Bishop Boyle wins FHL Championship Box Score Championship MVP - Brian Grise

by Bill Kostkas

Over the last few years, we as sports fans have come to expect things like this, although I did not just a few weeks ago. The Steelers did it as a sixth seed in 2005. The Giants did it just two years after as a five seed. The National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup Playoffs featured a seventh seed against an eight seed in the Eastern Conference Finals. My point is that parity is certainly not a surprise anymore in today’s sports scene. We now have our own dose of that in the Franklin Hockey League with Bishop Boyle and their magical run. With captain Brian Grise, who has been silencing all of his critics this post season, Boyle took out the heavily favored Pirates in the opening round and advanced past the Moose last Saturday to secure a spot in the FHL Championship. The run Boyle is on is truly a script that can only be written by the sappiest Hollywood producer. They have one player in the top five in any of the three top categories (Tom Fetsko 17 assists.) Grise is tenth in the league in goals. When it comes to stats, Boyle isn’t represented very well. Nor were they represented in wins throughout the regular season. Does it take away from where they are now? Certainly not. As my father told me before the 2001 AFC Championship with New England and Pittsburgh, you just don’t sneak into this game. If you’ve made it this far, you deserve to be there. On the other side of the rink will be the heavily favored Jets, with the league leader in goals, Brian Barca (41) and in points (56.) Last week, Boyle went through the Moose who had the second and third-best point-getters in the FHl (Jeff Pingor and Jeff Rogers.) So, to say they couldn’t deal with the league leader is an over-estimation. Both teams come into the title game playing extremely good defense. In two games, Boyle has only allowed two goals and theJets shut out the Kings in their only playoff action. One thing the Jets definitely have on their side is the last two FHL Championships. They’ve been here before, and know what it takes. So, expect a good game from them at least. My prediction? The Jets for a three-peat, as Pat Riley likes to say. Don’t take my word for it, because I’ve been wrong on most 0f my picks this post season.

The 2 time defending champion Jets prepare to take on the red hot Bishop Boyle Lancers in the 2010 FHL championship. These two teams are both members of the original 4 from 2006-07. Boyle captain Brian Grise is playing in his first championship since 07. Last season the Jets ended Boyles FHL cup dreams in the 2nd round thanks to a game winning overtime goal by Brian Barca in game 4. As championship day approaches, here are some quotes from the guys who will be doing battle this Saturday. Jets Captain Zak Campbell on playing Boyle in the championship- "Well ya know this team is chalk full of skill guys, they have a veteran captain who's been in the league every since I can remember, although he personally doesn't much playoff experience, he has a few guys who do and who have championship rings. We know these guys, we've played with these guys so the fact that they are in the final game doesn't surprise us. We know what they are capable of and we are going to be cognizant of that the entire series. Overall, I think if we remain stout at the blue line, they will have a hard time getting goals. Our skill's up front should have a little more time this series than last week. I'm looking forward to the task, it'll definitely be a great game." Boyle Captain Brian Grise on how to beat the Jets- "One word. Physical" Jet Shane Lucas on playing the team that traded him- "Ya know being traded for the second year in a row wasnt new to me but i got traded to a storied franchise and now have a chance to beat my former captain who traded me and hold the cup up in front of him. That would be a great ending to a great year" Lancer Tom Fetsko on how to stop leading scorer Brian Barca- "Well man when it comes down to it im just gonna sacrifice every part of my body to block his shots or take the body" Jet Brian Barca on how to beat Bishop Boyle- "You just have to want it more. Thats it. They want it and we know that. They are too good to come out flat so we'll just have to prepare how we have in the past and play our game. Lancer Jared Spears on playing in his first FHL championship- "Maybe another time Ron, im busy sharpening my lance." Lancer Mark Fetsko on playing against the team he won 2 FHL cups with- "Who wouldn't be proud to have been part of the Jets organization the past two seasons? Two seasons in a row with the besr regular season record, most goals forward and least goals against. Not to mention back to back FHL cups and a playoff MVP for myself to boot. I had a greta run with that team and some of the players I played with there will always hold a special place in my heart. But come high noon Saturday, when the shiny new FHL cup is on the line, the past won't matter and history will be made."

Box Score Box Score

(1) Jets vs. (6) Kings

(5) Bishop Boyle vs. (2) Moose

The Crosbys were eliminated last saturday in a hard fought series that went the distance to game 5. The Crosbys were stunned by the 6th seed Kings, who did their best Montreal Canadians impression and stole the series from the white and black attack. Here’s a review of the Crosby’s season, by Commissioner John George: The Crosbys started the season with a big win over their rivals from Boyle, and the tone was set for the season. They jumped out to a franchise best 6-2 start heading into the all-star break. The Crosbys had more represenatives in the ASG than any other team. They traded away star players Mike Stadleman and Zack Wahal in seperate deals that brought Buddy Doyle, Ryan Marino and Drew Hruska into town. Although the Crosbys now seemed to have a more complete lineup, their record began to slump as the weather cleared up. After the break they never managed to win more than 2 games in a row and they fell out of a first round bye slot. Roy McDonald led the way for the Crosbys offensively with 27 goals, but his numbers slightly suffered without his favorite linemate Matt Wierchowski. Mike Cullen had a breakthrough season and became the only player not to miss a game in the past 2 seasons. Ryan Marino was the only player who seemed to get hot down the stretch run as he meshed well with up and coming rookie Drew Blasko. Drew Hruska also scored some timely goals for white. The heartbeat of the Crosbys during the 2nd half of the season was Buddy Doyle. He posted steller numbers despite only making it to half of the games and was explosive everytime he touched the pavement. The most impressive thing about this team was their attendence. Role players Tom Cunningham, Brandon Welsh, Ed Tomcik, and Neil Murray were always there working hard despite not getting as much playing time as the top scorers, their dedication was and is unmatched. After another early exit in the playoffs the team will need to look itself in the mirror and reevaluate things as they head into the offseason. There are several question marks about the team heading into the offseason about what their roster will look like next year. I quote the great wrestler Sting when talking about the Crosbys and myself, John George..."The only thing for sure about The Crosbys, is nothing is for sure".

