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Sports

Peters Township Prevails in Overtime Thriller Against Bethel Park

The Indians defeated the Blackhawks 2-1 Monday.

The Peters Township Indians defeated the Bethel Park Blackhawks in an overtime victory by a score of 2-1 on Monday night. The win puts the Indians 3-0 at home and 4-0-1 for the season.

Last night’s game marked the team’s first section game of the season and its first section game since making the jump from Class AA to Class AAA. With the class change this year, the Indians face off against traditional rivals such as Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair and Bethel Park.

PT came out of the gates running, scoring a goal not even a minute into the contest. The Indians forced the puck deep in Bethel Park territory, with Cole Snyder and Taylor Cox rushing the zone. Snyder delivered a punishing blow to the puck carrier; Cox picked up the loose puck and quickly found the net. Fresh off a concussion injury, Cox seemed fired up all night long. He showed his raw emotion and passion for the game every single shift.

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The Indians outplayed the Blackhawks early. Their overall offensive play seemed “crisper,” with the passes going from tape to tape.

However, toward the middle and the end of the first period, the game shifted to “back-and-forth” play. Each team applied pressure in the opposing zone, but there were many turnovers before a shot was registered on net.

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The Blackhawks scored the equalizer 23 seconds into the second period, just after a glove save from Brian Baker. The goal did not look to fuel the Indians, but rather, take the wind out of their sails.

The second period followed a trend: Bethel forced shots on net, pressuring Baker to keep the score even. The Indians then cleared the puck out of the zone, usually resulting in an icing. The faceoff then returned to the Indians’ defending zone and the process repeated.

After multiple minutes of the routine, Peters only became more frustrated, resulting in sloppier play and less puck possession.

The third period revolved around the two goalies. PT put shot after shot on the Bethel Park goalkeeper. With seven and a half minutes remaining, Davan Groom looked to have a definite goal, but an incredible save kept the score even.

The hitting in the third period quieted down after some tense play late in the second. Both teams focused more on getting that go-ahead goal rather than playing for big hits.

Baker may have saved the Indians unbeaten home record with his play in the second, and specifically third, periods. He made numerous great saves, using his kneepads and his quick glove hand to get the job done.

With 15 seconds remaining in the game, the Blackhawks stole the puck off Senior Ryan Wyatt and stormed down the ice with a 2-on-1 breakaway. Baker read the shooter the whole way, knocking the shot away and forcing overtime.

“I knew that the player with the puck coming down the ice was going to shoot it. Our defenseman picked up the guy coming with him, so I just focused in on the player with the puck,” Baker said.

At the start of overtime, Bethel came at Baker with another 2-on-1, only ending in the same result. The Indians then moved the puck up the ice quickly, with Sophomore Pat Hannan streaking up the ice. Once Hannan received the puck in the opposing zone, the defender tripped him, resulting in a two-minute penalty.

Peters won the face-off and commenced their power play offense. The offense passed around the puck, looking for an open shot. Just 17 seconds into the power play, Trevor Recktenwald fired a shot at the net that deflected up in the air and over the goalie for the game-winning goal. The Indians fleed the bench, celebrating the overtime victory.

This win was certainly not an orthodox one for the squad, but they will take it.

Editor's Note: Josh Glicksman is a sophomore at in Nicole Sitler's journalism class.

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