PITTSBURGH — Veteran goalies and assistant coaches take center stage Sunday night at the Consol Energy Center when No. 6 seed Hampton (17-6) takes on No. 2 seed Mars (22-1) at 5 p.m. for the Penguins Cup Class A championship.

Both teams have four-year starting goaltenders. The Planets' Tyler Stepke, who is looking to secure his team's third Penguins Cup in as many years, has a 1.52 goals against average and five shutouts this season.

Hampton's Sam Wilson has a 2.10 GAA with four shutouts for the Talbots.

Mars defeated Hampton, 6-3, in their regular season clash Jan. 24.

“They've got a veteran goalie with a solid defense in front of him,” Mars coach Steve Meyers said. “Hampton plays a defensive style and they'll make us work for everything we get.”

Meyers will miss the game as he's leaving for his honeymoon that day. Assistant coach Mike Manganello will run the team in his place.

Hampton coach Brad Lloyd was suspended by the PIHL following his team's fight-filled 6-2 upset of top-seed Kittanning in the semifinals. The Talbots handed Kittanning its lone loss in the regular season as well.

Assistant coach Anthony Scalieri will serve as head coach Sunday.

“They beat Kittanning twice and that has to get our attention,” Manganello said.

Hampton also will be without the services of second-leading scorer Ian Wood. He has 15 goals and 19 assists on the year — including two goals in the semifinal win — but was suspended for four games after receiving four game misconducts and two fighting majors Tuesday.

“We've been a resilient team all year and our other players will have to fill that void,” Lloyd said.

Without Wood, the Talbots still have Luke Leya (21 goals), Joe Vita (14) and Zach Homitz (13).

Mars can counter with nine players with 10 or more goals, led by 33-goal scorer Elliot Tisdale, Robert Sigurdsson (24) and Joe Bender (21).

Sigurdsson scored two goals in the Planets' 4-1 semifinal win over Westmont Hilltop.

Since an 8-5 loss to Kittanning Feb. 3 at Belmont Arena, Mars has outscored its opposition 49-1 in five games.

“We have to take what they do well and use it against them,” Lloyd said. “Mars is an outstanding skating team. We have to make them play too well, get them skating so much that they get tired.

“It's almost a version of rope-a-dope. We feel like we can weather the storm for the first five or six minutes and counter from there.”

Hampton had never advanced beyond the quarterfinal round of the Penguins Cup playoffs before this season.

“Preseason predictions didn't have us winning 10 games,” Lloyd said. “You can say we have nothing to lose at this point, but we have this game to lose.

“You get this far, you want to close the deal.”

While Stepke said Mars' goal all year has been to repeat as state champion, Manganello insists his team is not looking past the Talbots.

“Anything can happen in one game,” he said. “Their goalie is quick, agile and knows how to move the puck. They've got plenty of talent that will be on the ice for them.

“We know what our goals are and this is a very important game for us.”