Baldwin Highlanders - 1975 & 1988 AAA

2006 Pennsylvania High School Hockey Championships – Class AA Pine Richland 3 Haverford 0 NEVILLE ISLAND – Haverford High enters the 2006 Pennsylvania Class AA Championship on the heels of their 2nd consecutive Flyers Cup with a 4-0 victory over Central Bucks South. For head coach Brian Cleary last years trip to the State AA title game left a lasting impression as the Fords failed to score against Peters Twp and Rob Madore going down by a 4-0 score. Haverford held Peters to a 1-0 game into the 3rd period without Ian Finnerty, who is this season’s leading scorer for the Fords, who was injured early in last year’s title game. Haverford will try to score against a Pine Richland team who is underrated defensively and maybe more importantly to give the Fords a little confidence. Having been here before may be an advantage the Fords can point to as they will need every possible advantage they can get as they face a red hot Rams squad. Pine Richland has been a team on a mission ever since losing in the Penguins Cup finals a year ago to Peters Twp 6-2. And when it came time to slay the dragon for coach Jimmy Black’s club in the Penguins Cup semi-finals against Peters, the Rams fell behind 3-0 late in the 2nd period after yielding a shorthanded goal. Then the difference maker in this playoffs show why he is the unquestionable leader for Pine Richland as Josh Fodor gathered a puck in his own end and buried a slapshot past Peters Twp goaltender Mike Mastracci with one second remaining in the 2nd period and awoke the sleeping giant. The Rams went on to outshot Peters 15-0 in the third and with a big comeback edged the Indians 4-3 as Fodor picked up the game winner. PR has not looked back since pummeling Kittanning 8-3 to capture their first ever Penguins Cup and now have an opportunity to capture the first Boys State Championship for the Pine Richland school district ever. A throng of Pine Richland supporters joined the Haverford faithful for another packed house at RMU Island Sports Center. At 12:10 of the opening period, Stoney Hildreth got a skate on an Ian Finnerty wrist shot labeled for the lower corner as the Fords carried the play in the opening minutes. The Rams would have their first opportunity on the power play be nullified by a penalty by Richland after a delayed call. Haverford’s Jason Hazleton stopped Josh Fodor with 5:29 remaining in the opening period. With 4:26 to go, the Fords would get an opportunity on the power play, but it was George Saad with the chance after a nice set-up by Brian Miller at 3:22, but Jason Hazleton made the save. The Fords had a golden opportunity on a short 5 on 3 advantage, but the Rams killed the first part and then the second portion of the penalty. The teams fought to a scoreless opening 15 minutes as the Fords held a 9-8 advantage in shots. With 11:38 to go in the second, Haverford was whistled on a questionable hooking call putting the Rams on the power play. Fodor took the puck to the net early in the power play, but Jason Hazleton was equal to the task and the Fords killed it off. With 8:04 remaining in the 2nd, Dylan Trombetta got behind the Fords defense on the breakaway and Hazleton stopped him. Another questionable call put the Rams on the power play at 7:46 as Jason Hazleton continued to sparkle and keep Pine Richland off the board as this scoreless game continued to build drama as to who would score first. At 3:22 of the second, Hazleton made an unconscious save in the crease on Phil Trombetta as he somehow kept the puck out. The Rams went on another power play after a skirmish in front of the Haverford goal and went on a 5 on 3 with 1:44 left in the period. As Pine Richland continued to miss chances, Haverford kept persevering and the teams went to the ice cut in a scoreless tie as the Rams outshot the Fords 14 –5. Then a wild play with 12:19 to go in regulation as Joe Christman’s shot deflected off of something or someone near the circles and caromed low to the glove side to give the Rams a 1-0 lead. So Haverford has now played 5 + periods in the state finals and has yet to score. Another Pine Richland power play and at 9:14 Phil DiDinato jammed home a Jordan Yoklic rebound to give the Rams a 2-0 lead. An with 8 ½ left in regulation, the Fords would get a rare power play, but an undisciplined penalty would cost them a half a minute into the man advantage. The referees now made it a competition to see who could call more penalties as the third period was a quagmire of calls. The Fords pulled the goalie with a 5 on 3 power play and had a couple of chances and then Brendan Conlon, the kid left at the rink 7 years ago, provided an empty net goal with 1:16 remaining to seal the victory and a State Championship for Pine Richland with a 3-0 lead and victory for the Rams, who would not be denied fighting off a valiant effort from Haverford High and a great goaltending performance by the Fords Jason Hazleton, who turned aside countless Pine Richland shots and scoring chances. A great win for a Pine Richland program that is a bridesmaid no more and a solid goaltending performance by Stoney Hildreth, who earned a shutout in victory and a well earned defensive effort and enough offense to capture the title.