Box Score Box Score

by Bill Kostkas

It’s now that time of the year. When one makes their way up to the asphalt of the Franklin rink, they’ll no longer have to see their breath when they exhale. Players and fans no longer have to wear multiple layers to keep warm in the harsh elements of western Pa. The weather has now seemed to cooperate more and more, and for the hardcore fan of the Franklin Hockey League, that automatically means that it’s playoff time. Saturday marks the beginning of the long journey each of the six teams began vying for back right before Christmas. 10:00 AM (6) Kings: 5-14 [25-45] vs. (3) Crosby's: 11-8 [42-38] Leading off the FHL’s heavy dose of playoff action will be third seeded Crosby’s hosting the sixth seeded Kings. Each team comes into the match-up with two similar stories. The Crosby’s come into Saturday having won three of its last four matches, while the Kings finished the final month with two wins and two losses. With that aside, the Corsby’s bring much more firepower than the Kings do. They feature the FHl’s third best scorer in Roy McDonald (27 goals.) McDonald also is fifth in the league in scoring with a total of 38 points. The highest ranking King in the three main scoring categories is Tom Sheetz, tied for seventh with three other players, with 15 goals. Anything other than a Crosby victory this weekend will certainly be something to remember for anyone not wearing a Crosby uniform. 11:30 AM (5) Bishop Boyle: 6-13 [25-42] vs. (4) Pirates: 9-10 [36-39] The second playoff series of the morning gives us a look at the four seeded Pirates and fifth seeded Boyle. This series is basically a coin flip, since not many players from either team is among the league’s top offensive players, which are dominated with guys from the Jets and the Moose, the top two teams in this year’s FHL Playoffs. A lot will be expected of Pirate Andrew McDonald in order to backup his offensive performances in the regular season. McDonald amassed 19 goals, enough for fourth in the FHL, and 44 points, also enough for fourth. Even more pressure will be on Boyle captain, Brian Grise who has not been as productive as his 2008-2009 season dictated. This is Grise’s chance to etch his name into FHL lore for good and silence all of his critics. The winners of the opening round advance to the second round next week to face either the top seeded jets or the second seeded Moose. The FHL reseeds after the first round ends.

The 2009-2010 regular season has come to an end. It has been an exciting season, filled with a variety of interesting storylines. The Moose staked their claim as one of the elite teams in the league in just their 1st season, while the Kings saw a severe drop off from their solid 2008-09 season where they finished 3rd in the league. The Pirates and Crosby's experienced a roller coaster season with good and bad streaks, and all the while you never knew what you were going to get with Bishop Boyle. And as the season wore on the Jets found themselves right where they expected to be, in 1st place for the 3rd straight season. Andrew McDonald, Jeff Rogers, and Roy McDonald became the 3rd, 4th, and 5th players to amass 100 career points. Brian Barca added to his already stellar resume by becoming the first player to ever score 100 goals in a career. New faces like Jason Kortz and Ryan Stottlemeyer had superb seasons, while FHL regulars like Jeff Pingor and Ryan Marino became household names. Goaltenders 'Dancin' Rick Severa and Jim Besterci delivered memorable performances from the moment they joined the league and were entertaining to watch. It was no doubt a season to remember, and the best is yet to come. Here is the awards ballot, honoring those who made extraordinary efforts in one way or another this regular season. The winners will be announced at the annual FHL cookout. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

• Joe Sims [Kings]
• Zack Graham [Bishop Boyle]
• Drew Blasko [Crosby's]
• Dylan Younkins [Moose]

NICE GUY AWARD

• Joe Rogers [Pirates]
• Mike Cullen [Crosby's]
• Jason Tatrai [Jets]
• Shane Lucas [Jets]

BREAKTHROUGH PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Jason Kortz [Jets]
• Ryan Stottlemeyer [Kings]
• Tom Sheetz [Kings]
• Mike Cullen [Crosby's]

DEFENSIVE FORWARD OF THE YEAR

• Ryan Cleary [Pirates]
• Drew Hruska [Crosby's]
• Jason Kortz [Jets]
• Zack Siniawski [Moose]

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Jeff Rogers [Moose]
• Buddy Doyle [Crosby's]
• Jason Tatrai [Jets]
• Tom Fetsko [Boyle]

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

• Roy McDonald [Crosby's]
• Brian Barca [Jets]
• Jeff Pingor [Moose]
• Jeff Rogers [Moose]

ROUND ONE - MAY 15th, 2010 10:00 AM 11:30 AM

Box Score Box Score Box Score

FHL STANDINGS

1. Jets (12-6)

2. Moose (12-6)

3. Crosby's (11-7)

4. Pirates (9-9)

5. Boyle (6-12)

6. Kings (4-14)

Playoff Spots 3-6 are set, meaning the Crosby's will play the Kings, and Boyle will play the Pirates next week in the first round. As for the #1 and #2 seeds, the Moose and Jets are tied and they can switch spots for the playoffs, depending on results for tomorrow.