Freeport seeks Cup repeat; Mars also wants it

By JOHN ENRIETTO Eagle Sports Editor

October 20, 2007 Last Updated: October 20, 2007 02:39 PM High School

Freeport is looking for a way to defend its Penguins Cup championship. Mars is primed to win one.

Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League play begins this week and plenty of on-ice optimism exists in Butler County.

The Yellowjackets are coming off an 18-4-2 season that saw the program win its first Penguins Cup. But a pair of 35-goal scorers — Beau Zack and Pat Spangler — along with stellar defenseman Zach Hepler are now gone.

Zack is in college at Indiana (Pa.), Spangler attends California (Pa.)University and plays hockey there while Hepler is playing junior hickey for the Toronto Dixie Beehives in Canada.

"Those were three of the top players in all of Class Alast year,"fifth-year Freeport coach Dave Hepler said.

The other senior from last year, Braden McQueen, is now in the Navy SEALprogram.

Still, Freeport has plenty of returning talent, including senior goaltender Tim Zahumensky (15-3-2, 2.19 goals-against average), senior winger Cody Barker and junior defenseman Jeremy Hepler.

First-year Mars coach Tim Coleman expects his Planets to contend for the Penguins Cup. Mars lost all-star defenseman David Anderson, along with solid scorers Mike Kenitz (29 points), Sam Mashuda (28 points) and Cody Kier to graduation.

"We were runner-up in the recent 16-team St. Margaret's Tournament and lost a competitive 2-0 game to North Allegheny in the finals,"Coleman said. "They scored an empty-net goal with 25 seconds left.

"I've been with this program for six years, so I know the kids. There's plenty of ability here."

Ian Finney (21 goals) and Jake Robash (20 goals) are among the returnees and will anchor the Planets' top two lines.

Here is a look at Butler County high school hockey in 2007-08:

• Coach: Joe Honzo, second year• Last Year: 3-18• Home Ice: Ice Connection, Valencia• Key Players: Forwards-David Wolfe (senior captain), Zach Pennington (senior), Beau Bechtel (senior), Tanner Master (junior), Pat Wellner (junior); Defense-Josh Elsass (senior), R.C. Double (junior); Goaltender-Tim Smith (junior), Justin O'Donnell (junior)• Season Opener: Monday night vs. Hempfield, 9 p.m.• First Home Game: Oct. 29 vs. State College, 7 p.m.• Honzo says: "Going back to the Knoch Tournament last year and two exhibition wins this preseason, this team has won seven games in a row. That's more wins than the previous three years. Our seniors live, breathe and sleep hockey. This is a disciplined, hungry team and our goal is to get to the playoffs.

Freeport• Coach: Dave Hepler, fifth year• Last Year: 18-4-2, Class APenguins Cup champions• Home Ice: Belmont Arena, Kittanning• Key Players: Forwards-John Reichenbaugh (junior), Cody Barker (senior), David Bonitsky (senior), Zach King (senior), Jeremy Gent (junior), Neil DeCroo (soph.), Shane Gallagher (soph.), David Haught (soph.), John Hill (freshman); Defense-Wyatt McQueen (senior), Jeremy Hepler (junior), Nate King (soph.), Dalton Moore (freshman); Goaltender-Tim Zahumensky (senior)• Season Opener: Thursday at Richland, 7:05 p.m.• First Home Game: Nov. 1 vs. Knoch, 6:15 p.m.• Hepler says: "We can't do anything to top last year. All we can do is try to do it again. We do have 18 kids out for freshman hockey (grades six through nine) and that's the most we've ever had, so people are excited about the program. We're not going to match the goal scorers we lost, but last year's sophomores are now juniors, the juniors are now seniors ... Everybody should be better. As a unit, we're still experienced and very capable of winning."

• Coach: Richard Justice, first year• Last Year: 0-22• Home Ice: Valley Sports Center, New Kensington• Key Players: Forward-Neal Donnelly (soph.), Kody Durrett (senior), Eric Egler (soph,), Evan Gorse (soph.), Brandon McCarthy (soph.), Albert Perfors (junior), Roger Sepich (soph.); Defense-Braden Beblo (senior), Shane Donnelly (junior), Dylan Engles (junior), Robert Hughes (junior), Shane Swigart (senior), Nicholas Transue (soph.); Goaltender-Ryan Naples (soph.)• Season Opener: Monday at Quaker Valley, 7 p.m.• First Home Game: Nov. 5 vs. Hampton, 8:20 p.m.• Justice says: "We're going to have to rely on defense and goaltending to win. We will be very young and small in physical size. My goal is to teach these kids how to play hockey with discipline and hard work."

• Coach: Tim Coleman, first year• Last Year: 14-5-1, Class ASouth Division champion• Home Ice: Warrendale Blade Runners• Key Players: Forwards-Ian Finney (senior, 21 goals, 33 points), Michael Heltman (senior, 9 goals, 28 points), Mike Mazzotta (soph.), Jake Takach (senior), Jake Robash (junior, 20 goals, 39 points), Brady Sipe (soph.); Defense-Sean Roach (senior), Steve Tracy (junior), Ryan Magdenic (freshman), Tyler Whiteford (soph.); Goaltender-Greg Lewis (soph.)• Season Opener: Tuesday vs. Sewickley Academy, 8:30 p.m.• Coleman says: "Greg Lewis is one of the top goalies in Western Pennsylvania. Ryan Magdenic has world-class potential; and will probably be playing junior hockey in Canada in a year or two. We believe we can win the Penguins Cup and defeat the Flyers Cup champion. We've got depth at forward and Ian Finney has moved from center to right wing to help us maximize production up front."

• Coach: Mike Butler (interim for Mike Schall)• Last Year: 13-11• Home Ice: Warrendale Blade Runners• Key Players: Forwards-Matt Jarrett (senior), Brandon Platt (soph.), Tyler Mesisca (soph.), John Raymus (senior), Andrew Tang (senior); Defense-Ryan Dowd (senior), Rich Schutte (senior), Joe Sasala (senior); Goaltender-Scott Van Horn (soph.) and Ryan Schutte (soph.)• Season Opener: Oct. 30 vs. Norwin, 7:50 p.m.• Butler says: "Coach Schall is a teacher at Bethel Park and is staying away from the (hockey) organization during the Seneca Valley strike. We have a lot of team speed and we've implemented a system that the kids are buying into. They've discovered it's better to play together as five guys on the ice rather than as individuals."