Raiders edge Butler, 5-4

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By Derek Pyda
Eagle Staff Writer

KITTANNING — Butler had a one-man advantage, but, in the end, the score favored Seneca Valley.
Trailing the Raiders 5-4, the Golden Tornado hockey team went on a 5-on-4 power play in the final 1 minute and 49 seconds of the game.
SV goalkeeper Nick Glasser stopped the only two shots he saw in that span as the Raiders came away with the one-goal victory Wednesday at Belmont Arena.
Butler used 10 different players during the power play, including six at one time when coach Leo Cancilla pulled goalie Kristopher Rhodaberger with 22 seconds remaining.
"They were the 10 best players I had, but they were also very tired," said Cancilla. "We got a few shot opportunities but couldn't get the goal."
Butler's best chance to tie the game came in the final minute, when Glasser blocked Steven Stepanian's slap shot and jumped on the rebound before a swarm of Butler players could get to the puck.
SV coach Mike Schall's message to his team in the waning moments was clear.
"Just get the puck out of the zone and play together as a group of four," he said.
Seneca Valley's Caleb Hudspath and Kevin Raynovich scored 3:15 apart in the third period, turning a 3-3 stalemate into a 5-3 edge for the Raiders with 6:42 remaining.
But the Tornado (1-19) didn't quit. Bryan Rodgers tallied Butler's fourth goal of the game with 2:30 left.
Earlier in the contest, Butler had erased a 3-1 deficit, which the Raiders held after one period.
"This team came back tonight," said Cancilla. "This was the most aggressive play I've seen out of them in the third period this year."
Rhodaberger and Glasser each stopped 15 shots on the night.
"I thought we played well in transition tonight," said Schall. "We were getting shots from all over the place, but we didn't have anybody in front of the net."
Schall was impressed with Glasser, a freshman who was making his first varsity start because of injuries to goalies Nick Miller and Tom Comunale.
"He was a (junior varsity) call-up," said Schall. "He stepped in tonight and rose to the occasion."
Butler got off to a quick 1-0 lead when Dave Wolfe's slap shot from just inside the blue line beat Glasser to his right with 3:44 gone from the first-period clock.
The Raiders (5-14) answered with goals from Andrew Tang, Raynovich and Mike McChesney before the end of the period.
Also scoring for Butler were Zach Carben in the second period, which cut SV's lead to 3-2, and Stepanian on a slap shot at the beginning of the final period that tied the game at 3-all.
Notes:
Raynovich's two goals give the forward 11 on the season, a team-high. … Seneca Valley assists went to Justin Ball (2), Nick Jones, Raynovich and Hudspath. … The Tornado received assists from Wolfe, Zach Pennington, Fletcher Crouse and Gereme Hensel. … It was Senior Recognition Night for Butler's Fletcher Crouse and Bryan Rodgers.