Baldwin Highlanders - 1975 & 1988 AAA

Canevin 4 Canon McMillan 3 MT LEBANON – Canevin (15-4-2) and Canon McMillan (12-6-3) meet in this evening’s match-up with a little more at stake than the December 1st meeting here at the Mt Lebanon Rec Center that ended in a 6-6 tie in a game in which Canevin scored twice in the final minute to tie the game. Both teams have had great seasons as the Big Macs won their 2nd consecutive division title and advanced through the opening round of the playoffs defeating Latrobe convincingly 6-2 for the right to meet Canevin. Coach Dave Fryer’s Big Macs are looking to return to the Penguins Cup Semi-Finals, where a year ago they were ousted by Peters Twp in a game that CM held a 4-1 advantage and succumbed to a furious rally that propelled the Indians to their 4th consecutive Penguins Cup and the State Championship win over Haverford 4-0. If you are a ‘Concerned Citizen of Canevin’, you are a lot less concerned this season than last and for Crusader’s coach Brian Henderson this has to be quite a switch from the past few years when Canevin has been off the playoff radar. The Crusaders won several key games down the stretch to capture the # 3 seed, a bye and one step away from a place their program has not been in over five years, which is the Penguins Cup Semi-Finals. Anyone who doesn’t believe that either of these teams can’t upset the applecart and go on a run to RMU Island Sports Center has not been following the momentum built by both of these teams in the second half of the season. In a quick moving opening period, both teams worked at both ends of the ice to created chances and limit scoring opportunities against one another before a festive packed house at the Rec. The Big Macs had the first opportunity on the power play at 10:18, which was unsuccessful, but Justin Cormack found a streaking Jesse Patnesky down the slot and Joey Ziemanski made the games first big save at 7:02. Canevin had a great opportunity as # 10 was in alone on a breakaway at 4:27, but Mike O’Neill came up big. The Crusaders outshot CM 9-6 in the opening 15 minutes. On to the second period and the Big Macs struck as Nick Cusilito found a loose puck on the doorstep and fired a bullet which snuck past Joey Ziemanski to give the Big Macs a 1-0 lead at 14:31. CM applied the pressure and Ziemanski kept the deficit at 1-0 stopping Justin Cormack. The Crusaders went on the power play at 11:07 and tied the game as Kevin Pawlos slapshot from the right point was tipped by Josh Daley and trickled past Mike O’Neill to knot the game at 1-1 with 9:47 to play in the 2nd. O’Neill had to be sharp as Josh Daley took a drop pass from Zach Haluzchak and fired a wrist shot low to the stick side at 4:27. Ziemanski made a very good series of save on Jesse Patnesky and Nick Cusilito at 3:44 as the game remained tied at one apiece. At 2:32 of the second period, Zach Haluzchak made a terrific forecheck to force a turnover and the result was moments later Michael Darnely shooting the puck and got his own rebound tapping in past O’Neill to give the Crusaders a 2-1 lead. With 37 seconds remaining in the period, Nate Bohn found Patenesky in the slot and Jesse rifled a shot off the crossbar and Canevin would hold off a late Big Mac surge to take a slim 2-1 lead to the ice cut. Canon McMillan outshot Canevin 13-11 in the period. Canon Mac came out flying in the opening minute of the third and hard work paid off as Corey Griffith banged home a short pass from Kyle Harnan to tie the score at 2-2 with 13:33 remaining in regulation. With 11:32 to play, Canevin would receive a golden chance on the power play., but it would be the Big Macs who played opportunist as Nate Bohn intercept an errant pass and drove the defense and dropped it off to Justin Cormack, who made it count beating Ziemanski on the stick side at 10:40 to give CM a 3-2 lead. Canevin made the best of the rest of the power play as Zach Haluzchak beat O’Neill on a long wrist shot to the blocker side at 9:57 to tie the game again. Canevin’s Michael Darnelly stole the puck from the Big Mac defense just 10 seconds later at 9:47 to give the Crusaders a 4-3 lead beating O’Neill low to the stick side. At 6:29, Canon Mac’s Justin Cormack split the Canevin defense and Ziemanski made the save, but the Big Macs would get a power play out of it and could not convert. With 4:52 remaining, Canon Mac was whistled on a questionable play late in the game and time was now the ally of Canevin. Ziemanski made a game saving save on Kyle Harnen on the back door with 32 seconds remaining and another after a big scramble with 8 ticks left and the Canevin Crusader’s would keep their magical season alive with a trip to Ice Castle next Tuesday in the final 4.