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Santa comes early as Mars marches on to Penguins Cup over McCort
2008 Penguins Cup Semi-Finals A
Mars 3 Bishop McCort 1
Bishop McCort (15-7-0) has a long history of State Championships including 5 in a period of seven years in Class A and also a repeated history in the Penguins Cup Semi-Finals. The Crimson Crushers last advanced to the State Finals in 2005 losing to Penncrest and it has been nine years since paydirt for the Crushers in 1999. Head Coach John Bradley would have to do it this year without Dane Domonkos, who was dressed but unable to play and would have a tough task against a Mars (20-1-1) team who earned the number one seed and defeated the Crimson Crushers back in mid-December 4-1. The Planets have held down the top spot in Class A for most of the season and have knocked on the Penguins Cup door only twice in their history losing to Westmont Hilltop in 2003 and again a year ago to Penguins Cup champions Freeport. Mars Head Coach Tim Coleman in his first year set up prior to the season to accomplish a Penguins Cup and the Crimson Crushers are a stepping stone to achieving what no other Mars team has done before.
Mars came out in the opening minutes to take control of McCort as Mike Heltman was pulled down at 14:14, setting up a Planets power play and outshot McCort 5-0 early on. The Crimson Crushers settled in and did not let up a shot the rest of the period, while countering with 3 of their own. BM’s Chad James was stopped by Greg Lewis on a breakaway with 7:31 to go. The game was scoreless after one period.
On to the second period and McCort went on the power play with 14:51 to go in the period, but didn’t score. Mars struck first as Mike Heltman got a loose rebaound and beat Danny Mock high to the stick side to make it 1-0. The Crimson Crushers went on the power play again and this time the Planets Ian Finney had a great chance that was turned aside by Mock at 8:42. The McCort goaltender Mock made a series of nice stops on Finney and Mike Heltman at 6:24 and then a great leg save on Andrew Santa at 5:16. With the score 1-0, Mars put the Crushers on the power play and then took an undisciplined unsportsmanlike conduct penalty putting McCort on a 5 on 3 with 1:59 left in the period. Bishop McCort would take advantage as Todd Thomas shot the puck from the center point and Anthony Pioli tipped it past Greg Lewis to tie the game with 47 seconds left in the second period 1-1and make it a brand new hockey game. The Crushers outshot Mars 14-11 in the period.
The third period started with a Mars power play at 11:54 and another one at 10:23 but could not score as McCort’s Todd Thomas made a great defensive play to deny Ian Finney an open net at 10:06. Mars finally answered when Mike Mazzota streaked down the right side and fired a snap shot to the far side of Danny Mock for a power play goal and a 2-1 lead with 10:06 to play in regulation. McCort went on the power play with 8:22, but the Planets calmly killed it off. Danny Mock kept Bishop McCort in this hockey game stopping Mike Heltman at 3:13, Jake Robasch from on the doorstep at 2:17 and then robbed Mike Heltman on the back door with 1:24 to go and Robasch again, who was in alone with 54 seconds to go. You just had to think McCort would get a chance, which they did in the final minute but Greg Lewis was equal to the task. When Andrew Santa raced to a loose puck with 17 seconds to go and deposited into an empty net, it was Christmas in March as the Planets marched on to thir first ever Penguins Cup final with a 3-1 victory over a stubborn Bishop McCort club. Final shots were 28-24 in favor of Mars. The Planets advance to their first Penguins Cup in club history.
