Baldwin Highlanders - 1975 & 1988 AAA

INDIANA - Indiana has been one of Class AA many surprises as the Indians have lost only once as the season nears the half way point. Coach Dom Glavech’s team has been on a mission pummeling every opponent in sight including some pretty good teams like Montour, Kittanning and Pine Richland to post a 8-1-1 record. What is probably motivating Indiana is the ‘one that got away’ or maybe the ‘two that got away’ if we are including Peters Township in the conversation. The 2002 Penguins Cup at the Mellon Arena, a game that Indiana very well could of won, but Peters survived 3-2 and went on to win their first Pennsylvania AA State Championship over Archbishop Carroll. The 2nd one that ‘got away’ was last years Penguins Cup final again against Peters Twp, a devastating collapse and another Indiana disappointment. So this game against Peters Twp would be a rematch and maybe a chance for retribution. Peters Township is the three time defending Penguins Cup champions with a Pennsylvania AA State Championships in 2002 and 2003. Oh yeah and Peters remembers 2004 too even though they completed a miracle comeback win over Indiana in the Penguins Cup, when the PT Indians trailed 4-1 with under six minutes to go and came back to tie it with 6 seconds left and won it 5-4 in overtime on a breakaway goal by Si Bishop to move on to the State Finals. Fresh for Mark Cooper is the loss to Archbishop Carroll in the State Final and his current group has all of the makings of a team who can return to the finals and avenge that loss. Currently, after a great start, Peters has lost two straight to # 1 Canon McMillan 7-4 and last Friday night’s shocker to South Park 4-3. So a date at Indiana may be just what the doctor ordered and to get back on the winning track. The first period was as wild a period as both teams looked as if they were in overtime of a basketball game. After returning from the games first penalty, Corey Mills struck beating Justin Mahramas on the backhand at 12:42 for a 1-0 Indiana lead. Peters would tie it just 22 seconds later as Jeff Hannan beat Mike Kennedy on a wrist shot to the glove side at 12:20. Kennedy stopped Bryan Papciak on a breakaway at 11:40, but Papciak would give the Indians the lead scoring on a wide open net at 9:43 to make it 2-1. The PT Indians went on the power play at 8:21 and received an early Christmas present as Jeff Hannan threw the puck to the net and it glanced off an Indiana defenseman and behind Kennedy for a power play goal at 7:27 and a 3-1 Peters lead. Mahramas robbed Corey Mills from in front at 5:20 with Indiana on the power play, but Nick Onusheck snuck a rebound past the PT goaltender to cut the lead to 3-2. Brandon Tingle extended the Peters lead to 4-2 from point blank range on a nice set up by Dustin Roux at 2:44. Back came Indiana late in the period as Corey Mills found the rebound after a scramble in front and pulled Indiana within one at 4-3 with 1:35 remaining in a wild opening 15 minutes. One to the second period and Mills almost had the hat trick at 14:40 but hit the post. Joe Appolonia would find the net at 13:35 on a wrist shot beating Mahramas to tie the game at four apiece. The big play of the hockey game came at 12:32 as Dustin Roux pulled up coming out of the corner and buried a wrist shot up under the crossbar over the glove side of Kennedy to give the PT Indians the lead back 5-4. Eric Windmiller would deliver on the power play at 7:07 taking a sharp pass out of the corner and beating Mike Kennedy through the five hole to extend the lead to 6-4. Michael Jack got Indiana back within one with a snapshot over the glove side of Mahramas to pull the score to 6-5 late in the period. The third period was defensive and Peters had a great opportunity to put the game out of reach with 6 ½ remaining in the 3rd, but Indiana killed the penalty and went on a power play with 4:13 left and could not get the equalizer as PT stiffened and came away with a 6-5 road win, outshooting Indiana 27-25 on the night.