Quaker Valley Quakers - 2006 - 2012

KITTANNING - High School Hockey in Pa Hockeyland is becoming a fun thing for the players and their contingent of fans. Keystone Oaks took the old Paul Newman adage from the movie 'Slapshot' on the road with something like and I can hear KO coach John Harford ..... but we brought our fans, the 'KO Crazies' and they paid their hard earned money to get here...... A packed house at the Belmont of oh, lets say about a 1000 to watch Keystone Oaks take on the hometown Kittanning Wildcats. Keystone Oaks broke out on top, when Chris Harford found a loose puck in the Kittanning zone in the slot and wristed a shot down on the stick side past Adam Toy to give the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead at 12:14. Then the goaltending took over as KO's Adam Beck stopped Luke Heller twice from in close at 8:53. In the second period, Beck and Toy continued their stellar goaltending with a little help from the goaltenders best friend. Andy Coldren was in on Beck on the breakaway at 7:46 and hit the post. Then Toy stopped Ozanich on the breakaway with just 20 seconds remaining in the first. KO missed a golden opportunity to make it 2-0, Bobby DiPippa had an open net with 11 seconds left an hit the post. The score remained KO 1 Kittaning 0 after two and the shots were almost dead even with KO outshooting the Wildcats 16-15 thru two. While Kittanning coach and his staff were adjusting their game plan, KO coach John Harford was dealing with a distraction of captain Jim Fuhs, who left the game at the start of the third period to attend a team meeting for his travel organization in Cleveland at 11 PM on a school night. Promises of Division 1 scholarships, a spot on Team Pittsburgh and a nearly $ 15,000 investment holding gun to a 17 year old kids head to attend a meeting. Fuhs had to leave his teammates and friends, a great game, a great crowd and a chance at a Penguin Cup to go to a team meeting. Great choice ! Kids as pahns in a chess match between travel hockey and high school hockey. Well enough of that, I am sure you all get the point ! Adam Toy made a great save on DiPippa again just 30 seconds into the final period. Then the strategy as Kittanning began to carry the puck to open ice and it was Zach Cain, who bought time in the KO zone went behind the net and found Rob Lizik in front who slipped a shot down on the ice just inside the post at the 11:00 mark Kittanning tied the game sending the hometown corwd into a frenzy. Then, the Wildcats went on the power play at 10:14, and this time it was the captain Justin Avi rushing the puck the length of the ice and showing the saavy to let his teammates join the play and found David Pore, who then spotted Michael Mercurio coming down Broadway and Mecurio buried a shot between Becks legs at 9:24 and the Wildcats had the lead 2-1. Now Keystone Oaks faced a real uphill battle without their captain and leading scorer, but more so by a hungry young Kittanning squad who was seizing an opportunity to go on in the playoffs. The Wildcats kept the pressure on and while Adam Beck was giving his team a chance with several great saves, it couldn't get the puck out of its zone and Kittanning earned a great victory 2-1 and a date with Route 422 riavl Indiana next Tuesday!