Peters Twp Indians - 2014 AAA 2002-2003-2005 AA

For the past ten years Pa Hockey www.pahockey.net has been providing the Pa Hockey Statewide Elite 8 rankings and Standings and Post Gazette Top 5 Rankings for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. In addition, over 3000 visitors a week visit our site to see our Scores, Highlights and Game Summaries http://eteamz.active.com/pahockey/news/index.cfm?cat=140824 for Class A, AA, AAA and Open Division. The Pa Hockey Statewide Elite 8 Rankings are located by clicking on any of the icons and title. The Statewide Pennsylvania Elite 8 Rankings a cooperative effort between Breakaway Magazine that provides the Flyers Cup Eastern Elite 8 Rankings and Pa Hockey who provide the Penguins Cup Western Elite 8 Rankings and The USHO.com site will compile the scores including Regular Season and Tournaments across the USA ! UPDATED March 4,2007, the FINAL Week 17 Rankings of the Pennsylvania Cup Pa Hockey Elite 8 Rankings # 1 ranked schools in the State are as follows: Class AAA - LaSalle Explorers Class AA - Pine Richland Rams Class A - Quaker Valley Quakers Week 14 - Penguins Cup Pa Hockey Elite 8 Rankings Class AAA - Bethel Park Blackhawks Class AA - Pine Richland Rams Class A - Quaker Valley Quakers Week 14 - Flyers Cup Pa Hockey Elite 8 Rankings Class AAA - LaSalle Explorers Class AA - Haverford High Fords Class A - Kennett Blue Demons

 

North Allegheny 2 Seneca Valley 1

 

CRANBERRY –

 

      North Allegheny exorcised 35 years of demons for their program in 2007 by winning the Pennsylvania Class AAA title over Holy Ghost Prep. The State Championship was part of a process started by the teams the preceding two seasons that lost in the Penguins Cup final to eventual champions Bethel Park in 2005 and Mt Lebanon in 2006. Head Coach Jimmy Black, who won the State Title at Class AA with Pine Richland in 2006 repeated the feat at North Allegheny last season. The Tigers had not had a terrific start at 3-2-0 and they didn’t last year either, but sometimes it’s more how you finish the season than begin. NA will test it’s valor nationally in the 2^nd National Invitational Scholastic Showcase in Jamestown, New York against Illinois powerhouse New Trier Green, Indiana State Finalist Hamilton Southeastern and Texas Semi-Finalist Jesuit College Prep and do so having to travel back to Cranberry Friday Night for a PIHL game with State College, in a league that has trouble scheduling roughly 20 games in 18 weeks and would not permit the Tigers to re-schedule the game.

 

     Seneca Valley is currently 4-0-0 and ranked # 2 in the latest Post Gazette/ Pa Hockey Elite 8 rankings. The Raiders have defeated Bethel Park (St Margaret’s Fall Face Off) and McDowell of note last week. The Seneca program has risen from the ashes of no varsity program a couple of years back to strong numbers in development and a lot of depth for Head Coach Mike Schall. The Raiders are a squad who in my opinion has been building toward joining the club of Class AAA’s Elite programs such as Meadville, Mt Lebanon, Bethel, and now North Allegheny, who are now in pursuit of Pine Richland who appears to be a notch above the AAA competition. So this game on the schedule is a measuring stick and a rivalry game and possibly could be a playoff matchup later as these teams point toward the Penguins Cup playoffs in March.

  

        At 11:33 of the opening period, Seneca Valley would have the first opportunity on the power play and NA would kill it off. The teams were back and forth with limited  scoring opportunities until with 1:32 Matt Jarrett’s blistering wrist shot from top of circle found its way over the glove hand of Max Richards for a 1-0 Raider lead..

