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

Alright.......well you've been asking for it and now its here. Pa Hockey's # 1 time tested feature is back and better than ever. If the Penguins Cup started today is our weekly account in stone of if the Penguins Cup Playoffs started today. We will start with Week 10 and take you all the way into the Penguins Cup playoffs as teams battle for Home Ice Advantage and Playoff Postioning ! Final Penguin Cup Seedings for Class AAA, AA and A Congratulations to the following schools who have clinched playoff spots for the 2007 Penguins Cup Class AAA ~ Bethel Park, Central Catholic, Mt Lebanon, McDowell, North Allegheny, Meadville, Upper St Clair, Seneca Valley, Fox Chapel, Plum, North Hills and Penn Trafford Class AA ~ Pine Richland, Latrobe, Thomas Jefferson, Moon, Franklin Regional, Hampton, Greensburg Salem, Montour, West Allegheny, Elizabeth Forward, Greensburg CC, Indiana Class A ~ Quaker Valley, Freeport, Bishop McCort, Mars, Serra Catholic, Beaver, Westmont Hilltop, Conemaugh Valley

Thomas Jefferson 7 Moon 5 CORAOPOLIS – Moon is 8-3-1, ranked # 4 and sits atop the West Division of Class AA and arguably off to the best start in their 25 years, but maybe the most impressive stat for the Tigers is only 28 goals against in 12 games. The Tigers are blessed with a solid lineup and a hard working club. If you want to point to why Moon is doing so well, you may want to go back to this time a year ago when Craig Bioni took over the Tigers and their improvement increased significantly through hard work and discipline. Thomas Jefferson is off to a 6-4-2 start under the Dean of AA Don Powell, whose club is also in first place in the South Division. The Jaguars, by their standards, are not having a terrific season, but given the parity in Class AA, TJ is in the thick of the playoff picture, amongst a pack of teams from Moon with three losses to teams fighting to stay above the .500 mark such as West Allegheny, Kittanning, and Greensburg CC, who over the past few seasons, like the Jaguars, were fighting for top positions in the seeding. The whole makeup of Class AA is very intriguing and will make for a very interesting final month and a half of the season. The matchup with Moon & TJ could have home ice implications come March. The Tigers struck first as Peter Lyle buried a rebound at 12:55 on the power play to give Moon a 1-0 lead. Thomas Jefferson came back to tie the game at 7:38, as Joe Sabol scored on the power play to the glove side of Matt Wynn. The Tigers regained the lead at 2:56 of the 1st as Pete Lyle’s centering pass to the front of the net deflected off Spencer Neel and behind him to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Coach Powell called his team over to bench to give them some words of wisdom and Neel stopped Lyle moments later on a partial break with 48 seconds to go in the opening period. The Jaguars tied the game in the opening minute of the second period on a pretty re-group and passing play as Dan Nath buried a snap shot low to the stick side of Matt Wynn to deadlock the score at two apiece. The game was close checking through the 2nd period as the Jaguars and Tigers settled into a close checking affair. On a delayed penalty with 2:02 to go in the period Joe Sabol found Brock Heinauer high in the slot, who one-timed a bullet past Wynn to give TJ their first lead 3-2. The referees still gave the Jaguars the power play and with 1:10 to go Dan Nath trickled a wrist shot past Wynn and all of the sudden Thomas Jefferson had a 4-2 lead. TJ added to the lead early in the third period as Brock Heinauer unloaded a slapshot from the top of the right face-off circle at 12:32 that beat Wynn to the stick side to make it 5-2 and Danny Joseph added another goal on a rebound with 12:02 remaining to make it a 6-2 count in favor of Thomas Jefferson. Brock Heinauer made it 7-2 with 10:16 to go and gave the Jaguars a commanding lead. Brandon Pompeo scored for Moon with 9:51 remaining to bring the Tigers to within 7-3. With 8:29 remaining, Matt Reese scored on a blistering slapshot from the right point on the power play and all of the sudden it was now 7-4. The Tigers went back on the power play with 8:18 to go and a chance to cut into the TJ advantage even more, but the Jaguars held strong. Spencer Neel robbed Joe DeNardo with 5:34 to go with two sprawling saves on the doorstep. Matt Reese would be denied with 2:53 to go as he pounced on a rebound for another power play goal and the Jaguar lead was now 7-5. Moments Later, Brandon Pompeo had an opportunity on a partial breakaway, but Neel made a very good save to keep his team in front by two. TJ got defensive and was holding down the fort over the final three minutes b moving the puck into the Moon end and forcing faceoffs. A big win for the Jaguars and for Moon a loss to start a very important stretch against some stiff Class AA team upcoming on their schedule.

