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2011 Pennsylvania Cup Class AAA Champions - Upper St Clair Panthers

2011 Penguins Cup Class AAA Champions - Upper St Clair Panthers

Visit USC on the Pa Hockey Wall of Champions  

 www.eteamz.com/ushockey/files/NATLCHAMPS11.xls

        Upper St Clair (16-6-1) began playing hockey in 1970 at the Alpine Ice Chalet in the Western Pennsylvania and has run a pretty good hockey program over 40 years. The Panthers have a pretty accomplished record in Pennsylvania State Finals, wining their first in 1980 over Erie McDowell and then again in 1987, with an undefeated season and State Championship victory over Malvern Prep. Their setbacks in the State Finals include a loss to undefeated Conestoga and former coach Taylor Railton in 1986 and a loss to Malvern Prep in 1990 by the score of 6-3. The Panthers are on a roll in the 2011 Playoffs with wins over 2010 Penguins Cup champions Canon McMillan and the last Western Pennsylvania AAA North Allegheny [2007] and a victory over # 1 seed Fox Chapel.

         LaSalle (23-5-2) under Wally Muehlbronner has been an outstanding hockey program winning the Pennsylvania crown for the first time in 1998, after losing to Meadville in 1996. The Explorers are on a roll in the Pennsylvania AAA Finals winning in 2008 over Pine Richland and in 2009 over Shaler and are looking to make it 3 titles in four years. LaSalle has dominate the Flyers Cup landscape over the past half dozen years and has done so playing an extended schedule against State Champions from Ohio, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut and the top teams in New Jersey.

         LaSalle power play 14:24 and could not score and then at 10:31 of the opening period Nick Popoff got his own rebound and deposited a shot past Michael Ambrose to give the Explorers a 1-0 lead. During the first USC power play freshman goaltender Nick DeSimone made several fine saves. Upper St Clair’s best chance came at 1:52 as DeSimone stoned C.J. Murray with a spectacular glove save.  The Panthers went on the power play with under a minute to go in the first period and with 39 seconds to go C.J. Murray took a Parker Phillips cross ice pass and went upstairs on the short side over the glove for a power play goal and tied the game at one apiece. Shots were USC 11 LaSalle 10.  

         The Panthers went back on the power play at 14:23 of the 2^nd.and could not score and when given another opportunity C.J. Murray made it count ripping a wrist shot high over the glove side at 6:23 of the middle frame for a 2-1 Panther lead. LaSalle would have an opportunity on the power play at 4:49 of the 2^nd  and USC was equal to the task killing the disadvantage. With 1:43 to play in the period, the Explorers would have another opportunity to tie the game on the power play and it would nullified as LaSalle’s Ron Greco  got caught for interference 17 seconds later. Shots in the 2^nd period were USC 16 and LaSalle 12.

         The third period LaSalle kept on coming and finally with 6:10 to go the loose puck found its way onto the stick of Sean Orlando who found a rebound and deposited past Michael Ambrose to tie the score 2-2. Just 28 seconds later, Luke Stork sidestepped the LaSalle defenseman and fed Stephen Gierlarowski who poked home the go ahead goal with 5:42 to play and give St Clair a 3-2 lead. With 4:22 to play, the Panthers were whistled and LaSalle would go on the power play with a chance to knot the score. Michael Ambrose stopped Sean Orlando’s backhand at 3:33. Then Orlando found Ron Greco on the backside with 2:54 to play and the game was tied again 3-3. The game would head to overtime.

      Upper St Clair would find the loose puck and this time Parker Phillip’s shot from the the right point bobbled and C.J. Murray swooped in and found the loose puck and buried it at 4:31 to give Upper St Clair an improbable finish to a great run with a 4-3 victory over a powerhouse LaSalle team. USC won its third Pennsylvania Class AAA title and first since 1987.