 

      Early in the second period at 14:33, NA had a 5 on 3 power play to tie the score and Seneca Valley killed it off and went right back on the power play at 12:33, but NA’s Dylan Rohar dazzled the Seneca defense forcing a penalty at 11:21. The Tigers went on an abbreviated power play and made it count at 10:18 as Donnie Lewis sped down the left side and beat Ryan Schutte on the short side to tie the game at one apiece. Seneca Valley went back on the power play at 7:55, but had trouble getting out of their zone due to some effective penalty killing by the Tigers. The Raiders would have the games next good chances as with 4:43 to go in the period Brandon Platt stopped by Max Richards on the breakaway and then Tyler Rose’s shot rang off the right post at 4:31, but the score remained 1-1. With 1:45 to play in the period, Ryan Schutte robbed Brett Schindler with a glove save to keep the game knotted.

 

         North Allegheny started the third period with roughly a minute on the power play but could not convert. With 8:49 to go Brett Schindler wound his way through the Raider defnse and lofted a wrist shot past Ryan Schutte to give NA a 2-1 lead. Seneca Valley tried to build pressure to tie the game in the closing minute and pulled the goaltender for the extra attacker and with :23 to go and the Raiders with the puck on the doorstep in Seneca Valley and the whistle blew and a penalty call on the Raiders ended Seneca Valley’s chance to tie game. North Allegheny salted the a pretty big with with a Bo Schwab empty netter with :15 to play and held on for a 3-1 victory over the Raiders.

 

 

 

 

Mars 5 Quaker Valley 2

 

CRANBERRY –

 

        Mars (6-0-0) is off to a quick start under first year Varsity coach Tim Coleman, who has been with the program for a few years. The Planets dispatched Serra Catholic 3-0 last week and are holding down a # 1 ranking in the Post Gazette / Pa Hockey Poll for week 5 and as we know that really doesn’t mean much at this point of the season, but for Mars who hasn’t been ranked # 1 a whole lot in the history of their program, I am sure the eyebrows are raised when anyone mentions it. The Class A schedule is filled with lot’s of yawners, but when you say Quaker Valley, it gets even more attention. 

 

        Quaker Valley (6-1-0) is off to another nice start and after being ranked # 1 for the entire 2006-07 campaign, they are testimony that rankings don’t mean a whole lot. After the Quakers were dispatched in last year’s Penguins Cup Class A final by Freeport after being everyone’s consensus choice to repeat as State Champions, I am sure Kevin Quinn will tell you that they still have a little sting. Back to work for a program, that year in and year out for the last nine years has been a part of the Class A chase, QV now is taking a little different role in 2007-08 and I am sure they are not telling anyone. You see sometimes just being a part of the process of contending is something that the Quakers are used to and Mars is just beginning to be a part of with last years Semi-Final appearance and don’t be surprise if these two teams meet again in March, when the playoff bell rings.

 

          After some nice crisp play in the opening period and no score at 4:44 of the opening period Colin South found an opening and took a nice centering feed from George Jackson and buried a shot shot past Greg Lewis to give QV a 1-0 lead. Mars went on the power play at 4:10, Zack Taylor made some solid stops and his defense contributed some very nice blocks in front of him as the Quakers held a 1-0 lead after one period.

 

          Mars rebounded early in the 2^nd and Mike Mazzota forced a turnover and Ian Finney made it count beating Zach Taylor over the glove side to tie the game at one apiece at 13:28.  Quaker Valley turned up the heat and had a very good chance to go ahead as Rob Balotsky’s shot from the slot fluttered and Greg Lewis made the save with 8:06 to go. Great hustle by John Chilcots drew a penalty and put the Quakers on the power play at 5:31. Mars played opportunist at 4:59 as Mike Heltman won the puck out of the corner and beat Taylor on the backhand for a shorthanded goal and a 2-1 Mars lead. Then after the Planets killed the penalty, they scored again at 3:14 as Tyler Whiteford scored on a wrist shot that handcuffed Zach Taylor to make it a 3-1 count.

