Baldwin Highlanders - 1975 & 1988 AAA

Penn Trafford 5 Latrobe 3 GREENSBURG – Penn Trafford has won three consecutive Class AAA East Division titles under Todd Purvis and is looking like a pretty good bet for a 4th in a row in the weakest division in that classification in many years. The Warriors are more interested in the roadblock of Bethel Park, who has been responsible for eliminating PT all three years in their last game in the Penguins Cup AAA playoffs. While Chris Cerutti, Joel Sterniak and several PT mainstays have graduated, this year’s version of Warriors looks to be a hard working club that must find scoring touch and goaltending to compete with the top 4-5 teams in Class AAA and move toward their first ever final 4 appearance in March. The Penn Trafford blueprint has built through the proper developmental channels of amateur hockey and excellent Junior Varsity and Freshman programs, which will have to continue to keep moving closer to the ultimate goal. Distractions of travel hockey will at some point have to result in more commitment to the Warrior cause to make this happen sooner rather than later. The Latrobe hockey program is blessed with an excellent developmental program and booster club, which has worked to build numbers in their hockey program. Head coach Ron Makoski has a solid lineup returning from last years squad and has added some nice pieces from a solid Junior Varsity program. The Wildcats look to challenge the likes of Indiana, Franklin Regional, Greensburg CC and Greensburg Salem in what appears to be a very entertaining and wide-open East Division of Class AA. Penn Trafford struck first at 7:29 of the first as B.J. Zagorac tipped an Erik Likar shot past Curt Colianne from the right point to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead. At 5:47 of the opening period Michael McCurdy tied the game burying a cross-ice pass from Jeff Joe Reluga to tie the game at one apiece. Penn Trafford held an advantage in shots in the opening period. At 9:09 of the second period, Michael White broke behind the Latrobe defense and slipped a backhand behind Colianne to give PT a 2-1 lead. The Warriors went to work on the power play and B.J. Zagorac buried a wrist shot up under the crossbar at 5:36 to give the Warriors a 3-1 cushion. Less than a minute later at 4:28, Jeff Smail took advantage of some sloppy play by the Warrior defense to cut the lead to 3-2. The Wildcats tied the game with 2:33 as Andrew Ong blistered a snapshot past Laurito on the short side to knot the game at 3-3. Latrobe had a chance to take the lead with 1:01 remaining in the second on the power play and was whistled again 16 seconds later creating a 5 on 3 situation and a golden opportunity for the Wildcats going to start the final period of regulation. The Warriors were able to kill off the penalties and the score remained 3-3 through the middle of the third period. With 6:09 remaining in the 3rd period Michael White swooped behind the Latrobe defense and beat Curt Colianne to give the Warriors a 4-3 advantage. The Wildcats went on the power play with 5:44 left with a chance to tie the game despite mustering 18 shots toward PT goaltender Tony Laurito in 3 periods. PT’s Erik Likar had the best chance to score on a shorthanded breakaway with 3:42 left but Colianne stopped him. Latrobe called a timeout with 1:48 to try to strategize a plan to tie the game and pulled their goaltender for the extra attacker. The final nail in the coffin came with 1:04 remaining as Michael White completed the hat trick to make the count 5-3 in favor of the Warriors as they advanced to the GCC Invitational finals for the 2nd time in 3 years with an opportunity to repeat the 2004 championship.