JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — The Bishop McCort Crushers were the hottest team in PIHL Single A coming into the playoffs and were winners of nine straight games to finish the regular season. Sewickley Academy, who finished the season at 9-9, disregarded what the statistics said and defeated Bishop McCort by a score of 4-1 Tuesday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the Penguins Cup Playoff.
Panthers goaltender Cole Luther, who made numerous spectacular saves towards the end of the game, cited that the team enjoys being the so-called “underdog.”
“To knock off a team as good as these guys was great,” said Luther. “They were a really good team, but the fact that we were able to come all the way out here to Johnstown and pull out a win like that was enormous.”
The Panthers came out of the gate fast and applied pressure to the Crushers early. Sewickley Academy’s defense was able to stifle the opposition’s red-hot offense, which Luther said made his job much easier than it was supposed to be.
“I think from the start of the game, we were playing the best game we ever played,” said Luther. “I know for me in goal, I can kind of see everything out there, and I probably did the least work I had to do in a long time. The defense was incredible and the offense kept the puck in their zone the majority of the game.”
Luther allowed only one goal the entire game, a late power play goal at the hands of Crushers’ all-star defenseman Christopher Miller. Other than that minor blemish, Luther was solid in net and was a driving force for the team. To Luther, this was just another game of the Panthers being underestimated.
“Almost every game we go into we’re underdogs and I think we actually play better when we’re the severe underdog,” Luther. “There’s very little pressure, so we kind of go out there with an all-in attitude and it showed that today.”
Skill is an important asset to have in hockey and even sports in general. Players can have skill, but without heart, determination, and motivation, an athlete can never be successful. The Panthers have all of these traits and it was reflected on the scoreboard.
“Our coaches told us we could beat this team,” said Luther. “That really settled with the guys and gave us the motivation that we needed.”
HERTZBERG CARRIES THE OFFENSE
Michael Hertzberg, who has been the Panthers’ top offensive player this season, carried his regular season success into the playoffs with a three-point performance Tuesday night.
Hertzberg used his speed to his advantage and created multiple opportunities for his team, including a back-breaking goal with only 3.9 seconds remaining in the second period. Hertzberg was ready from the beginning of the game, and even though his team wasn’t favored to win, he was confident that his team could pull out a victory.
“I noticed in the warmups after watching them play and I knew we could beat this team,” Hertzberg said.
Taking action for his team, Hertzberg left everything out on the ice. Even late in the game, when Bishop McCort was beginning to surge towards a comeback, Hertzberg stayed determined to win, and was rewarded with an empty net goal to send Sewickley Academy to the second round.
“Once we started to get shots on the goalie, he seemed a little skittish and maybe a little nervous as well,” said Hertzberg. “We [scored a goal] early and built momentum from there.”
JUST THE BEGINNING
Panthers head coach Chris Chiusano, a leader the players praise in the locker room, was proud of what his team was able to accomplish.
“We had to play a really disciplined game and match their energy level,” said Chiusano. “We were a team that had something to prove to a lot of people that didn’t think we didn’t have it in us to get past this round and the guys really responded well tonight.”
The team certainly responded to Chiusano’s leadership and now have the motivation needed to advance to the second round. Coach Chiusano said that although the schedule says otherwise, the team has been playing great hockey all year long.
“The guys have given me a whole package this year in their game,” said Chiusano. “The top thing they’ve given me is work ethic. They’re committed to working hard all season long in practices, in the weight room, and in our games. To me, work ethic overrules everything you might have.”
Next up is the Indiana Chiefs, who blew past South Park by a final score of 10-2 and hold the league’s top regular season scorer in Pat O’Neal. Coach Chiusano says that the team won’t make any changes to prepare for Indiana.
“[It’s] no different than preparing for this game,” said Chiusano. “We have to go out there, work hard, play disciplined hockey, and play smart. Any team you face from now on is going to be a good team. We’ll be prepared for whoever we’re going to face.”
Sewickley Academy will travel to Indiana to face the Indians at S&T Bank Arena for the second round of the Penguins Cup. The time of the game has yet to be determined.