| Flyers Cup AA Quarter-Finals | |||||||||||
| AA-Q1 | 17-Mar | Mon | Grundy | 3 | Washington Twp Minutemen | 7 | Central Bucks South Titans | 1 vs 8 | |||
| AA-Q2 | 17-Mar | Mon | Haverford Skatium | 3 | Haverford High Fords | 8 | North Penn Knights | 2 vs 7 | |||
| AA-Q3 | 17-Mar | Mon | Face Off Circle | 1 | Council Rock North Indians | 3 | Pennridge Rams | 3 vs 6 | |||
| AA-Q4 | 17-Mar | Mon | Ice Line | 4 | Methacton Warriors | 5 | Conestoga Pioneers | 4 vs 5 | |||
| Flyers Cup AA Semi-Finals | |||||||||||
| AA-S1 | 19-Mar | Wed | 7:00 PM | IceLine | 0 | Central Bucks South Titans | 1 | Conestoga Pioneers | 1 vs 4 | ||
| AA-S2 | 19-Mar | Wed | 7:20 PM | Hatfield | 1 | North Penn Knights | 5 | Pennridge Rams | 2 vs 3 | ||
| Flyers Cup AAA Championship | |||||||||||
| AA-CH | 22-Mar | Sat | Spectrum | 3 | Conestoga Pioneers | 2 | Pennridge Rams | 3 OT | |||
| 2008 - Flyers Cup AA Champions - Conestoga Pioneers | |||||||||||
2008 Flyers Cup Class AA Schedules and Game Results
http://www.icshl.org/fcup/servlet/gameServlet?method=displvlidx&jspURL=/levelindex.jsp&level=2
Ø Pennsbury (18-3-1) led the Lower Bucks League all year and despite some injuries to their top two stars Ryan Gannon and Ian Barnes, the Falcons are getting healthy in time for the Flyers Cup, despite falling in the LBCSHL playoffs. Pennsbury is the team many are talking about in Class AA and I trust my sources.
Ø Haverford (15-4-0) is the three-time defending Flyers Cup AA champions and has rattled off 9 of 10 in the 2nd half of the season. The Fords will face a little stiffer competition in the Flyers Cup and will be challenged to become a 4 time champion.
Ø Council Rock North (15-3-1) has played some great competition in a division with Pennsbury, who played a dual league schedule in the Suburban and Lower Bucks. The Indians have been in the thick of things all year and are the only Class AA contender who played level with Pennsbury.
Ø Methacton (14-5-1) plays in the always tough Inter-County Scholastic Hockey League and has been one of the hottest teams in Class AA the 2nd half of the season. The Warriors are a sleeper in this Flyers Cup field and don’t be surprised if the go on a run.
Ø Conestoga (17-4-1) has been a front runner in the ICSHL all season long and looks to be a factor in the Flyers Cup in 2008. The Pioneers may have peaked in December and will look to find the touch in March.
Prediction: Pennsbury, Haverford and CR North appear to be one step ahead of the Flyers Cup field in 2008, but as we have learned over the past few years, that upsets loom in the early rounds and the survivors usually with a top seed move to the top. There are some pretty good teams from the Suburban and Inter-County in the field and I would not be shocked to see a Council Rock South or Pennridge or North Penn sneak through to the final four. I like Pennsbury’s pedigree and the field will have to stop them from a trip to Johnstown.
| Flyers Cup AA Quarter-Finals | |||||||||
| A-Q1 | 14-Mar | Fri | Ice Line | 3 | West Chester Henderson Warriors | 5 | West Chester East Vikings | 1 vs 8 | |
| A-Q2 | 14-Mar | Fri | Ice Line | 4 | Perkiomen Valley Vikings | 3 | Marple-Newtown Tigers | 2 vs 7 | |
| A-Q3 | 14-Mar | Fri | Aston | 5 | Hershey Trojans | 6 | Bayard Rustin Golden Knights | 3 vs 6 | |
| A-Q4 | 14-Mar | Fri | Ice Line | 2 | Shawnee [NJ] | 1 | Strathhaven Panthers | 4 vs 5 | |
| Flyers Cup A Semi-Finals | |||||||||
| A-S1 | 18-Mar | Tues | 8:45 PM | Ice Line | 5 | West Chester East Vikings | 4 | Shawnee [NJ] | |
| A-S2 | 18-Mar | Tues | 7:00 PM | Ice Line | 1 | Perkiomen Valley Vikings | 4 | Bayard Rustin Golden Knights | |
| Flyers Cup A Championship | |||||||||
| A-CH | 22-Mar | Sat | Spectrum | 4 | West Chester East Vikings | 1 | Bayard Rustin Golden Knights | ||
| 2008 - Flyers Cup A Champions - West Chester East Vikings | |||||||||
2008 Flyers Cup Website for Scores and Recaps
http://www.icshl.org/fcup/servlet/gameServlet?method=displvlidx&jspURL=/levelindex.jsp&level=3
2008 Flyers Cup Preview Class AØ West Chester Henderson (17-3-1) has had a great season with the tag of Pennsylvania State Champions on their back competing against stiff Class AA and A competition in the Inter-County. Billy Latta and Alex Cottle are as strong of a one-two punch of any team at any level and will lead the Warriors into battle to defend their title.
