March 30, 1981
Robbie Schnorr is the forgotten man on Archbishop Carroll’s hockey club. The goaltender often is, but on a high-scoring team like Carroll, which also has two all-star defense- men, Schnorr is absolutely buried. “It’s hard at times,” he said. “We do have a good defense, and we have a high-scoring offense. The goalie gets pushed aside sometimes. “But the team recognizes me, and the fans recognize me in school… we have the best fans in the world …and that’s all that counts. “Schnorr played an exceptional third period last night as Carroll held off Pittsburgh North Catholic, 4- 3, to win the inaugural Pennsylvania Cup at Penn’s Class of ’23 Rink.
Jeff Arnold, who scored two goals to go with the 17 he had in the Flyers Cup, was named the most valuable player. He received the Barry Ashbee Memorial Award for last night’s performance, to go with the Bobby Clarke Award he won in the Flyers Cup. But Schnorr stood tall for Carroll. The first two North Catholic goals were deflected off skates of Carroll defenders in the first period. After that, North got only a slap-shot goal from the right point by George Schuster. “It was close,” Schnorr said. “I don’t think it should have been so close. The score didn’t tell the story. I thought we outplayed ’em.” Schnorr sure is correct about one thing the score didn’t tell the story. As occasionally happens in scholastic hockey, a mini controversy flared.
In the final period, with North pushing hard for a tie (all four Car- roll goals had been scored in the first period), an argument arose about the clock. The North players contended that 2 minutes had clicked off, from 8 minutes, 58 seconds remaining to only 6:58 left. “It was no contention,” said North coach Bob Burke. “It clicked off 2 minutes. The referee admitted it, but he didn’t do anything about it.” Both officials (John Schetzline and Paul Saylor) denied any such admission. Both said they recalled the time proceeding properly. Both did do exceptional jobs under trying circumstances. North is one of the most physical teams ever to play in these parts, and Carroll didn’t make its reputation by being timid. Schetzline and Saylor let the players play, which you have to do in a state championship. But they meted out enough penalties to keep the lid on.
Anyway, the game was as entertaining as a high school game can be, with rugged checking and a lot of skating. Frank Burdo scored for Carroll in the first 2 minutes, stealing the puck from Schuster. But Lynn Sipe retaliated for North just 1 minute later, as the puck skipped in off a Carroll player’s skate. Phil Chamness scored a power-play goal midway through the period, with Arnold assisting. Arnold stole the puck from Sipe late in the period and scored on another breakaway for a 3-1 lead, and it looked as if Carroll would breeze. But North’s Chuck Chiatto scored from the corner on another deflection in the final minute, and it was 3-2. But the irrepressible Arnold only a sophomore created a break-away off the subsequent face-off and raised the lead back to 4-2 with just 49 seconds left in an unbelievable first period.
That, it turned out, was the game- winner, as Schnorr and his stalwart defensemen – Carmen DiGiandomenico and Pat Marra – kept North in check most of the rest of the way. Schuster’s goal was an accident – a puck floated free near the point, and he was in perfect position to wind up and slam it. That ended the scoring.
NOTES: North wound up 26-1 with its first loss of the season. Carroll is 27-1. DiGiandomenico has accepted a full scholarship to New Haven College. Schnorr wants to go to college for engineering and says he’ll give college hockey a try. A crowd of 1,018 enlivened the evening.
First period: 1, AC, Burdo (unassisted), 1:26. 2, NC, Sipe (unassisted ), 2:03. 3, AC, Chamness (Arnold), 7:42.4, AC, Arnold (unassisted), 13:26. 5, NC, Chiatto (unassisted), 14:06. 6, AC, Arnold (unassisted), 14:11.
Second period: 7, NC, Schuster (unassisted), 2:38.
Third period: no scoring.
Shots on goal- NC 3-2-3-8; AC 9-9-3-21.
Goalies- NC, Taylor; AC, Schnorr. Officials John Schefzline, Paul Saylor.
CREDIT: The Philadelphia Inquirer
