OMAHA, Neb. – The Bethel Park Blackhawks of Pittsburgh defeated the Providence Catholic Celtics of Chicago 2-1 on Sunday morning at Ralston Arena to claim the title at the 2014 Toyota-USA Hockey High School National Championships.
The game began a neck-and-neck contest. The Celtics were able to keep the puck in their offensive zone for much of the period, but the active Bethel Park defenseman made it tough for shots to reach the net.
At the 4:20 mark in the period, Providence was whistled for interference, but the Celtics were the ones who made the most of the call, nearly converting a breakaway opportunity on the penalty. At the end of the first, however, both sides remained scoreless and even with eight shots on goal apiece.
In the second, Providence stole the momentum as the Celtics controlled the puck down low, leading to Richard Yusa’s backdoor goal to make it 1-0.
“When we were down one goal, and when they scored first, I thought it was going to be tough,” said Bethel Park coach James McVay.
Later in the period, another penalty was called on Providence, this time for stick holding. This time the Blackhawks were able to capitalize: They controlled puck and took it coast to coast to punch in the equalizing goal.
“That was the best 2-on-1 we’ve had all season,” McVay said.
Minutes later, Bethel Park had another near goal, officially shifting the momentum to the Blackhawks. The momentum shift showed up on the scoreboard with 1:35 left in the period.
Bethel Park’s Chris Siak hustled to reach a puck that was drifting back near the Celtics goal. Siak won it away from the Celtic defenseman and slung it to Jacob Salak, who was sitting in front of the net. Salak punched in the shot for a goal.
Bethel Park held on to the 2-1 advantage at the intermission, leading shots on goal 18-16.
The Celtics came out in the third period with a heightened sense of urgency and intensity. Providence had many good looks, but the Blackhawks defensemen and goalie found a way to keep the chances out of the net.
“Our goal is to block every shot,” McVay said. “It says we outshot them, but that’s only because they didn’t get to the net. But we played well.”
Providence pulled its goalie with a little more than a minute to play, but the team’s effort came up short as the Blackhawks of Bethel Park became the new kings of high school hockey.
“It was a great experience being here,” Bethel Park senior captain Derek Lesnak said. “It was our last hockey together as a team, and we made the most of it and won a national championship.”
Bethel Park was not a favorite to win, as the Blackhawks were knocked off in their regional playoffs. But the squad put together a great weekend run that led to a national title.
“It was great coming here and showing what Pittsburg hockey plays like,” Lesnak said. “We shocked some teams coming through, playing good defense and playing as a team. That’s how our hockey is.”
The championship marks the end of the career for Lesnak, who has played more games for Bethel Park than anyone else. He believes he couldn’t have drawn out a better game to end his career and symbolize Bethel Park hockey on a national stage.
“It’s a lot of hard work, but you come in a boy and come out a man,” Lesnak said. “Couldn’t ask for anything better playing for Bethel Park hockey.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- After skating off the ice in Buffalo with last year’s USA Hockey National Championships bronze, the Anaheim Lady Ducks 12 & Under girls' ice hockey team had only one thing on their minds -- skate off the ice at Logitech Ice Center in San Jose with gold medals at USA Hockey's 2007 National Championship.
Mission accomplished.
Dylanne Crugnale’s power play goal at 3:24 of the third period snapped a 1-1 tie and powered the Lady Ducks to a 3-1 victory against Assabet Valley in Sunday’s Girls’ 12 & Under title game.
“This was our goal ever since last year,” said Anaheim coach Kathy McGarrigle. “We took the bronze last year and we wanted the gold this year.”
With nearly 70 percent of last year’s bronze medal team returning, the Lady Ducks won all six of their games this week on the way to the title. After sweeping away their three round robin opponents by a combined score of 14-2, the Pacific District champions dispatched Michigan District champion Detroit, 4-1, in the quarterfinals and blanked Central District champion Team Illinois, 2-0, in the semifinals on Saturday to advance to Sunday’s title game.
Assabet Valley, which fielded three teams in Sunday’s four championship games, won two of its three round robin games and tied the third to advance to Saturday’s quarterfinal against Pittsburgh. After dropping the Aviators, 4-1, Assabet Valley defeated Connecticut, 5-2, in the semifinals.
Sunday’s title contest started out as a tight, defensive struggle with neither team able to generate much offense.
The first good scoring chance of the game did not materialize until the 9:20 mark of the opening period, when Assabet Valley goalie Brianna Laing turned away Nicole Troung at point blank range.
Assabet Valley fired two shots on goal late in the first period, but Anaheim netminder Noelle White denied both shots.
Both goaltenders turned away the first three shots they faced in the second period and the first penalty of the game -- a cross-check on Assabet Valley’s Taylor Cross at 6:18 of the second period -- failed to produce a goal for Anaheim.
After two scoreless periods, it appeared the game could be headed for a scoreless overtime, but Anaheim’s offense finally solved Laing. Anne Pankowski sidestepped an Assabet Valley defender at the blue line and skated in alone on Laing, slipping a shot past the Assabet Valley goalie for the first score of the game at 1:39 of the third.
“We have some very talented players on this team,” McGarrigle said. “They don’t stop digging. They started taking it to the net and started shooting.”
Assabet Valley responded almost immediately, as, just 13 seconds later, Jamie Haddad crashed the Anaheim net, disrupting White and the Lady Ducks’ defense enough to allow Janelle Ferrara to pound the loose puck into the net for the tying goal.
“Once one goal went in, that seemed to open everything up,” McGarrigle said. “Of course, then Assabet came right back and tied it up, but we’ve talked with them about responding -- when you go a goal down or a team comes back and scores right after you score -- and what we were we going to do.”
Just 90 seconds later, Crugnale provided Anaheim’s response, firing a power play laser past Laing, in front of whom Anaheim had cluttered the net with plenty of traffic. The goal proved to be the eventual game-winner.
To seal USA Hockey's National Championship, Lauren Kilroy scored an insurance goal with just 2:30 remaining.
Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.
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