CECIL TWP — Chris Marziotto wanted to show he wasn't absent anymore.

Thirty-five days without playing a hockey game drove the Seneca Valley senior captain a little crazy.

Marziotto was suspended five games as a result of a fight during the Raiders' Jan. 28 game with Shaler.

All that extra time to think ended with an inspired performance.

Marziotto scored twice and assisted on a goal to help ninth-seeded Seneca Valley earn its first PIHL Class AAA Penguins Cup playoff win since 2009-10 with a 6-1 victory over Canon-McMillan Tuesday night at the Iceoplex.

“After sitting out for five games, I was thinking I have to come back strong for this team and show them the captain is still on this team,” Marziotto said. “I was so proud of my team as I watched them play.”

Seneca Valley (12-8) will play second-seeded Peters Township Thursday in the quarterfinals at 7:25 p.m. at the Iceoplex.

Canon-McMillan (11-9-1) won both of the regular-season meetings between the teams. The Big Macs won 5-4 Nov. 27 and 10-2 Feb. 18, when the Raiders were playing without Marziotto and goaltender Tanner Pfeffer.

Pfeffer missed due to serving a four-game supension for fighting.

“We were coming in mad. We wanted to make a statement coming into the first round of the playoffs,” Pfeffer said. “It was a big win.”

Seneca Valley coach Anthony Raco thought those two watching that game, which was the Raiders' Senior Night, provided good motivation.

“I think they saw they missed playing with the team,” Raco said. “Just to see the way we played against them on Senior Night and they beat us 10-2, coming in with the attitude they want to help us win a game.”

Pfeffer repeatedly turned the Big Macs offensive attack away. He made 28 saves and fended off six Canon-McMillan power-play chances.

“It was all their goalkeeper. They weren't doing anything on the penalty-kill that could stop us,” Big Macs coach Terry Virtue said. “If you look at all our shots, they were on the power play. They were beating us 5-on-5. We couldn't score because their goalie stood on his head.”

A little good fortune helped the Raiders take the lead. A puck bounced off Peter Kipin's stick and landed in front of Andrew Gagnon, who scored 30 seconds in.

Gagnon finished with a game-high four points and added two goals in the third period to record a hat trick.

Brendan Macfarlane set up the second goal, sending a pass from the point to the far side of the net, which Marziotto buried for a goal.

Raco said after Seneca Valley lost the first game after holding a 4-1 lead, the Raiders were never going to get comfortable.

“We wanted to have the mentality that get the first goal, let's get two,” Raco said. “We got two, let's get three. Nothing was ever going to be enough.”

James Oddi scored Canon-McMillan's only goal on a power play to cut the lead to 2-1 late in the second period.

Other than that, Pfeffer saw the puck well.

“I was seeing the pucks real well. They felt like beach balls coming at me tonight,” Pfeffer said. “They got a lot of shots, but I felt real good.”

Marziotto added a second goal six minutes into the second period to give Seneca Valley a 3-1 lead.

The Raiders cruised from there. Now Marziotto has another chance to show his team what they missed.

“Last year we had a bye and we lost a quarterfinal game and that was heartbreaking for the seniors on that team,” Marziotto said. “It's good to be a senior on this team and see how far we can get.”