Baldwin Highlanders - 1975 & 1988 AAA

Peters Township holds off furious Indiana rally ! PITTSBURGH - Peters Township was the prohibitive favorite to win the Class AA Penguin Cup this season and coach Mark Cooper faced the job of making sure his team wasn't too overconfident in the Penguins Cup final. Especially after his team defeated Indiana earlier this season 6-0. If the distraction of two of his (14 year old) 10 Grade players not playing in the Penguin Cup to pursue some supposed Junior A opportunity seven hours away wasn't enough, it probably was a blessing in disguise. Lets give credit to Matt and Chris Clackson, who stayed and played with their schoolmates in an opportunity of a lifetime for Peters Township hockey, who had been to only one Penguins Cup in their history in 1998 (only to lose to Thomas Jefferson, marking the beginnings of the TJ dynasty). Indiana, knows all about opportunities of a lifetime in the Penguins Cup. In 1996, a team which dominated Class AA similar to Peters Twp this season from Indiana seemed headed for a sure State Championship. Leading 3-0 against Greensburg CC, Steve Putt's penalty shot was stopped late in the second by Jon Vesely and the GCC came back to defeat Indiana 4-3 and put a cloud over Indiana's terrific 145-70-18 record in 11 seasons entering the 2002 Penguins Cup final. This group of Indiana were just beginning their hockey careers in 1996, but have heard the stories. So it was a day to root or the Indians as a huge crowd at the Mellon Arena took in Peters Township's Indians vs Indiana's Indians. In the first period, Indiana looked a little nervous and could not get on track. Peters Twp started to gain territorial advantage and at 8:09 Mike Papciak was in a two on one situation and tried to move the puck to a breaking Peters Twp player and the puck glanced off Indiana defenseman Brad McCoy's skate and behind Mike Lady to give PT a 1-0 lead. Indiana picked up its offense after the goal and on a similar 2 on 1 that led to Peters goal, but defenseman Rob Feltovitch made a spectacular break up of the Indiana chance. Then Peters struck again as extra effort of Matt Clackson jammed a Chris Clackson rebound past Lady to give the PT Indians a 2-0 lead. Peters looked to extend the lead on yet another 2 on 1 with 1:40 remaining, but Joe Lenz made a diving breakup of the the Peters chance and the score remained 2-0. Peters goaltender Kittleberger made a great save on Zach Diamond with 42 seconds left in the 1st and the score remained 2-0. On to the second and Indiana went on the power play to try to get on the board at 10:39. Mike Papciak stripped the Indiana defense of the puck and was in on the breakaway and on a great move with great control undressed Lady to put Peters on top 3-0 at 10:18. Now you couldn't help but have compassion for Indiana, now down 3-0 and looking for some answers. Could their be a truning point to rid the Indiana program of the GCC Ryan Davis floater that beat them in 1996. Well, this group of Indians was determined to right the ship, as Indiana found themselves midway through the second as Mike Lady stopped Matt Clackson on the breakaway with 8:24 remaining. Casey Haines was dancing now and walked around the Peters defense and hit the post at 7:30, no goal, not this time. Then frustration as Clint Pizarchik took a very undisciplined penalty at 3:55 putting Peters on the power play. Indiana killed it and Pizarchik, looking to redeem himself and give his team a lift, took the puck from his own zone down the right side and blasted a slapshot, looking like Guy Lafluer of the late 1970's, past Kittleberger which awoke the 'Hockey Hooligans'(Indiana's famed fan club) with a shorthanded goal with 1:43 remaining to put the IHS Indians on the board and give Ron Hellen's club new life. Indiana now was in business and began looking more like the team that throttled Kittanning and all of its opponents in this years playoffs. IHS still had time and started to get chances as Jason Vaughn's shot glanced of the crossbar at 11:03. Kittleberger robbed Bryan Schlemmer with a great save with a little over 10 minutes to go. Then the IHS Indians went on the power play and this time Zach Diamond scored on the rebound sending the Indiana faithful into a frenzy as the score was 3-2. Indiana was now dominating and looking to tie the score beat could not beat Kittleberger. Then a questionable call by the one of the two referee at 3:53 put Peters on the power play and Matt Clackson had a chance to put the game on ice, but Lady made a great save to keep it 3-2. Indiana never seemed to recover and pulled the goalie and Chris Clackson put the dagger through Indiana for a 4-2 final and sent Peters Township to its first ever Penguins Cup and a date with the winner of the Archbishop Ryan - Archbishop Carroll Flyers Cup AA champ in the Pennyslvania State Final. A great victory for coach Mark Cooper and Peters Township, who delivered as the favorites to win it all and hopefully the 20 (-2) PT Indians will show that the team is more important than the sum of its parts in next weekends Pennsylvania AA Finals and bring a State Championship to a program after 23 years, which deserves to win one !