 

         On to the third period and Quaker Valley got a break with 12:06 to go as Lee Drake’s long shot on the ice found it’s way through traffic and past the stoick side inside the post to cut the Mars advantage to 3-2. Lewis made a real nice stop on QV’s George Jackson from on the doorstep at 11:19. Mars answered as Ryan Magdenic’s shot from the left point down on the ice at 9:58 beat Zach Taylor through the 5-hole and crushed all of the momentum built by the Quakers in the first five minutes of the period to give the Planets a 4-2 lead. Colin South beat the Mars defense on the power play, but could not beat Greg Lewis on the backhand at 7:47. The Quakers would get a golden opportunity at 7:33 with a 5 on 3 for a minute and five seconds. Mars dug in and killed off the penalties led by some great work by Mike Heltman to limit the high-powered Quaker chances. Mars put another dagger in the Quaker chances as MattWingert re-directed a Brady Sipe  shot from the left  point with 3:58 to go to make it 5-2 in give Mars a firm grip on this hockey game. Mars went on to hold off QV over the final minutes of the contest and took a stranglehold on the # 1 spot in Class A by defeating its two main foes who will challenge the Planets for the 2008 Penguins Cup. 

 

North Allegheny 2 Seneca Valley 1

 

CRANBERRY –

 

      North Allegheny exorcised 35 years of demons for their program in 2007 by winning the Pennsylvania Class AAA title over Holy Ghost Prep. The State Championship was part of a process started by the teams the preceding two seasons that lost in the Penguins Cup final to eventual champions Bethel Park in 2005 and Mt Lebanon in 2006. Head Coach Jimmy Black, who won the State Title at Class AA with Pine Richland in 2006 repeated the feat at North Allegheny last season. The Tigers had not had a terrific start at 3-2-0 and they didn’t last year either, but sometimes it’s more how you finish the season than begin. NA will test it’s valor nationally in the 2^nd National Invitational Scholastic Showcase in Jamestown, New York against Illinois powerhouse New Trier Green, Indiana State Finalist Hamilton Southeastern and Texas Semi-Finalist Jesuit College Prep and do so having to travel back to Cranberry Friday Night for a PIHL game with State College, in a league that has trouble scheduling roughly 20 games in 18 weeks and would not permit the Tigers to re-schedule the game.

 

     Seneca Valley is currently 4-0-0 and ranked # 2 in the latest Post Gazette/ Pa Hockey Elite 8 rankings. The Raiders have defeated Bethel Park (St Margaret’s Fall Face Off) and McDowell of note last week. The Seneca program has risen from the ashes of no varsity program a couple of years back to strong numbers in development and a lot of depth for Head Coach Mike Schall. The Raiders are a squad who in my opinion has been building toward joining the club of Class AAA’s Elite programs such as Meadville, Mt Lebanon, Bethel, and now North Allegheny, who are now in pursuit of Pine Richland who appears to be a notch above the AAA competition. So this game on the schedule is a measuring stick and a rivalry game and possibly could be a playoff matchup later as these teams point toward the Penguins Cup playoffs in March.

  

        At 11:33 of the opening period, Seneca Valley would have the first opportunity on the power play and NA would kill it off. The teams were back and forth with limited  scoring opportunities until with 1:32 Matt Jarrett’s blistering wrist shot from top of circle found its way over the glove hand of Max Richards for a 1-0 Raider lead..

 

      Early in the second period at 14:33, NA had a 5 on 3 power play to tie the score and Seneca Valley killed it off and went right back on the power play at 12:33, but NA’s Dylan Rohar dazzled the Seneca defense forcing a penalty at 11:21. The Tigers went on an abbreviated power play and made it count at 10:18 as Donnie Lewis sped down the left side and beat Ryan Schutte on the short side to tie the game at one apiece. Seneca Valley went back on the power play at 7:55, but had trouble getting out of their zone due to some effective penalty killing by the Tigers. The Raiders would have the games next good chances as with 4:43 to go in the period Brandon Platt stopped by Max Richards on the breakaway and then Tyler Rose’s shot rang off the right post at 4:31, but the score remained 1-1. With 1:45 to play in the period, Ryan Schutte robbed Brett Schindler with a glove save to keep the game knotted.

