Baldwin Highlanders - 1975 & 1988 AAA

KITTANNING ~ As the big Blue Jeep pulled up to the Belmont Ice Complex a little over a half an hour before last nights Indiana – Kittanning playoff game….the reaction was …..to put it lightly…..look at this ! While the Belmont holds nearly 1200, there were infinitely more than that in the building as a crowd of an estimated 1400-1500 showed up for the ‘Route 422’ rivalry between the Wildcats and the Indians. To find a parking space was a rarity as my partner in crime Ron Steedle and I pulled into a nice muddy creek bed to get the Jeep nice and dirty, so when Western Pennsylvania wins its 8th consecutive Pennsylvania Class AA State Championship, I can watch Breakaway’s Jeff Nolan wash it wearing the jersey of the Western Pa team……….and if its Kittanning that happens to do it we’ll all convene back in the parking lot of the Belmont. Stay tuned for details on that wager! And it was Miss Jane’s ‘Romper Room’ night as the who’s who were out in full force as the Thomas Jefferson coaching staff of Don Powell, John Fedorek, Tom Pandolfo and Mark Heinauer, joined GCC’s Joe Dytka and film crew to scout the game with Ole’s regulars Max & Tim [14:60 Forever!], Jimmo Greenbaum, Larry Montebell, Ed ‘Jake’ Jacobs, long time Kittanning/Armstrong Central coach Joe Ritchey, coach former Armstrong Central stud Jon Yackmack [who led the last trip to the State Finals out of the Belmont] and recent Indiana stud Casey Haines [who is now entertaining Junior A offers amazingly as just a sophomore in high school….I guess he won’t need to play for our recently aforementioned midget AAA team, who denies kids an opportunity for State Playoff glory in exchange for practice]. I am sure Indiana coach Dom Glavech would have loved to have put Casey Haines in the lineup last night to help his struggling offense find the net, but Casey donned a red Indiana jersey to participate with the 2003 version of the ‘Hockey Hooligans’, who were dwarfed by the town of Kittanning, who showed up to root for the home team. As the national anthem was sung, it was great to hear people actually singing along with the young lady from Kittanning H.S., which is something missing from the ‘Suburbanite’ society we live in today and gave me goosebumps. This is probably why some of us really enjoy attending hockey games at places like the Belmont or Meadville or Johnstown or Indiana or Erie, where the community really support the hockey programs and turn out in droves to watch them play [Personally, Mr Steedle and I get to double my pleasure coaching the kids in the Keystone State (MIDGETS) games, now in the 7th year]. Indiana reached the Penguin Cup Finals last season for the second time in their history and did so by defeating Kittanning 6-0 at Rostraver. The Indians then missed a golden opportunity to advance to the State Finals falling short in its comeback 3-2 to eventual champion Peters Twp. Kittanning, on the other hand, vowed after the Indiana loss to return to the big dance and coach Jeff Smouse really wanted to play Indiana along the way to prove that his team is ready to take that next step toward West Chester. To do it, the Wildcats will need great goaltending from Adam Toy to steal a couple along the way, in the tradition of great Armstrong/Kittanning goaltenders like Eric ‘Zip’ Zimmerman or Brett Frederick or more recently Aaron Stanley, who have excelled in playoff competition. As the opening faceoff approached, you couldn’t help notice the loose attitude of Indiana and the nervous look on the faces of the California bleached Kittanning Wildcats. In fact, rumors has it if Kittanning advances to Neville Island for the Penguins Cup….that Max and Tim will get a bleach-job [I’d love to see that one]. Indiana wasted no time from the opening faceoff as Dane Bertinazzi who shot one down low, which Toy had to be sharp on as he just got his skate on and deflected into the corner at 14:14. The Indians came right back and struck first as Bryan Schlemmer bang home a rebound at 11:33 for a 1-0 lead. Indiana was all over Kittanning, outshooting them 16-5 in the opening period as Toy came up big on Zach Diamond at 11:14. Luke Heller almost tied the game at 10:10, but Mike Mentsch turn it aside. The Indians had a golden opportunity to take a