Thomas Jefferson 7 Moon 5 CORAOPOLIS – Moon is 8-3-1, ranked # 4 and sits atop the West Division of Class AA and arguably off to the best start in their 25 years, but maybe the most impressive stat for the Tigers is only 28 goals against in 12 games. The Tigers are blessed with a solid lineup and a hard working club. If you want to point to why Moon is doing so well, you may want to go back to this time a year ago when Craig Bioni took over the Tigers and their improvement increased significantly through hard work and discipline. Thomas Jefferson is off to a 6-4-2 start under the Dean of AA Don Powell, whose club is also in first place in the South Division. The Jaguars, by their standards, are not having a terrific season, but given the parity in Class AA, TJ is in the thick of the playoff picture, amongst a pack of teams from Moon with three losses to teams fighting to stay above the .500 mark such as West Allegheny, Kittanning, and Greensburg CC, who over the past few seasons, like the Jaguars, were fighting for top positions in the seeding. The whole makeup of Class AA is very intriguing and will make for a very interesting final month and a half of the season. The matchup with Moon & TJ could have home ice implications come March. The Tigers struck first as Peter Lyle buried a rebound at 12:55 on the power play to give Moon a 1-0 lead. Thomas Jefferson came back to tie the game at 7:38, as Joe Sabol scored on the power play to the glove side of Matt Wynn. The Tigers regained the lead at 2:56 of the 1st as Pete Lyle’s centering pass to the front of the net deflected off Spencer Neel and behind him to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Coach Powell called his team over to bench to give them some words of wisdom and Neel stopped Lyle moments later on a partial break with 48 seconds to go in the opening period. The Jaguars tied the game in the opening minute of the second period on a pretty re-group and passing play as Dan Nath buried a snap shot low to the stick side of Matt Wynn to deadlock the score at two apiece. The game was close checking through the 2nd period as the Jaguars and Tigers settled into a close checking affair. On a delayed penalty with 2:02 to go in the period Joe Sabol found Brock Heinauer high in the slot, who one-timed a bullet past Wynn to give TJ their first lead 3-2. The referees still gave the Jaguars the power play and with 1:10 to go Dan Nath trickled a wrist shot past Wynn and all of the sudden Thomas Jefferson had a 4-2 lead. TJ added to the lead early in the third period as Brock Heinauer unloaded a slapshot from the top of the right face-off circle at 12:32 that beat Wynn to the stick side to make it 5-2 and Danny Joseph added another goal on a rebound with 12:02 remaining to make it a 6-2 count in favor of Thomas Jefferson. Brock Heinauer made it 7-2 with 10:16 to go and gave the Jaguars a commanding lead. Brandon Pompeo scored for Moon with 9:51 remaining to bring the Tigers to within 7-3. With 8:29 remaining, Matt Reese scored on a blistering slapshot from the right point on the power play and all of the sudden it was now 7-4. The Tigers went back on the power play with 8:18 to go and a chance to cut into the TJ advantage even more, but the Jaguars held strong. Spencer Neel robbed Joe DeNardo with 5:34 to go with two sprawling saves on the doorstep. Matt Reese would be denied with 2:53 to go as he pounced on a rebound for another power play goal and the Jaguar lead was now 7-5. Moments Later, Brandon Pompeo had an opportunity on a partial breakaway, but Neel made a very good save to keep his team in front by two. TJ got defensive and was holding down the fort over the final three minutes b moving the puck into the Moon end and forcing faceoffs. A big win for the Jaguars and for Moon a loss to start a very important stretch against some stiff Class AA team upcoming on their schedule.

Westmont Hilltop's Art McQuillan is nearing his 40oth overall victory and can capture it this Thursday Night against Center. Effectionately known as 'King Arthur' will now be know as 'King Arthur McArthur of the Mighty Hilltoppers' McQuillan, who took over the Hilltop program early in the 1987-88 season and has guided the Hilltoppers to 16 appearances in the Penguins Cup playoffs and 17 winning campaigns. On behalf of Pa Hockey, we would like to congrulate Art McQuillan on his years of service to the Westmont Hilltop Hockey Program and hockey in Western Pennsylvania ! Read the article of Mike Mastovich of the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat UPDATE 1/11/07 - Westmont Hilltop 8 Center 3 and coach Art McQuillan captures his 400th All-Time victory

Where are they now ? Onward and Upward 2006-2007 Once again...we at Pa Hockey have looked far and wide over the rosters of Major Junior A and NCAA Division 1 Colleges across the United States and in Canada and came up with the players from the State of Pennsylvania playing at that level. Keep in mind that this list does not include ACHA Division 1 or NCAA Division 3 [Does include Division 3 for Eastern Pa]. Now we know that when this list gets combed over that we may have omitted a player or two......so if you know of someone playing at that level, please let us know ! Here is the unoffical count: Players playing in Division 1 Hockey Total = 52 (Western Pa = 24 Eastern Pa = 28) Players playing in Junior A Hockey in USHL+NAHL+EJHL Total = 55 (Western Pa = 32 Eastern Pa = 23) That puts Pa Hockey over 100............Congratulations to all of the players and families for their continued dedication to making Pa Hockey # 1. And continued success for all of those players who strive to further their hockey careers and seek higher education ! Thank you to Matt Sacks of Breakaway Magazine for his contribution to this report