PIHL playoffs

Franklin Regional is foe in title game

Baldwin, Franklin Regional win to advance to Class 2A championship.

Leading Thomas Jefferson by a goal with 5:23 remaining in regulation, Baldwin picked up what could have been a devastating minor penalty to put the deadly Jaguars power play — which had already scored twice — back on the ice.

“It was crazy,” Baldwin goaltender Ed Nowicki said. “I was thinking you’ve got to be kidding me and we’ve got to kill this off.”

As the Highlanders prepared for a penalty kill that could determine whether they move on to the Penguins Cup final or have their season end at Alpha Ice Complex in Harmar Township, a full-throated group of Baldwin fans started chanting, “Eddie. Eddie. Eddie.” And Nowicki was keenly aware.

“It was something else,” Nowicki said. “It was really an experience to have something like that happen to you during a game and it really gives you a confidence boost.”

It didn’t hurt as Nowicki thwarted several outstanding Thomas Jefferson opportunities and stopped all 13 shots he faced in the third period. Keith Reed made sure it stood up with an empty-net goal for his second tally of the night with less than a minute remaining as topseeded Baldwin (19-1-0) knocked off No. 5 Thomas Jefferson (17-2-1), 5-2, in the PIHL Class 2A semifinals.

“He made good saves when it counted,” Thomas Jefferson coach Bill Crousey said. “We scored two power-play goals and, we had our chances again and he made big saves.”

Each team scored power-play goals in each of the first two periods as the two teams with the best records in the classification were tied, 2-2, after two periods and each had 22 shots. Reed and Logan Picci scored for Baldwin, while Eddie Pazo scored both goals for the Jaguars.

Other game

Franklin Regional 5, Montour 4: Both teams looked like they were going to score at will in the first period as the two combined for five goals during a span of 4:11. Then things calmed down. And when they did, it was the Panthers who did just enough to earn their first trip to the final in four years.

Zach Abdallah scored what turned out to be the winning goal when he chipped a rebound past Montour goaltender Anthony Reinhart at 9:58 of the third period.

“It was a great game,” said Abdallah, who also had two assists. “The boys worked their butts off and I got the rebound and got it in the net.”

Franklin Regional took an ill-advised penalty with less than five minutes left. Montour got tremendous pressure on the Panthers net and had leading scorer Michael Felsing all alone in front with a wide open net, but the senior forward whipped a shot off the outside of the post and wide.

“We just had bad luck,” Montour coach Clay Shell said. “The one player you want have that, he’s the player and we just didn’t have luck.”