EAST FRANKLIN TWP.: Hockey coaches emphasize the importance of getting an early lead in a playoff game to drain emotion out of the other team. Kittanning forward Eddie Germy showed he's been paying attention.
Germy, the team's leading goal scorer during the regular season, scored twice in the first 3:10 to help Kittanning to a 4-0 win over Montour at Belmont Arena Thursday night.
"It definitely lifted our spirits," Germy said. "We wanted to come out strong and we carried the momentum throughout the game."
Staked to an early two-goal lead certainly helped Kittanning (17-3-1) goaltender Adam Toy, who stopped 19 shots to pick up the shutout.
"There were a couple that were pretty close," Toy said. But I pulled through and made a stick save so I'm happy with my effort."
Toy was challenged early in the first period when Montour sniper Phil Supan launched a wicked shot at the net in the first minute. Toy, though, was up to the task and got his pads down to make the save.
"I've had trouble with the first shot all year long," Toy said. "To get that out of the way was big for me." And for the Wildcats, who took a 1-0 lead seconds later when Germy cleaned up in front, slamming a rebound of Luke Heller's shot past Montour goaltender Jeffrey Milnarcik at 1:25 of the first period. Not content with just one goal, Germy snapped home another after Joel Shriver set him up in front by making a terrific pass from his stomach to put Kittanning in front by a pair at 3:10
"Joel was working hard behind the net and I was wide open in front," Germy said. "He got me the puck and I just buried it."
Kittanning had several chances to pad it lead throughout the first period, but Milnarcik was up to the task. With 8:57 to play in the first period he made a tremendous left pad save on Jesse Shriver, who came in alone on a breakaway from the Montour blue line, then left Germy wondering where his hat trick went when he snatched a one-timer from the junior sharpshooter with 4:26 on the first period clock by sliding across the crease to take away the far post. "He played spectacularly," Germy said. "We could have been up eight or nine to nothing but he kept them in the game." Montour, though, could never quite recover from the two quick ones Kittanning put on the board. "There's no question they knew coming in here that were going to come out flying," Kittanning assistant coach Al Stipp said. "When you're playing in someone else's building you're just trying to get through the first five minutes and let the game settle in."
After Germy's two goals the contest turned into a territorial battle of attrition. Neither squad could establish dominance even though Kittanning held a tremendous advantage in shots.
"If they could have us even for the first five minutes it's a whole different game," Stipp said. "Really, we could have been up three or four goals early." Kittanning's quick-strike offense put the game away with a pair of goals 10 seconds apart late in the second period. Shane Lentz took a shot from the left point that Zach Cain deflected home at 14:20 to put Kittanning ahead 3-0.
At 14:30, Dustin Kellner ripped a shot past Milnarcik to close out the scoring and push the Wildcats into the second round of the playoffs, where they will play Indiana for the third time this season. Kittanning holds a 1-0-1 edge over the Indians, but the two skated to a 2-2 tie in their last meeting Feb. 13. Greensburg Central Catholic set up the meeting by keeping the seedings intact with a 5-1 win over Trinity.
"Indiana's a good team and they're playing real well right now," Stipp said. "They're physically strong and we've had a couple of great games with them already this season, so it should be a heck of a game."
| Class AAA PIHL playoffs |
Mt. Lebanon 6, Fox Chapel 0
At Mt. Lebanon, the Foxes (14-10-1) fell behind early and dropped their first playoff game since the 1999-2000 season.
No other details were reported.
| PIAA Penguin Cup playoff schedule |
Class AAA
Monday
Meadville vs. Plum , 7 p.m. at Meadville Recreation Center
Tuesday
Bethel Park vs. North Allegheny, 7 p.m. at Bethel Park
Dates, times to be determined today
Central Catholic vs. Baldwin, at Harmar BladeRunners
Franklin Regional vs. Mt. Lebanon, at Center Ice
Class AA
Wednesday
Thomas Jefferson vs. Canon-McMillan, 7:15 p.m. at Rostraver Ice Garden
Peters Township vs. Hampton, 7:50 p.m. at Southpointe
Dates, times to be determined today
Kittanning vs. Indiana, at Belmont Ice Complex
Greensburg Central Catholic vs. South Park, at Kirk Nevin Arena
Class A
Monday
Serra Catholic vs. Freeport , 7:05 p.m. at Rostraver Ice Garden
Tuesday
Mars vs. Deer Lakes , 7 p.m. at Ice Connection, Valencia
Dates, times to be determined today
Westmont vs. Elizabeth Forward, at War Memorial
Bishop McCort vs. Quaker Valley, at War Memorial
| Knoch Spring Tournament |
Varsity Division
Thursday's game
Butler 7, Penn Hills 6
Monday
Butler vs. North Allegheny, 5:30 p.m. at Ice Connection
Carrick vs. Knoch , 9 p.m. at Ice Connection
March 11
Kittanning vs. Valley , 5;30 p.m. at Ice Connection
March 12
Kittanning vs. Knoch , 9:15 p.m. at Belmont Ice Complex
North Allegheny vs. Penn Hills, 8:15 p.m. at Ice Connection
March 13
Valley vs. Knoch , 9 p.m. at Ice Connection
March 14
Kiski Area vs. North Allegheny, 5:30 p.m. at Ice Connection
March 15
Valley vs. Carrick, 2:15 p.m. at Belmont Ice Complex
Penn Hills vs. Kiski Area, 5:30 p.m. at Belmont Ice Complex
March 16
Kiski Area vs. Butler, 9:30 a.m. at Belmont Ice Complex
Carrick vs. Kittanning , 11:15 a.m. at Belmont Ice Complex
Championship game, 4;45 p.m.