 

         North Allegheny started the third period with roughly a minute on the power play but could not convert. With 8:49 to go Brett Schindler wound his way through the Raider defnse and lofted a wrist shot past Ryan Schutte to give NA a 2-1 lead. Seneca Valley tried to build pressure to tie the game in the closing minute and pulled the goaltender for the extra attacker and with :23 to go and the Raiders with the puck on the doorstep in Seneca Valley and the whistle blew and a penalty call on the Raiders ended Seneca Valley’s chance to tie game. North Allegheny salted the a pretty big with with a Bo Schwab empty netter with :15 to play and held on for a 3-1 victory over the Raiders.

 

 

 

 

Mars 5 Quaker Valley 2

 

CRANBERRY –

 

        Mars (6-0-0) is off to a quick start under first year Varsity coach Tim Coleman, who has been with the program for a few years. The Planets dispatched Serra Catholic 3-0 last week and are holding down a # 1 ranking in the Post Gazette / Pa Hockey Poll for week 5 and as we know that really doesn’t mean much at this point of the season, but for Mars who hasn’t been ranked # 1 a whole lot in the history of their program, I am sure the eyebrows are raised when anyone mentions it. The Class A schedule is filled with lot’s of yawners, but when you say Quaker Valley, it gets even more attention. 

 

        Quaker Valley (6-1-0) is off to another nice start and after being ranked # 1 for the entire 2006-07 campaign, they are testimony that rankings don’t mean a whole lot. After the Quakers were dispatched in last year’s Penguins Cup Class A final by Freeport after being everyone’s consensus choice to repeat as State Champions, I am sure Kevin Quinn will tell you that they still have a little sting. Back to work for a program, that year in and year out for the last nine years has been a part of the Class A chase, QV now is taking a little different role in 2007-08 and I am sure they are not telling anyone. You see sometimes just being a part of the process of contending is something that the Quakers are used to and Mars is just beginning to be a part of with last years Semi-Final appearance and don’t be surprise if these two teams meet again in March, when the playoff bell rings.

 

          After some nice crisp play in the opening period and no score at 4:44 of the opening period Colin South found an opening and took a nice centering feed from George Jackson and buried a shot shot past Greg Lewis to give QV a 1-0 lead. Mars went on the power play at 4:10, Zack Taylor made some solid stops and his defense contributed some very nice blocks in front of him as the Quakers held a 1-0 lead after one period.

 

          Mars rebounded early in the 2^nd and Mike Mazzota forced a turnover and Ian Finney made it count beating Zach Taylor over the glove side to tie the game at one apiece at 13:28.  Quaker Valley turned up the heat and had a very good chance to go ahead as Rob Balotsky’s shot from the slot fluttered and Greg Lewis made the save with 8:06 to go. Great hustle by John Chilcots drew a penalty and put the Quakers on the power play at 5:31. Mars played opportunist at 4:59 as Mike Heltman won the puck out of the corner and beat Taylor on the backhand for a shorthanded goal and a 2-1 Mars lead. Then after the Planets killed the penalty, they scored again at 3:14 as Tyler Whiteford scored on a wrist shot that handcuffed Zach Taylor to make it a 3-1 count.

 

         On to the third period and Quaker Valley got a break with 12:06 to go as Lee Drake’s long shot on the ice found it’s way through traffic and past the stoick side inside the post to cut the Mars advantage to 3-2. Lewis made a real nice stop on QV’s George Jackson from on the doorstep at 11:19. Mars answered as Ryan Magdenic’s shot from the left point down on the ice at 9:58 beat Zach Taylor through the 5-hole and crushed all of the momentum built by the Quakers in the first five minutes of the period to give the Planets a 4-2 lead. Colin South beat the Mars defense on the power play, but could not beat Greg Lewis on the backhand at 7:47. The Quakers would get a golden opportunity at 7:33 with a 5 on 3 for a minute and five seconds. Mars dug in and killed off the penalties led by some great work by Mike Heltman to limit the high-powered Quaker chances. Mars put another dagger in the Quaker chances as MattWingert re-directed a Brady Sipe  shot from the left  point with 3:58 to go to make it 5-2 in give Mars a firm grip on this hockey game. Mars went on to hold off QV over the final minutes of the contest and took a stranglehold on the # 1 spot in Class A by defeating its two main foes who will challenge the Planets for the 2008 Penguins Cup.