Ø Perkiomen Valley (17-3-1) is the hottest team in Class A in the season’s 2nd half and on some big games over Methacton and Henderson to close the season. Head coach Dom Dellose’s club is skilled with the emergence of T.J. Fiorello, Logan Nicholson and Mike Christie as three of the top scorers in the ICSHL. The Vikings will be a handful in the playoffs for the Class A field.
Ø Hershey (15-1-0) plays in the CPIHL and sports an impressive record against that competition and against some tough AA foes lost both games to teams from the Suburban. The Trojans have a tough history in the Flyers Cup to overcome and must prove it can win a couple of games. Their draw is pretty tough and they will do something special to make the final 4 over Rustin and Marple Newtown.
Ø Strathhaven (16-2-4) and Bayard Rustin (13-5-3) are two teams who have faced a very tough regular season schedule and could be battle tested enough to really do some damage in the Flyers Cup Class A playoffs.
Prediction: Everyone in Eastern Pa is predicting a West Chester Henderson repeat, which I may be able to buy, but I think Perkiomen Valley’s 5-2 win over the Warriors has piqued my interest that Henderson is not going to walk away with it. Darkhorses have really figured into the Flyers Cup A championship over the past few years, do watch out for Lower Dauphin or West Chester East or possibly Unionville to spring an upset or two.
| Flyers Cup AA Quarter-Finals | |||||||||||
| AA-Q1 | 17-Mar | Mon | Grundy | 3 | Washington Twp Minutemen | 7 | Central Bucks South Titans | 1 vs 8 | |||
| AA-Q2 | 17-Mar | Mon | Haverford Skatium | 3 | Haverford High Fords | 8 | North Penn Knights | 2 vs 7 | |||
| AA-Q3 | 17-Mar | Mon | Face Off Circle | 1 | Council Rock North Indians | 3 | Pennridge Rams | 3 vs 6 | |||
| AA-Q4 | 17-Mar | Mon | Ice Line | 4 | Methacton Warriors | 5 | Conestoga Pioneers | 4 vs 5 | |||
| Flyers Cup AA Semi-Finals | |||||||||||
| AA-S1 | 19-Mar | Wed | 7:00 PM | IceLine | 0 | Central Bucks South Titans | 1 | Conestoga Pioneers | 1 vs 4 | ||
| AA-S2 | 19-Mar | Wed | 7:20 PM | Hatfield | 1 | North Penn Knights | 5 | Pennridge Rams | 2 vs 3 | ||
| Flyers Cup AAA Championship | |||||||||||
| AA-CH | 22-Mar | Sat | Spectrum | 3 | Conestoga Pioneers | 2 | Pennridge Rams | 3 OT | |||
| 2008 - Flyers Cup AA Champions - Conestoga Pioneers | |||||||||||
2008 Flyers Cup Class AA Schedules and Game Results
http://www.icshl.org/fcup/servlet/gameServlet?method=displvlidx&jspURL=/levelindex.jsp&level=2
Ø Pennsbury (18-3-1) led the Lower Bucks League all year and despite some injuries to their top two stars Ryan Gannon and Ian Barnes, the Falcons are getting healthy in time for the Flyers Cup, despite falling in the LBCSHL playoffs. Pennsbury is the team many are talking about in Class AA and I trust my sources.
Ø Haverford (15-4-0) is the three-time defending Flyers Cup AA champions and has rattled off 9 of 10 in the 2nd half of the season. The Fords will face a little stiffer competition in the Flyers Cup and will be challenged to become a 4 time champion.
Ø Council Rock North (15-3-1) has played some great competition in a division with Pennsbury, who played a dual league schedule in the Suburban and Lower Bucks. The Indians have been in the thick of things all year and are the only Class AA contender who played level with Pennsbury.
