Goal oriented

Local Sports

Discussion

March 17, 2010

By Dominick DiRienzo CNHI The Meadville Tribune Wed Mar 17, 2010, 07:00 AM EDT

MEADVILLE — The Pennsylvania Interschol-astic Hockey League playoff schedule says Meadville is facing a fourth seed in Peters Township. But the Indians (15-3-3) could just as well be the top seed, Meadville coach Jamie Plunkett said. The Bulldogs face the Indians at 6:50 p.m. today at Iceoplex at Southpointe in Canonsburg, just south of Pittsburgh. Peters Township, West Allegheny and Bishop Canevin were all tied for the second seed for the Class AA playoffs at the end of the year, but the Indians lost the league tie-breaker and slipped to the fourth seed. The league had an unbalanced schedule this year and Peters Township played PIHLplayoff top seed Greater Latrobe three times, going 1-1-1 against the Wildcats. “They are a really talented hockey team,” Plunkett said. “We know they put a lot of pressure on you.” Peters Township was third in the league with 123 goals, led by Matthew White’s 26 goals in 20 league games. White averaged 2.75 points per game and was the leading scorer in Class AA. The second-leading scorer is Matthew Lison, with 18 goals. Lison missed the game with Meadville on Nov. 25. The line with White, Kevin Hough and Andrew Rubeo might be the best line in the league, Plunkett said. Rebeo scored twice in the teams’ 4-4 tie at DeArment Ice Arena on Nov. 25. While the offense is productive, Plunkett said the team has talented, offensive-minded defensemen that keeps the puck moving. “They might not always get an assist,” Plunkett said. “I’m impressed with their defensemen. Often they start the rush with a pass deep in their own end. They do such a good job of finding the open man and moving the puck.” Meadville’s Taylor Nickerson will get the start in goal for the Bulldogs, Plunkett said. The senior is 11-5-3 in PIHL games this season. He has a 2.42 goals against and a .894 save percentage. Meadville was fourth in the league in goals allowed (49), while Peters was fifth (55). In front of Nickerson, Plunkett said the top two lines will be a combination of Drew Finton, Bill Espy, Dean Wisinski, Clayton Stockton, Brandon Bizzarro and Mike Nicolazzo. “Finton has played well. He has been our most consistent player all season long. Espy has tremondous skating ability. He can create so many chances. He just outskate so many kids,” Plunkett said. “Stockton has the ability to make plays. In the playoffs, your best players have to be just that. Dean Wisinski ... those kids have to get involved, if we are going to have success.” Espy (18), Finton (16) and Stockton (15) lead the Bulldogs’ offensive attack. Stockton leads the team with 13 assists and speedy forward Dean Wisinski is second with 12 helpers. “We need two lines that can match up with their lines,” Plunkett said. “And then hope we can get into a rotation where our third line matches their third line.” The third line will be freshman Cade Nickerson (center), Jarrod Kilburn (left wing) and Connor Lang (right wing). The defense pairings will be Chris Heaney and Rob Macielak and Chris Allegretti and Matt Orr, Plunkett said. He added sophomores Austin Scott and Kassel Weber could see some shifts as well. Both teams should be rested. Meadville has not played since March 3, when they beat Elizabeth-Forward 10-1. Peters Township’s last league game was March 1, a 13-3 win over Greensburg Central Catholic. “That would just be an excuse. Both teams have the same layoff,” Plunkett said. “If you can’t get ready to play at this time of year, you don’t belong in the playoffs. “This time allowed us to work on some things.” The up-and-down Bulldogs have won four of their last five. They had a season-best, six-game win streak earlier this season, but also had a five-game winless skid and a stretch where they won just three times in 10 games. Dominick DiRienzo can be reached at 724-6370, ext. 274 or by e-mail at ddirienzo@meadvilletribune.com.

