First Posted: 1/9/2015
WILKES-BARRE — A 4-0 lead in this high school rivalry is never safe.
Pittston Area’s ice hockey team jumped out to a commanding 4-0 lead over Wyoming Area in the 2015 NEPA Toyota Dealers High School Hockey Showcase held at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza Friday night. Four third-period goals put the Warriors right back in it.
However, a power play goal from Pittston Area’s Tommy Schwab with 1:48 left proved to be the game winner for the Patriots.
“Talk about a heart-stopper in the third period for them to tie it up,” Pittston Area coach Mike Langdon said. “It was just like a Chinese fire drill.”
The Warriors seemed to turn things around when second-leading scorer Alex Chronowski made a big hit in the Warriors zone. That set off a chain of events that put the Warriors within reach. Chronowski’s hit came with 15 minutes to play.
Wyoming Area would cash in the next time it possessed the puck.
Ethan Crake found the net with a sharp wrister to finally put the Warriors on the board. Brendan Lee was credited with the assist.
“We started off slow,” Wyoming Area coach Bill Weiss said. “We’re known for that. If we could have played like that all game we would have won the game easily. They just started off slow.”
The Patriots then found themselves on their heels, according to Langdon.
“We were telling them not to let up,” he said. “Sure enough they came back and scored. They played with a lot of heart.”
Zach Scrobola cut the lead in half at 4-2 when he found the net with 5:34 to play. Just over a minute later, freshman Robbie Trottini turned a Patrick Musinski shot into a goal.
The Warriors, now down 4-3, kept pressing. And then they tied the game.
Chronowski carried the puck behind the net with three minutes to play. He sent it out front where Brendan Lee was waiting. Lee’s goal tied the game at 4.
Pittston Area then took a timeout to stop the bleeding.
At 2:11, Wyoming Area’s Jeremy Stach was called for a trip, sending him to the penalty box. With the Warriors playing most of the final minutes a man down, the Patriots got to work.
Pittston Area quickly possessed the puck and Geoffrey Walton got it on the pads of Warrior goalie Corey McAndrew. McAndrew couldn’t handle the puck and it bounced in front where Schwab was waiting.
“It was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time,” Langdon said. “(Schwab) drives hard to the net and we try to keep everyone moving in front of the net.”
The Patriots got their first four goals from J.J. Sekelsky, Henry Augenstein, Joey Langdon and Tyler Uravage.
A fairly large crowd was on hand to watch the game. Wyoming Area, according to Weiss, was a little disappointed in the loss. However, he said it was a great experience for all involved.
“The kids are a little heartbroken,” he said. “They thought we were going to at least get a tie. A late penalty cost us. We loved that the arena invited us to play.”
The game was the second of three games to be held at the arena following a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins game. On Friday, Jan. 2, the Penguins hosted a game between the Wyoming Valley West Spartans and the Back Mountain Blackhawks. On Friday, Feb. 13, the Crestwood Comets will battle the Holy Redeemer Royals.
The Patriots-Warriors game was carried on MyNetwork TV.
“They all played hard and enjoyed playing at the arena,” Mike Langdon said. “It was a big crowd to my surprise.”
