PIHL Chiefs Cup and Nailers Cup Hockey Championship Recaps
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Wednesday, March 7, 2012 | 12:10 AM
Tuesday night, the PIHL held the Championship Game in both the Nailers Cup and Chiefs Cup playoffs. Quigley and Indiana skated away with the titles and will now face each other on Thursday for the Open Class Championships.
PIHL Open Class Nailers Cup Championship:
Quigley Spartans 8 – Harbor Creek Huskies 4
By Brandon Rebel
In what turned out to be an Open classification slugfest, the Quigley Spartans took home the Nailers Cup after a victory over section 2 rival Harbor Creek at the Island Sports Complex. The Spartans Nicholas Santiago (2G, 3A) started things off quickly, scoring just 29 seconds into the contest on a heavy wrist shot that eluded HC goalie Tyler Manna. Quigley continued to pour it on in the opening minutes, adding another goal by Santiago and one off of the stick of Junior forward Ben Riccio to make it 3-0. Down but not out, Harbor Creek responded in the last half of the first period with two goals of their own (both by Nick Jenkins) including a shorthanded breakaway goal to cut Quigley's lead to 1. Seventeen seconds after Jenkins scored, though, Quigley's powerplay had an answer in the form of a Troy Emig tally from in tight to the net. With the score 4-2 in the 2nd period, it did not take long for the scrappy Huskies to pull to within one again on a powerplay marker from Leo Blore (1G, 1A). Blore made a habit of crashing the net all night and tried to make things miserable for Quigley's netminder Preston Charlton, finally finding the back of the net only two minutes into the 2nd frame. That was the closest Harbor Creek would get for the rest of the night. Quigley charged back with 4 unanswered goals, two from Sophomore Walter Riggs and two from the Open Class's leading point producer, Doug Simon. With his 4-point effort, Simon now has 101 points (56G, 45A) on the year. With the score 8-3 and Quigley firmly in the driver's seat, HC's Logan Conboy scored on a wrister to make the score 8-4. Harbor Creek applied the pressure late in the 3rd, but it was too little, too late and the Quigley Spartans hoisted the Nailers Cup, pushing their overall record to 19-3-1. Quigley will face the Indiana Little Indians on Thursday, March 8th for the chance to win the Open Cup Championship.
MSA Three Stars of the Game:
1 – Nick Santiago (2G, 3A)
2 – Doug Simon (2G, 2A)
3 – Preston Charlton (Game winning goalie, 19-3-1 record)
Mt. Lebanon Ice Arena Play of the Game:
Quigley's Preston Charlton making one of the most spectacular saves of the year, as he dove from his right to left to make a save on Harborcreek's Josh Green halfway through the 3rd period. As Green took a cross-ice pass from Nick Jenkins, he fired a one-timer from a sharp angle near the goal line. Charlton sprawled out to make the save with his glove hand while simultaneously maneuvering his body in mid-air to keep his momentum from carrying him into the net in an unbelievable display of agility and athleticism.
PIHL Open Class Chiefs Cup Championship:
Indiana Little Indians 4 – Greensburg-Salem Golden Lions 2
By Josh Rowntree
The Little Indians are back in a big way. #3 Indiana used a smothering defense and a variety of scorers to overcome two one-goal deficits and defeat #4 Greensburg-Salem 4-2 on Tuesday at jam-packed Center Ice Arena in Delmont. The Little Indians, who haven't fielded a varsity team since the 2007-2008 season, rejoined the PIHL varsity level this season in the Open Class. In addition two contributing two assists, Logan Lazor scored the game winning goal for the Little Indians. Greensburg-Salem scored first though on a brilliant pass from Sean Beichner to Logan Davis, who danced around a defender and wristed the puck by Indiana goalie Austin Moody at the 3:55 mark of the first period. Indiana would not waste time responding, as TJ Petro would tuck home a pass from Lazor, tying the game at 1-1 at the 5:14 mark of the first period. However, Greensburg-Salem's Beichner, the second leading point-scorer in the Open Class this season would tuck home his only goal of the Championship game on assists from Dennis March and Davis, making the score 2-1 Greensburg-Salem at the first intermission. In addition to killing off two penalties in the second period, the Little Indians would score the only goal as Lazor would set up Patrick Kuta for the equalizer at 2:44, making the score 2-2 after two periods of play. Indiana would own the third, only allowing four Golden Lion shots. They would break the tie at 2:20 of the third period, as Lazor would steal the puck in the offensive zone off a bad turnover by the Golden Lions and half-slap the puck by Salem goaltender Andrew Boschert, making it 3-2. Patrick Hunter would poke home the empty-netter with 57 seconds remaining, solidifying Indiana's third win over Greensburg-Salem this season. The four different scorers for Indiana should not come as a surprise, as the Little Indians have showed fantastic depth all season, having no scorers above 30 points but ten scorers with ten or more points during the regular season. The Golden Lions have their season end at 17-6. Indiana, now 18-5, moves on to the Open Cup Championship, where they will meet Quigley (19-3-1) on Thursday night at 8:15 at the Island Sports Complex on Neville Island, which can be heard on the MSA Sports Network.
Score By Period
G-S: 2-0-0=2
Ind: 1-1-2=4
Scoring Summary
1st Period
Greensburg Salem – Logan Davis (Sean Beichner) , 3:55
Indiana – Thomas Petro (Logan Lazor) , 5:14
Greensburg Salem – Sean Beichner (Dennis March, Davis), 11:42
2nd Period
Indiana – Patrick Kuta (Logan Lazor) , 2:44
3rd Period
Indiana – Logan Lazor (unassisted) , 2:20
Indiana – Patrick Hunter (empty net) (unassisted) , 14:03
Shots
GS: 17
Ind: 26
Management Science Associates Three Stars:
1. Logan Lazor, Indiana (GWG, A)
2. Sean Beichner, Greensburg-Salem, (G, A)
3. Austin Moody, Indiana (15 Saves)
Tags: Greensburg Salem, Harbor Creek, Indiana