two goal advantage on a power play with 3:24 remaining, but got whistled for a lazy tripping call in the offensive zone just 21 seconds into the man advantage, which was a huge mental mistake and testimony of the emotions of the opening period. So Kittanning dodged a big bullet and took advantage right off the bat in the second period as Eddie Germy made a heads up play finding Luke Heller, who snapped a shot inside the post to tie the game at 14:30 at one apiece. At this point, Indiana went back to work and continued pressuring the Wildcats but Adam Toy continued to sparkle as he stopped Jayson Vaughn at 10:36 and made a sliding save on Bertinazzi at 6:06. A simple series of two little plays may have changed the complexion of this hockey game as twice Kittanning defenseman Patrick Schneider was able to clear the zone after considerable Indiana pressure and gain some territorial ice for Kittanning towards the end of the 2nd period. The results of that play and a little laziness by the Indiana backline would be a huge break for the Wildcats, as super sophomore Eddie Germy kick the puck out in front to linemate Joel Shriver, who banged it home and gave Kittanning its first lead 2-1 with 2:30 left. Indiana almost tied in on the ensuing faceoff as Aaron Smith had a partial break but shot high over Toy. The Wildcats went on the power play and won the faceoff back to Michael Mecurio, who blasted one down low past Mentsch for a 3-1 lead, a power play goal and sent the Kittanning faithful into a frenzy with just 1:17 remaining and one period away from Rostraver. On to the third period and while Indiana was looking for a spark, Kittanning was looking for the knockout punch. Indiana went on the power play with 9:29 remaining and the best chance to score was Kittanning’s Luke Heller on the breakaway, but Mentsch dove out and poke checked the puck away at 9:01. The next rush up the ice resulted in another penalty and a 5 on 3 for Indiana, but Adam Toy was brilliant stopping several Indiana chances, the best on Zach Diamond on a sliding save across the crease at 7:38. Kittanning was able to kill the penalties, but Corey Mills banged home a rebound at 6:05 off a big scramble in front and the Indians were back in it 3-2. Indiana just dominated the final minutes with a 16-3 shot advantage in the 3rd and 40-14 on the night, but Adam Toy kept them out the rest of the way and paved the road to Rostraver with a 3-2 victory and a date with Thomas Jefferson next Tuesday night.

TJ takes nothing to chance and turns back Canon Mac ! ROSTRAVER – Canon McMillan hockey has had a breakthrough season in 2002-2003, with its first division title edging out West Allegheny, its first playoff victory over Canevin 4-2 last week and its first winning season since 1997. Anything more for Pat Rheam’s club would be icing on the cake, but believe me this is a dangerous team in the playoffs because they have nothing to lose and the effect of the amateur programs at Southpointe has produced some pretty nice talent in the program for the Big Macs and this could be a watershed season for the Big Macs. In a meeting earlier this season CM just fell short losing to TJ 4-3. Thomas Jefferson coach Don Powell has been here before and the dean of Class AA coaches is wary of any team in the playoffs since last years upset at the hands of Hampton. The Jaguars captured the 2nd seed with late season wins at Indiana, South Park and Canevin, but they all seemed to be spoiled by the pastings this season at the hands of division rival and defending champs Peters Twp., who have defeated TJ three times this season. Although Thomas Jefferson has twelve consecutive winnings seasons [176-41-9], three Pennsylvania State Championships, and twelve straight state playoff appearances, coach Powell will not be satisfied until his Jags beat Peters, but to get another shot at them they have to get there. A very calm and cautious first period, Thomas Jefferson grabbed the lead as Eric Holzer scored on the rebound past Chris Watkinson for a 1-0 lead. Canon Mac had an opportunity to tie the game late in the period on the power play but was denied by some excellent penalty killing by the Jaguars. On to the second and TJ extended its lead to 2-0 as defenseman Grant Heinauer blasted home a loose puck