April 7, 1985
NEW HOPE, Pa. The score board at Face-Off Circle Ice Rink indicated Pennsbury had beaten Canevin, 3-1, in Class AA and Conestoga had beaten Mt. Lebanon, 6-4, in Class AAA for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League championships yesterday. Canevin, however, did not lose, according to first-year Coach Larry Koch. “There were two winners today,” Koch said. “Pennsbury won the game and the state title, but Canevin won, too. We showed that we belonged to be here.” Koch wasn’t sure where his team belonged when the season began. Canevin had won Class AA state championships in 1983 and 1984, but its coach resigned and its leading scorers graduated. “I don’t think too many people other than the kids themselves gave us any chance of going anywhere,” Koch said. “But the kids continued to improve and all of a sudden they started to believe in themselves. “We ended up winning our league and then in the state playoffs, we won in the first round, semifinal and got all the way to the final.” Pennsbury (22-6-2) finally stopped Canevin by scoring three goals in the second period. Joe Enders and Dave Fisher scored on power plays at 1:29 and 6:55, respectively. Scott Junk added another goal at 11:35. “That was a new experience, being that we had never been that far behind this year,” Koch said. “But we came back and never gave up, outshooting them, 12-6, in the third period and scoring a goal.” Mike Hagarty, assisted by Dave Wallace, slipped Canevin’s only score past goaltender Bob Neuman at :50 of the third period. Neuman stopped 28 shots, one less than Canevin senior goalie Eric Antkiewicz. Canevin (22-3-1) won the South Hills Interscholastic Hockey League title with a 19-2-1 record. The Crusaders have appeared in the state final the past three years under Coach Roger Oldaker. With high-scoring forwards like Greg Timmons, Greg Oldaker and Pete Downs gone, Koch had to rely on everybody instead of a couple of somebodies. Everybody came through. “Each player, and believe me some are better than others, contributed in his own special way. This Season was predicated on a team concept and it definitely was a 16- member effort… Pennsbury just won a little more than we did today.”
Conestoga (24-1) won a lot more than Mt. Lebanon did. Scott Cowan scored three goals in the first period and then the game-winner, assisted by Joey Bray and Mike Stagnaro, at 9:25 of the third period. Bray and Cowan each scored to start the first period with a 2-0 lead, but Mt. Lebanon snapped back with consecutive goals by twins Phil and Mike Polomsky at 9:51 and 10:45, respectively. Cowan put two more shots past Mt. Lebanon goaltender Hank Horn in the first period and Chip Graham scored on a penalty shot at 1:02 of the second period, giving Conestoga a 5-2 edge. Again Mt. Lebanon rebelled. Phil Polomsky scored a power-play goal at 3:31 and Craig Maxwell followed at 13:34 to bring Mt. Lebanon within a goal of Conestoga, which iced the game with Cowan’s goal.
CREDIT: The Pittsburgh Press
Combined News Services
