2000 Pennsbury wins Class A Flyers Cup

Pennsbury took a 13-11-3 record into the Flyers Cup Class A final last night against a Strath Haven team that had won 13 consecutive games. The Falcons held off a furious Strath Haven charge in the closing seconds to pull out a 3-2 victory at the Grundy Recreation Center in Bristol Borough. It is the school’s first Flyers Cup Class A championship since 1993. Pennsbury relied on the brilliant goaltending of junior John Zdunkiewicz in advancing to the Class A state title game, in which it will face Penguins Cup champion Serra Catholic on Saturday at the Pittsburgh Mellon Arena. The game had one frightening moment, with 1 minute, and 16 seconds remaining. Strath Haven’s Ryan Kitts was checked against the boards and fell to the ice, where he lay for about 20 minutes. He was able to move his arms and legs but complained of neck pain and was taken to Lower Bucks Hospital for observation. The hospital did not release any information on his status. During the game, Zdunkiewicz made 27 saves as Strath Haven (18-4) outshot Pennsbury, 29-14. He survived an early goal and regained his confidence. “We knew they were fast, and I had a concern Strath Haven would skate around our defense,” Zdunkiewicz said. “When they squeezed that first goal in, I just forgot it. I was playing for the seniors tonight.” Strath Haven’s Dave Gerlach pulled the Inter-County Scholastic Hockey League team to within 3-2 with 2:45 left, and

Zdunkiewicz withstood an extra-man attack in the final minute. Pennsbury, from the Lower Bucks County Scholastic Hockey League, took a 3-1 lead into the third period, although the Panthers had outshot the Falcons, 20-12, in the first two. Strath Haven’s speed seemed to a be factor early Panthers senior for- ward Bob Crisanti scored just 44 seconds into the game. The Falcons were outshot in the opening minutes of the game, 7-1. Pennsbury, however, made every shot count, scoring on its first two attempts. Jason Sweeney tied the score at 1-1 with 12:39 to play in the opening period, and Jeff Ebert netted a goal about two minutes later. Zdunkiewicz, a 5-foot-10 160-pounder, steered away 19 shots in the first two periods. There was one two-minute stretch in the second period when Strath Haven turned up the heat. He made a pad save on a close wrist shot by Gerlach, though, with about four minutes left in the second, then came up with the puck behind a crowd seconds later. Pennsbury’s Michael Amato gave the Falcons a 3-1 lead, with the lone goal in the second.
Pennsbury…………2-1-0–3
Strath Haven……..1-0-1–2
Goals: P: Jason Sweeney, Jeff Ebert, Michael Amato. SH Bob Crisanti, Dave Gerlach.
Saves: P: John Zdunkiewicz 27. SH: Dave McCormick 11.