NEVILLE TWP., Pa. — With a five-goal lead midway through the second period, the Burrell Bucs held off a furious late-game rally by the Ringgold Rams to win 6-4 and secure a date with the Moon Tigers in the PIHL Division 2 championship game.
The first two periods of play saw nine total penalties – five on the Rams and four on the Bucs. Unfortunately for Ringgold, it was Burrell who cashed in on the chances they got on the power play. They scored three power play goals in the first two periods. Add those to the two even-strength goals and the shorthanded goal by Jared Brennan and it equals a 6-1 lead as the teams entered the locker room for the second intermission.
In the third, there was more of the same, penalty-wise, with four called against the Rams and two against the Bucs. While Burrell’s penalty killing was still on point, even strength was a different story. Just over halfway into the period, Ringgold tallied two goals, one each by Anthony Vavasori and Zachary Kalinowski, to bring the Buc’s lead down to three. Another goal by Evan Eberlein just two minutes later brought the Rams to within two, but a five minute facemask major penalty and game misconduct by Eberlein with 17 seconds to go helped Burrell hold off the comeback rally and secure the 6-4 victory.
MAJOR FOCUS
