheny scoring on assists from Matt Pekins and brother Wes at 5:45 to cap a 5-1 NA win and a 2nd straight Director’s Cup championship for the Tigers. Waldschmidt’s play at both ends of the ice and key scoring netted him the R.J. Umberger award for the Most Valuable Player of the 2004 Pa Hockey Scholastic Showcase.