from the slot area over the glove hand of Watkinson at 13:39 and the Jaguars had a 2-0 lead. Meanwhile at the other end, Danny Hartman was doing his thing as he stopped Doug Rheam from point blank range with 9:19 remaining in the 2nd. Thomas Jefferson’s Brandon School scored on a breakaway putting TJ in the driver’s seat 3-0 at 7:49. The Jaguars had a golden chance to go up 4-0 but Chris Watkinson made a great save on Luke Wawrzeniak at 7:29 to keep the deficit to three goals. Back came the Big Macs as Doug Rheam tipped a shot from the point past Hartman to get CM on the board with a PPG with 3:27 remaining. Canon Mac was back in the game and Doug Stanton drew them even closer as he buried a wrist shot over the glove side of Hartman and all the sudden it was a one goal hockey game with 2:44 remaining. Anytime you have one goal playoff game, its important to play tight in the final minute, but TJ’s Derek Kelly delivered a big blow to Canon Macs upset bid with a big slapshot which beat Watkinson cleanly with only :29 left in the middle period and a huge insurance goal for the Jaguars. Spurred by Kelly’s goal Thomas Jefferson came out in the third period and played like champions shutting down the Big Macs and Danny Hartman stopped every thing he had to. Billy Barrett sealed the deal with a goal at 12:28 of the third and Thomas Jefferson moved on to Penguin Cup Semi-Finals for the first time since 2000 next week at Rostraver to face either Kittanning or Greensburg CC.

DELMONT – Bethel Park has won three consecutive Pennsylvania Class AAA State Championships and while many Junior Varsities and Freshman team are suiting up for playoffs for the first time and will hang banners about their JV and Freshman Championships, they need to take a seminar about what Junior Varsity and Freshman hockey SHOULD be about which is a training ground for the Varsity Program. Invited speakers to this seminar should be Paul Taibi, the Mt Lebanon head coach, who spent several years quietly grooming players who were the building blocks leading the Hawks to those three straight championships. Coach Taibi is building a class program at Mt Lebanon, a team that lost something like 14 seniors from a Penguin Cup finalist from a year ago and has only three seniors on a team, which has matured beyond its years in just a few months and will be knocking on that door for the next few years with great young talent. In fact, I had to go back on the ole’ Pa Hockey Master Schedule just to figure out that the Blue Devils last lost in February on the 10th to Franklin Regional 7-4 and has not lost since in an undefeated stretch that included Bethel Park, Cathedral Prep, and Baldwin. Now Taibi doesn’t know who Gary Swingle is, but he would see a lot of similarities in the former Franklin coach who was a similar architect, who entered the Franklin Program in the early 90’s and helped build a Junior Varsity and Freshman programs. Those programs produced WPIHL AA Championships and a four-year run to the Penguin Cup finals from 1992-1996 and continued the building process until the Panthers moved to the Center Ice Arena in 1998. In the 1997-1998, FR fielded two freshman teams with 37 players and rather than stacking one freshman team, ‘the General’ as he was known put the odds on one side and the evens on the other side and those two teams lost a combined two games out of 30. The best of that group have developed since into the 2003 edition of the Franklin Regional Panthers. Most recently, coach Jim Damp has taken this talented group and they have molded into a real contender for Class AAA and have opened some eyes around the Western Pa hockey circles, with big late season wins over Lebanon and Bethel Park. Some of the Panthers were looking to erase memories of last seasons ending a double overtime defeat at the hands of North Allegheny. Goaltending dominated the first period as Pa Hockey Top 5 Freshman phenom Matt Vaughn stopped Luke ‘now you see him now you don’t’ DeLorenzo, who danced around the Mt Lebo defense at 13:15. The Blue Devils went on the power play at 11:57 and pressure Franklin to try to get that all-important first goal, but Brandon Stallard made several key stops including an excellent save on Chad Uddstrom at 10:52. Stallard then stopped Eric Sloan and