PIHL Penguins Cup Playoff Recap for Wednesday, March 14th

By: Bruce Markey
Thursday, March 15, 2012 | 12:21 AM

The first of twelve Penguins Cup Quarterfinals games over the next three days turned into a South Hills thriller as Peters Township cames back to edge Mount Lebanon and advance to the PIHL Class AAA Final Four. Here is a recap of this high school hockey Second Round dandy.

PIHL PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA QUARTERFINALS:

Peters Township Indians 4 – Mount Lebanon Blue Devils 3
The AAA Quarterfinals started out with a bang as a 3rd period comeback orchestrated by Patrick Hannan led the Peters Township Indians to a 4-3 victory over South Hills foe Mt. Lebanon. Peters started off quickly, just 44 seconds into regulation with a Cole Snyder tally. The Senior captain gave his team a 1-0 lead that would endure nearly the entire period until Lebo's Thomas Kang scored a powerplay goal on a nifty cross-ice pass from Christopher O'Brotka with only 1:04 remaining. Kang had a goal disallowed earlier in the period due to a high stick on the tip-in. Continuing where the 1st period left off, Peters again struck first, this time off of the stick of David Rex who jammed in a rebound attempt to make it 2-1 PT. The Blue Devils would answer again though as Thomas Horn scored shorthanded on a blistering slap shot from the high slot and, again with just over 1:00 to play in the 2nd, Trevor Nelson scored in tight on PT goalie Brian Baker to make it 3-2 Lebo. Peters was not done yet, and Sophomore Patrick Hannan was just warming up for the Indians as 10 minutes into the 3rd period he scored twice within 31 seconds to give Peters to lead and the eventual win. His first goal came on a Peters powerplay, as he camped out to the side of the net and lifted a puck he collected from a goal-mouth scramble into the net to tie the game. Not content, he and Trevor Recktenwald pushed right back down the ice on a 2 on 2, forced the puck to the middle of the ice and then Hannan let loose a low wrister that eluded Lebo's Clay Wyda to make it 4-3. A late penalty to Peters and a pulled goalie for Mt. Lebanon did not result in any significant offensive pressure for the Blue Devils as time expired and Peters sealed the win and a berth in the semis. Fifth seed Peters pushed their overall record to 16-5-3. Four seed Mt. Lebanon ends their season at 15-7-1. The Peters Township Indians will face an opponent to be determined (in the next two days of quarterfinal matchups on MSA Sports) on Wed., March 21 at the Island Sports Complex for the chance to advance to the Consol Energy Center for the Penguins Cup Championship.

MSA 3 Stars of the Game:

1 – Patrick Hannan  (2G, 1A) including game-tying and game-winning goals   

2 – Thomas Horn  (1G) shorthanded to tie the game 2-2

3 – Trevor Recktenwald  (3A)
 

Mt. Lebanon Ice Arena Play of the Game:

– Peters Township's Patrick Hannan (on what would be the game winning goal) found a loose puck in between the circles and let go a low, hard wrist shot that skirted the ice surface and sailed underneath the pads of Mt. Lebo goalie Clay Wyda. The play was started on a nice rush by Hannan and linemate Trevor Recktenwald who found Hannan in the slot to make it 4-3 Peters.