MIDDLESEX TWP — Jonathan Fair spent a lot of time during the past two weeks trying to find parallels between the Butler hockey team and the 1980 U.S. team that won an Olympic gold medal.

The Golden Tornado junior defenseman thinks about it because of how much he and his teammates discuss the movie ‘Miracle’.

Fair hopes another intense defensive effort will allow Butler to create one of its own at 7:15 p.m. Saturday at Consol Energy Center.

The sixth-seeded Golden Tornado will have to beat a higher seed for the third straight round — this time No. 4 Canon-McMillan — to win its first Class AAA Penguins Cup.

“We looked at ourselves as the underdogs throughout this playoff run,” Fair said. “Bethel (Park) and Peters (Township), we saw them like the Soviet Union. We took them out, but Team USA still had to win one more game after taking out the Soviet Union. That’s how we like to see ourselves.”

Canon-McMillan will be a formidable last hurdle for the Golden Tornado.

A hustling defense — and solid goaltending by Clay Bachman — played a big role in Butler reaching the finals.

The Big Macs (16-7-1) have the weapons to torpedo that formula.

The Big Macs scored 12 goals against Butler (13-8-3) in two regular-season meetings. Butler won a 7-6 overtime decision Nov. 6 on the road, while Canon-McMillan won 5-0 Jan. 26 at Ice Connection.

“It’s going to take a lot of mental toughness and heart,” Golden Tornado defenseman CJ Campbell said. “Canon-Mac is a skilled team in the front and the back. I believe running our systems we will get pucks through and slim down that goal differential.”

The Big Macs didn’t just light the lamp against Butler.

Canon-McMillan scored 102 regular-season goals, four more than Peters Township.

Big Macs forwards Austin Tonkovich (21 goals, 14 assists) and Jack Clendaniel (seven, 27) were second and third, respectively, in points for the PIHL.

Luke Lavella (14 goals) is also a big threat for Canon-McMillan, which won its only Pens Cup in 2010.

“I’ve been keeping these guys more grounded, not getting too high or low,” second-year Big Macs coach Terry Virtue said. “We’re not thinking as much and are just going out and doing what we do.”

In the playoffs, Butler’s defense has limited third-seed Bethel Park and second-seeded Peters Township to one goal each in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.

The Golden Tornado killed nine penalties and didn’t allow a goal during 6-on-4 stretches during the final two minutes in both games.

First-year Butler coach Patrick Hammonds emphasizes a total team effort.

“It’s really difficult to get the puck in our net,” Hammonds said. “We talk a lot about net-front battles and that’s something we’re going to have to win against these guys. We have to have a strong back-check and take away as much time and space as we can.”

Butler defenseman Sam Gross thinks Butler’s defensive hot streak has come from a gritty attitude, which is what the slogan plastered on the team’s Pens Cup shirts.

Blocking shots has been a big playoff emphasis for the Golden Tornado.

“You’ve got to work hard in the corners, give your total effort the whole time and you’ll end up being successful,” Gross said.

Fair is done looking for similarities.

Butler wants to create its own story.

“(Canon-McMillan) has some of the best players in the league in Austin Tonkovich and Luke Lavella,” Fair said. “If we stick to our systems Coach Pat put in place for us, I think we should be good to go. ”