JOHNSTOWN - The longer the game went, the more impatient the Bishop McCort hockey team grew.

Clinging to a 1-0 third-period lead against Mars in Tuesday's PIHL Class A second-round playoff game, Bishop McCort finally built on its lead with two goals in a 3 minute, 32 second span to send the squad to a 3-1 victory at the Cambria County War Memorial.

The win advances McCort (20-3) to the Penguin Cup semifinals. The Planets finish the season at 14-8-2.

"I thought we played well, but I think we were a little frustrated because we were getting shots," said McCort coach John Bradley.

"Their goalie (Bryan Ross) made some great saves. … I told them 'You can't get frustrated when you're playing against a good goalie.'"

It was Ross who kept the Planets in the contest. Ross stopped 26 shots in the first two periods and finished the game with 39 saves.

That was a tall order considering McCort entered the game riding a 16-game winning streak and had outscored its opponents 149-27.

"Brian played a whale of a game," said Mars coach Eric Glover.

Still, Glover thought his team could have done more.

"We were running around and not playing our game," said Glover. "I didn't like the way we were playing, not playing the way we know how."

McCort scored just 2:20 into the game when, on a power play, Shawn James took the deflection off a save by Ross. Marc Domonkos, whose shot Ross had saved, was credited with an assist.

Early in the second period, Mars had a golden chance to score the equalizer when it had a two-man advantage for 1:00, but the Planets couldn't capitalize.

"That definitely hurt," said Glover. "If we could've gotten a goal there, it could have turned the momentum, but it didn't."

James almost doubled the McCort lead, but his slap shot hit the post with 52 seconds left in the second period.

But, just 2:10 into the third period, Zach Seidel took a deflected save by Ross and promptly buried it in the net for the team's second power-play goal of the night.

With 9:18 remaining, Chris Mendillo flicked a shot by Ross to give McCort the 3-0 edge.

The Planets notched their only goal of the game when Mike Riefner took a pass from Adam Bridges and slipped a 15-foot shot in front of the net past goalie Ron Stenger with 7:25 left.

"We pretty much knew what they wanted to do," said Glover. "They clogged up the neutral zones and took away the boards."

After suffering a losing record and missing the playoffs last year, Glover is hoping this season's success and next year's large returning cast will help the Planets aim higher.

"We probably will have the best group of guys back from everyone in the league," said Glover. "It could be Quaker Valley and us next year."

Notes:

McCort had a bye while Mars defeated Steel Valley 5-0 last week to reach the quarterfinal. Tuesday's game was McCort's first since Feb. 25. … Stenger made 13 saves for McCort.

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