Uddstrom again at 7:21 as Mt Lebo could not capitalize o some excellent scoring chances. Late in the opening period, Sloan was in on the breakaway but could not beat Stallard and the game was scoreless after one period. Mt Lebanon opened the second period much like the first but could not beat Stallard, who stoned Billy Leckenby at 13:30. Franklin Regional counter attacked and Luke ‘now you see him now you don’t’ DeLorenzo but Matt Vaughn on Route 22 going West on a spectacular move and beat the freshman goaltender on the forehand to make it 1-0 at 13:19. The Panthers came right back on the same shift as Vaughn made the initial save on DeLorenzo and Lou Levine pounced on the rebound and banged it home to give the packed house at Delmont on the Franklin side something to cheer about and a 2-0 lead at 12:50. Still on that extended shift, Delorenzo made a great drop pass to Mike Roth, who buried a wrist shot upstairs on the glove side at 12:12 and all the sudden Franklin led 3-0. Now many of you may not remember the Penguin Cup Semi-Final at Rostraver in 1997, where Mt Lebanon had a 4-0 lead at the end of two periods only to watch it evaporate into a 5-4 Bethel win and an eventual State Championship for the Hawks. A game for the ages that night and one of the first thoughts that came to my mind in this game and maybe its was the calmness as Luke ‘now you see him now you don’t’ DeLorenzo, exited the building off to that all-important Hornets practice with 9:15 left in the second period of a do or die playoff game. You could almost see Paul Taibi, grinding his teeth and although he would never say maybe thinking it that Mt Lebanon would love to come back and win this one and make a real statement. Well, Taibi’s heart warmed a little bit as Eric Sloan scored on a wrist shot upstairs at 8:39 to get Mt Lebanon on the board 3-1. Mike Roth came right back for the Panthers just thirty seconds later to extend the lead to 4-1 beating Vaughn on the wrist shot. Stallard made a great blocker save on Leckenby at 3:29 and on Sloan with just :18 seconds left, stacking his pads and FR took a 4-1 lead to the intermission. On to the third period and Franklin went into that dreaded prevent defense a little too early as they failed to gain territorial advantage. The Blue Devils gain some momentum and Tony Valerino banged home a Bill Leckenby rebound on the backhand at 10:44 and Lebo was back within striking distance at 4-2. Less than a minute later, Leckenby scored on a long blast after a Franklin turnover at blueline which beat Stallard on the stick side and all the sudden it was 4-3 and all Mt Lebanon. The Blue Devils were all over FR at this point and Eric Sloan just missed at 4:40, but Dan Weilin tied the game with exactly four minutes remaining on a great move beating Stallard on the backhand and roofing it upstairs. The game headed to overtime as Mt Lebanon outshot Franklin Regional 32-23 through regulation. Franklin was awarded a rare power play in overtime [Oh by the way …the officiating in this one was outstanding with Chet Steen and Norm Faas] but Mt Lebanon survived two FR chances as Michael Jordan blocked a Jimmie Daugherty shot at 7:45 and Matt Vaughn stopped Joey Ferrairo from point blank at 7:01. Mt Lebanon went on the PP at 6:07 and almost won it but Eric Sloan’s blast hit the crossbar at 4:10. Then Vaughn stoned Franklin Regional as he stopped Joey Ferrairo again with 2:40 left in the first OT and robbed Jimmie Daugherty with just 5 seconds left in OT # 1. On to Overtime # 2 and after confusion with the league rep who didn’t know the playoff rules and probably was never provided a copy of them, the game moved on as the teams switched ends. Franklin came out early and made it happen as Mike Roth gathered a rebound after Vaughn made the initial save on Daugherty and lofted into the empty net over a fallen Vaughn and Franklin Regional would advance on to face Bethel Park, which will be a rematch of a late season game at Center Ice and will have a lot more riding on it come next Wednesday as we move on to Rostraver and the Penguin Cup semis. For Mt Lebanon, a great year and a stepping stone for the future as hopefully this group of Blue Devils will remember this game and let it help fuel a Penguin Cup run over the next few years !