Text Only

Local Sports

DISTRICT 10 BASEBALL: Big Reds shut down Lions
SLIPPERY ROCK — The Linesville baseball team, with its mix of experienced and lesser-experienced players, has been capable of two different kinds of games this season.
The first is the sharp, skillful kind of effort the Lions put together Monday in their 10-7 win over Cochranton in the District 10 Class A quarterfinals.

May 26, 2012
DISTRICT 10 BASEBALL: Mercyhurst outslugs Lake in D-10 semis
ERIE — After a District 10 Class A championship game appearance last year, the Conneaut Lake baseball team lost four seniors who were important to the team’s success.
Even though the talented quartet graduated and Lake featured just three seniors this year, the team came together and reached the district semifinals. The team’s end result, and the school’s last game as a baseball team due to Conneaut Lake, Conneaut Valley, and Linesville consolidating into Conneaut Area Senior High, was a 15-4 loss in six innings to Mercyhurst Prep on Friday at Ainsworth Field in Erie.

May 26, 2012
DISTRICT 10 BASEBALL: Panthers edge Tigers, reach D-10 title game
ERIE — The Saegertown baseball team made an art form of compiling mercy rule wins this season. Nearly all of the Panthers’ 20 regular season victories were by 10 runs or more, as double-digit hits and runs scored were the norm.
The playoffs have been a different beast for the defending District 10 Class AA champion Cats, but they continue to find ways to win.

May 26, 2012
BOYS VOLLEYBALL: Cardinals come back from losers’ bracket to win D-10 title
The very first word spoken by Cochranton boys volleyball coach Brad Custead in his post-match interview will sum up Friday night’s District 10 championship finale better than all the words that follow it.
“Incredible,” he said.

May 26, 2012
Bulldogs' trio ready for state track and field meet
Meadville’s best now look to be among Pennsylvania’s best as Paige Kassab, Chaykala Lindsey and Heather Sternby compete in the PIAA Class AAA Track and Field Championships, which run Friday and Saturday at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.

May 24, 2012
D-10 SOFTBALL: Tigers no-hit in loss to Braves
HARBORCREEK TOWNSHIP — The Maplewood softball team had no answer for Iroquois starting pitcher Megan Martin on Tuesday during the District 10 Class AA quarterfinals on the campus of Penn State Behrend in Erie.
Martin worked around two errors during a no-hitter that included zero walks. And the Braves’ offense was sure to back her up during Iroquois’ 10-0 victory in five innings.

May 23, 2012
D-10 BASEBALL: Prep rolls past ’Dogs in four innings
ERIE — Hitting, they say, is contagious. And the Cathedral Prep baseball team had a full-blown outbreak against Meadville on Tuesday at Ainsworth Field, notching 13 base hits in a 16-1, four-inning rout of the Bulldogs during opening round action of the District 10 Class AAA playoffs.

May 23, 2012
DISTRICT 10 BASEBALL: Lake storms past Eisenhower
ERIE — The Conneaut Lake baseball team started off its postseason with a bang. Numerous bangs, actually.
The Indians (12-7) slugged 19 base hits while bumping off Eisenhower 15-5 in six innings during opening round action in the District 10 Class A playoff tournament Monday at Ainsworth Field.

May 22, 2012
DISTRICT 10 BASEBALL: Lions top Cards
ERIE — If this story had to describe every clutch hit, gutsy pitch, run-saving defensive play, or momentum-shifting moment during Monday’s playoff classic between Region 3 foes Cochranton and Linesville; there wouldn’t be room for much else in today’s newspaper.
The bottom line is: You should have been there.

May 22, 2012
BOYS VOLLEYBALL: Bulldogs stop Trojans to cap perfect region slate
Meadville junior Matt Izbinski laced a hard spike down the line, and so ended the regular season for the Bulldogs boys volleyball team — with a 3-1 win over McDowell, and a 9-0 run through Region 1. It all summed up on Friday night at the House of Thrills.

May 19, 2012
More Local Sports Headlines

Local Sports

Search Results

Discussion

Goal oriented

If the presidential election were today, my vote would go to:

Site Map

Contact Us