Baldwin Highlanders - 1975 & 1988 AAA

JOHNSTOWN ~ Many of teams have come to the Cambria County War Memorial over the years and many have been sent home by 5-time State Champion Bishop McCort over the past 15 years. Somerset coach Cliff Zeigler has witnessed it first hand and brought his Pa Hockey Elite 8 # 1 ranked and undefeated 16-0-0 Somerset team probably thinking this could be the year that the Eagles may be able to handle the ghosts of War Memorials past. Somerset has pounded Class A competition this season and has defeated Elite 8 ranked teams # 7 Sewickley Academy [5-0] # 6 Richland Cambria [4-2] and # 5 Quaker Valley [4-3] while outscoring their opponents 151-24. The big line of Bret Zeigler, Matt Rouch and freshman sensation Cullen Eddy leads all Western Pennsylvania in scoring and has posted ridiculous numbers. So a game that has been rescheduled a few times would finally take place as the War Memorial re-opened to a throng of what seemed like half of Somerset and the usual suspects of Bishop McCort with a crowd of somewhere around 1500 at the historic building. Bishop McCort knew one maybe two important factors about this much anticipated game. Head Coach John Bradley knew that this was a big game and also knew that his club has played in big games before this stage before and maybe this was Somerset’s first opportunity. Secondly, Bradley knows that hockey is a team game which requires defense, backchecking and a 20 man effort, which can play a major factor. The Crimson Crushers have put up some real impressive numbers with a 15-1-0 record and their lone blemish is to their nemesis of the past five years Serra Catholic, a 4-1 defeat earlier in the season. Maybe the most impressive factor in this Crimson Crusher team is that no one in Class [except Serra] has come close to beating them as they have won every game by at least four goals. Bishop McCort features the usual array of balanced scoring across their lineup which has been a trademark of the Crimson Crushers and their successes over the past 15 years in winning 5 Pennsylvania State Championships and 5 recent trips to the Penguins Cup final 4 only to be sent home by Serra Catholic the past four years. The first period was a close checking affair with a limited number of shots being yielded by both teams. Bishop McCort struck first as Corey Mock scored at 11:46 of the opening period. The Crimson Crushers extended their lead to 2-0 as David Champe found the net at 8:26. If there was a turning point of the first period and possibly the game it was in the middle of the first period as Cullen Eddy went down with an injury and left the game. Somerset cut the lead to 2-1 with just :40 left in the 1st period on a goal by Matt Rouch. On to the second period and the Crimson Crushers took control of this hockey game by putting Somerset goaltender Wesley Cramer under siege with 15 shots. The result was four goals for Bishop McCort as Chris Grady scored two goals, one just 8 seconds in to the period and his 2nd with 4:07 left, as the Crimson Crushers added tallies from Joe Delic [11:49] and Marc Domonkos [9:55] to open up a commanding 6-2 lead in the middle period. Bret Zeigler score for Somerset at the ten minute mark for the Eagles lone score. The third period was vintage Bishop McCort as they just worked the puck deep into the Somerset zone and killed the clock with excellent defense and disciplined play. Chris Mendillo added a goal for McCort at 11:06 to extend the lead to a 7-2 game and Zeigler closed out the scoring with just 2:46 left as the Crimson Crushers coasted to an impressive 7-3 victory over Somerset.