Flyers Cup AAA - Washington Township AA - Clearview AA - Eastern Regional A - Cherry Hill East A - Cherokee

GREENSBURG – Greensburg CC and South Park did not meet in the regular season in Class AA in 2002-2003, but the Centarians and Eagles did meet twice and the flavor of both meetings was one team taking the lead and the other mounting a big comeback for victory. In the Greensburg CC Invitational semi-finals in October, GCC overcame a 2-0 South Park lead and being outshot 36-18 to defeat SP 3-2. In the Pa Hockey Scholastic Showcase in late December South Park overcame a 3-2 third period deficit and two five minute majors to defeat GCC 5-3. Greensburg CC coach Joe Dytka’s club has not been to the Penguin Cup semi-finals since 1996 and was looking to erase playoff frustration of the past few years. South Park on the other hand, made it to the dance in 2001, only to fall to eventual Pa Class AA Champion Beaver. So both schools had something to prove in this game and one would move on to Rostraver next week. The game would be played before a packed standing room only crowd at Kirk Nevin. The game was wide open early on as Jake Genes made a great stop on Vito Caporal at 14:08. GCC came right back as Allen Pershing beat Ian Artim on a quick shot to the stick side to give the Centarians a 1-0 lead at 13:55. The Eagles answered just 38 seconds later, as Justin Juha took a perfect feed from Tim Ryan out of the corner and handcuffed Genes with a wrist shot to tie the score at one apiece. Then at 9:50, Pat Bates took a big shot from the left point and Matt Ward was on the doorstep to poke it between the legs of Artim to give Greensburg CC the lead 2-1. South Park came right back as Juha took advantage of some great corner work by the towering Matt Slogan, who walked out of the corner and fed Juha who buried a shot on the stick side to tie the game again at 2-2 with 8:35 remaining in the opening period. The teams traded power play chances and the Egales capitalized as Rocco DaBecco snapshot through traffic fooled Genes and SP had its first lead 3-2 at 2:56. On to the second and DaBecco walked the puck to the net and beat Genes cleanly on the backhand to extend the South Park lead to 4-2 at 12:20. GCC was in a little trouble now, but was rescued as Allen Pershing gathered a Zach Cutrell rebound and scored a huge goal to put the Centarians back within one at 4-3 at 7:05. South Park went on the power play, but got a little careless and committed playoff sin # 1 and turned the puck over at its own blue line and Pershing made them pay as he sprinted 120 feet and slipped a shot through the 5 hole past Artim and tied the score at 4-4 with 2:14 remaining in the second period. The next goal would be huge as the teams took the ice in the third period and goaltending would be outstanding as Ian Artim and Jake Genes would come up big. Colin Ludwig and Matt Ward had excellent chances in the first three minutes of the 3rd and Ian Artim stoned them. Jake Genes stopped Tim Ryan, who was in a lone at 9:27 and then DaBecco and Juha again at 6:15. Artim made a diving save on Zach Cutrell with just 4:08 remaining in regulation. After a phantom elbowing call gave GCC the power play with just 3:58 remaining, the Eagles dug in and killed off the disadvantage and almost scored the go ahead goal as Josh Hickey took a feed from Justin Juha in the slot but was denied by Jake Genes. The third period was scoreless as the teams were dead even in shots 34-34. On to the overtime we went and the crowd was now on its feet as the chances of ‘Lets go Eagles’ and ‘GCC’ rang off the tin foil roof in a great playoff atmosphere at Kirk S. Nevin. South Park would have the early chances as Genes dove out and stopped Justin Juha on the breakaway at 9:21 of the OT. Juha came right back on the next shift and clanged one off the right post at 8:41. Then GCC had a great chance as Matt Ward was stopped by Ian Artim at 7:35. It would be Allen Pershing who would have the final say in this one as he gathered a SP turnover and buried it upstairs on the shortside to send Greensburg CC to the dance at Rostraver for the first time since 1996, which happened to be the year that the Centarians won their last Pennsylvania Class AA crown.