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Sports

Peters Hockey Sweeps Chartiers Valley, Advances to Penguins Cup Championship

Peters Township scored the first four goals of the game to help the Indians coast to an 8-1 victory over the Colts.

PITTSBURGH - Peters Township head coach Rick Tingle knows that a two-goal lead is the most vulnerable front-running position in hockey. So that’s why when his Indians got ahead by two late in the first period against Chartiers Valley, he instructed them to keep pouring on the pressure.

“The toughest goal to get is that third goal, that’s when you’re always searching for the next one,” Tingle said. “If they come back and get a goal, then they have all of the momentum.”

Tingle got his wish, as Peters Township scored the first four goals of the game to help the Indians coast to an 8-1 victory over the Colts from Chartiers Valley to reach the Penguins Cup championship game Sunday night.

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The Indians played Chartiers Valley in the second game of the season, but only defeated the Colts 5-4 in overtime. Colts coach Lou Biancaniello believes Peters Township didn’t necessarily change up their style, but just executed better.

“They didn’t play that much different of a game, they were just a heck of a lot more effective at it tonight,” Biancaniello said. “They outskated us all night. I think our guys were a little tired, and because of that they were able to get into open space before we could cover them.”

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Tingle believed the difference between this game and the last time the two teams met is simply due to the progression of his team.

“The most positive thing for us is that we’ve progressed over the course of the season,” Tingle said. “We’re peaking at the right time. We’re definitely playing better as a team right now.”

The game had a shaky start for the Indians, as they took two quick penalties, giving Chartiers Valley a five-on-three opportunity. But after Peters Township effectively killed both penalties, it was able to control the puck the remainder of the period.

Chartiers Valley sophomore goalie Noah Stevenson was brilliant during the period, keeping his Colts in the game. However, just over eight minutes into the opening period, the Indians were finally able to break through as Taylor Cox was able to get a rebound off of an Evan Mitchell shot to give Peters Township a 1-0 advantage.

Then with under a minute to play in the opening period, Cole Snyder was able to score shorthanded off of a Chartiers Valley turnover. Snyder and Cox each finished with two goals. All together, 11 Indians players recorded a point in the game.

In the second period, after two more Peters Township goals, senior Bobby Waldron was able to find the back of the net for the Colts, which would be their only goal of the game. Stevenson finished the game with a marvelous 41 saves.

And while the Indians will be moving on to play in the Penguins Cup, Biancaniello is proud of the fight his team has shown all season long.

“I told our guys ‘yeah this wasn’t the outcome we expected, but it doesn’t define our season by any stretch of the imagination,’” Biancaniello said. “These guys never quit. From the beginning of the season, our goal was to get to the Consol Energy Center."

"You can’t take this season away from us. We set a goal, and these boys made it happen.”

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