League News

By JOE SAGER, PIHL Network

WARRENDALE – It was only a quarterfinal game, but it was worthy of a championship.

Bethel Park continued its postseason run with a 2-1 win over North Allegheny in triple overtime Thursday night in a PIHL Penguins Cup Class AAA quarterfinal at Bladerunners.

Derek Lesnak’s goal 1:08 into the third overtime gave the Black Hawks (16-7-1) their 13th-straight triumph and sent them in Wednesday’s semifinals.

“For all our seniors, they get a chance to play in another game. That’s all we can ask for,” Lesnak said. “We’re very level headed. We’re just trying to work hard every shift and just trying to play our best game.”

Lesnak scooped up a rebound and was able to wrist it into the open net, which set off a wild celebration.

“I picked it up and went forehand and backhand and put it in. It was a great game by both teams, triple overtime – you couldn’t ask for more,” he said. “It was a pretty lucky bounce right there. But, it’s all about bounces and we got our bounces at the end. It was a great game by NA. They are a great team. We were pretty much even with them all game. It was great intensity. Both teams were very similar. Both teams worked hard every shift. They outwork most teams and we competed with them all the way until the end.”

Bethel Park, the sixth seed, beat the third-seeded Tigers (16-6-1) twice in the regular season and both games were decided by one goal. So, the Black Hawks knew they’d be in for a battle.

“It’s a tough game for either team to lose,” Bethel Park coach Jim McVay said. “They are such a well-disciplined and hardworking team; it’s like playing ourselves because the teams were so similar. They are just so tough to score against, too.”

Neither team scored in the first period, but North Allegheny took a 1-0 lead on Matt Fantaski’s goal with 5:44 left in the second.

The Tigers maintained their lead until Dan Yost swept in a loose puck inside the back post with 2:06 left in regulation.

Both sides battled through the first two 10-minute overtimes before Lesnak had the winner in the third extra session.

“Coach McVay wanted us throwing it at the net,” Lesnak said. “In the third overtime, the goalie is tired and everyone is tired. We’re just trying to get a garbage goal to get the win.”

Both netminders – Bethel Park’s Alex Blum and NA’s Matt Goda – made several key saves throughout the night.

“Goda is a great goalie,” Blum said. “I had fun watching this, obviously. I just wanted to make sure I made the next save and we won the game.

“It was amazing. I have never played in a game that long. We battled from the beginning, but just didn’t get the bounces. Then, in the third, we got it in and we kept grinding it out in the overtime.”