KITTANNING — Freeport got plenty of shots Wednesday night at Belmont Arena.

The Yellowjackets just didn't get the shots they wanted.

Sewickley Academy (15-8-1) took a two-goal lead into the third period and hung on for a 3-2 win in a Penguins Cup Class Aquarterfinal hockey game despite being outshot 30-23.

"We may have had the shot advantage, but they had more scoring opportunities,"Freeport coach Dave Hepler said. "We really had problems attacking the net tonight."

Panthers coach Eric Hoolahan agreed.

"Our defensemen did a nice job of forcing their shooters to skate off to either side of the net,"he said. "We protected the area in front of the goal, and that's what you have to do against that team. They have some potent shooters."

Sewickley Academy scored on its first shot of the game as Alexander Ottmanns' wrist shot from the left point eluded Freeport goalie Tim Zahemensy and found the far corner of the net just 2:22 into the game.

Patrick Spangler tied the game midway through the first period when Braden McQueen pushed the puck toward him in front of the net and Spangler directed it behind goaltender Steve Tehovnik.

The goal was Spangler's team-leading 34th of the year.

Only 58 seconds later, however, the Panthers scored on a 2-on-1 break as Jason Limbach slid the puck across to Scott Limbach, who scored with a high wrist shot.

Sewickley Academy missed a chance to expand its lead when Connor Blood hit the goalpost with five minutes left in the opening period.

With his team shorthanded early in the second period, Sewickley Academy's Scott Limbach slid a backhanded shot just wide of an open corner.

Freeport (14-8-1) missed a chance to tie the game when Spangler's long slapshot deflected off the crossbar with 5:49 left in the middle period.

Only 57 seconds later, Scott Limbach dropped a pass back to Bradley Watts in the slot. Watts rifled a wrist shot past Zahemensy to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead.

From there, it was defense first for Sewickley Academy.

"We had no choice, really,"Hoolahan said. "We had lost two of our better players."

Blood, the team's second-leading scorer, was only available for the first period. Ottmanns left the ice on a stretcher after suffering a rib and middle back injury midway through the game.

Sewickley Academy, which had only one shot on goal in the third period, was 0-for-5 on the power play. Freeport failed to score on its three power play opportunities.

"There's five guys on the ice for a reason,"Hepler said. "We didn't pass the puck enough. Our team game just wasn't there."

The Yellowjackets rarely got near the net in the third period. But defenseman Zach Hepler picked up a loose puck in the high slot and beat Tehovnik with a wrist shot along the ice. The surprising shot pulled Freeport within 3-2 with 2:09 remaining.

Hepler's goal was his 21st of the season.

Any momentum was lost, however, when Jeremy Hepler was penalized for interference with 1:24 left in the game.

Freeport pulled its goalie to skate 5-on-5 for the final 20 seconds, but to no avail.

"I'm not whining about the officiating, but we did seem to get the bad side of the calls tonight,"Coach Hepler said.

While Sewickley Academy faces neighborhood rival Quaker Valley (22-1) in the Penguins Cup semifinals, Freeport says goodbye to seniors Tom Ferrante and Charles Rowley.

But the Yellowjackets return their top eight scorers and have more help coming from a talented freshman class.

"Next year should be the best hockey team Freeport's ever seen,"Coach Hepler said.