KITTANNING — Freeport knows how to find goal scorers.

Nick DeCroo netted 50 goals as a freshman for the Yellowjackets a few seasons ago and is now a freshman at Division IBentley College.

Dustin Gaworski recorded 36 goals for Freeport last season and has netted 22 goals for Robert Morris University this year.

Seniors Beau Zack and Pat Spangler have combined for 72 goals this season for the Yellowjackets, who carry an 11-game winning streak into Monday's Penguins Cup Class Asemifinal game against Mars at Ice Castle in Castle Shannon.

Zack leads PIHLClass A with 37 goals. Spangler is second with 35. Undefeated Quaker Valley (149) is the only Class A team to score more goals than Freeport's 124.

"We have a bunch of guys who have been playing hockey since they were 4 or 5 years old,"Freeport coach Dave Hepler said. "By the time they get here, some of these kids have already played 200 or 300 games."

Zack and Spangler have been linemates most of this season, the former at center, the latter at left wing.

That hasn't always been the case.

"We tried playing on the same line last year and didn't click at all,"Zack said. "(The coaches) separated us after a while.

"About three games into this season, we tried it again, and the chemistry was there. It's hard to explain. I guess it took a year of being teammates for our games to come together."

Zack has 61 points this season. He scored 20 goals last year. Spangler pumped in about 35 goals for the Yellowjackets a year ago, his first in a Freeport uniform.

While Zack was born and raised in Sarver, Spangler's family has relocated a number of times. His father is in the military.

"I began playing hockey when I was 4 and living in Rochester, N.Y.,"Spangler said. "My dad worked the night shift and the only place open during the day to hang out with him was the ice rink. That's how I got turned on to hockey."

Spangler's family moved to North Dakota when he was in fourth grade. He played there, but that quest became more challenging when his family moved to South Dakota the following year.

"There were only eight hockey associations in the entire state,"he said of South Dakota. "I had to travel two hours to get to the nearest team."

When his family moved to Freeport last year, Spangler was introduced to high school hockey — and to a different hockey world.

"The game is tougher and more competitive here,"he said.

It didn't take Hepler long to realize he had another goal scorer on his hands.

"When could I tell?The first practice,"Hepler said. "Just watching him skate, watching him shoot — it was there."

Spangler's addition gave the Yellowjackets yet another experienced player. Defensemen Jeremy and Zach Hepler, Zack, John Reichenbaugh, Shane Gallagher and Cody Barker all have been playing for years

Zack considers himself more of a playmaker than a goal scorer, though he also led the Pittsburgh Viper Stars Midget AAA18-and-under team with 35 goals and 58 points in 62 games this winter.

"With Pat on the same line, it just works out,"Zack said. "Cover him and I score. Cover me and he scores."

Zack's grandfather was the first coach of Freeport's high school hockey program. His father, Don Zack, is an assistant coach for the Yellowjackets, played for Freeport and went on to play NCAADivision IIhockey at Oswego (N.Y.)University.

Teammates now, Zack and Spangler will be adversaries next seaso. Zack is headed to Indiana (Pa.)University while Spangler is going to California (Pa.)University.

Both will play hockey for their respective schools, which play in the same league.

"We'll be bumping heads a little bit,"Zack said, smiling. "That will be fun times."