Ø Methacton (14-5-1) plays in the always tough Inter-County Scholastic Hockey League and has been one of the hottest teams in Class AA the 2nd half of the season. The Warriors are a sleeper in this Flyers Cup field and don’t be surprised if the go on a run.
Ø Conestoga (17-4-1) has been a front runner in the ICSHL all season long and looks to be a factor in the Flyers Cup in 2008. The Pioneers may have peaked in December and will look to find the touch in March.
Prediction: Pennsbury, Haverford and CR North appear to be one step ahead of the Flyers Cup field in 2008, but as we have learned over the past few years, that upsets loom in the early rounds and the survivors usually with a top seed move to the top. There are some pretty good teams from the Suburban and Inter-County in the field and I would not be shocked to see a Council Rock South or Pennridge or North Penn sneak through to the final four. I like Pennsbury’s pedigree and the field will have to stop them from a trip to Johnstown.
| Flyers Cup AA Quarter-Finals | |||||||||
| A-Q1 | 14-Mar | Fri | Ice Line | 3 | West Chester Henderson Warriors | 5 | West Chester East Vikings | 1 vs 8 | |
| A-Q2 | 14-Mar | Fri | Ice Line | 4 | Perkiomen Valley Vikings | 3 | Marple-Newtown Tigers | 2 vs 7 | |
| A-Q3 | 14-Mar | Fri | Aston | 5 | Hershey Trojans | 6 | Bayard Rustin Golden Knights | 3 vs 6 | |
| A-Q4 | 14-Mar | Fri | Ice Line | 2 | Shawnee [NJ] | 1 | Strathhaven Panthers | 4 vs 5 | |
| Flyers Cup A Semi-Finals | |||||||||
| A-S1 | 18-Mar | Tues | 8:45 PM | Ice Line | 5 | West Chester East Vikings | 4 | Shawnee [NJ] | |
| A-S2 | 18-Mar | Tues | 7:00 PM | Ice Line | 1 | Perkiomen Valley Vikings | 4 | Bayard Rustin Golden Knights | |
| Flyers Cup A Championship | |||||||||
| A-CH | 22-Mar | Sat | Spectrum | 4 | West Chester East Vikings | 1 | Bayard Rustin Golden Knights | ||
| 2008 - Flyers Cup A Champions - West Chester East Vikings | |||||||||
2008 Flyers Cup Website for Scores and Recaps
http://www.icshl.org/fcup/servlet/gameServlet?method=displvlidx&jspURL=/levelindex.jsp&level=3
2008 Flyers Cup Preview Class AØ West Chester Henderson (17-3-1) has had a great season with the tag of Pennsylvania State Champions on their back competing against stiff Class AA and A competition in the Inter-County. Billy Latta and Alex Cottle are as strong of a one-two punch of any team at any level and will lead the Warriors into battle to defend their title.
Ø Perkiomen Valley (17-3-1) is the hottest team in Class A in the season’s 2nd half and on some big games over Methacton and Henderson to close the season. Head coach Dom Dellose’s club is skilled with the emergence of T.J. Fiorello, Logan Nicholson and Mike Christie as three of the top scorers in the ICSHL. The Vikings will be a handful in the playoffs for the Class A field.
Ø Hershey (15-1-0) plays in the CPIHL and sports an impressive record against that competition and against some tough AA foes lost both games to teams from the Suburban. The Trojans have a tough history in the Flyers Cup to overcome and must prove it can win a couple of games. Their draw is pretty tough and they will do something special to make the final 4 over Rustin and Marple Newtown.
Ø Strathhaven (16-2-4) and Bayard Rustin (13-5-3) are two teams who have faced a very tough regular season schedule and could be battle tested enough to really do some damage in the Flyers Cup Class A playoffs.
Prediction: Everyone in Eastern Pa is predicting a West Chester Henderson repeat, which I may be able to buy, but I think Perkiomen Valley’s 5-2 win over the Warriors has piqued my interest that Henderson is not going to walk away with it. Darkhorses have really figured into the Flyers Cup A championship over the past few years, do watch out for Lower Dauphin or West Chester East or possibly Unionville to spring an upset or two.
