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By John Hartsock
jhartsock@altoonamirror.com
JOHNSTOWN -- After reaching the Laurel Mountain Hockey League championship game last March and falling short in a hard-fought game with State College, this season's senior-laden Hollidaysburg squad is on a mission.
The Golden Tigers completed a perfect 18-0 regular season by edging Richland, 5-3, Tuesday night at The First Summit Bank Arena at the Cambria County War Memorial.
As the league's top seed this year, Hollidaysburg will get a first-round playoff bye into next Thursday's league semifinal round at Penn State University's Pegula Center, where the Golden Tigers will meet the league's lowest-seeded remaining team.
A win in that game will earn Hollidaysburg another berth in the league championship game the following week. That championship final will be played at The First Summit Bank Arena.
Hollidaysburg star senior forward Carson Young scored four goals in the Golden Tigers' victory Tuesday night.
Young was happy that Hollidaysburg finished an undefeated regular season with a win in Tuesday's regular-season finale, but hopes for even bigger things in the upcoming playoffs.
"It's been a great year,'' Young said. "I feel like the boys have hustled all season long and we definitely deserved this. We knew going into this season that we had a good team, and we've just kind of showed that this season.
"Losing in last year's championship game has 100 percent (given us incentive) to win it this year,'' Young said. "We lost a few seniors (to graduation) from last season's team, but we gained a few new kids, and we've come out a better team this year. It has worked out well.''
Young rapped in an assist from Ty Burket at 11:21 of the first period, then scored unassisted with just 16 seconds left in the opening frame, giving Hollidaysburg a 2-0 lead.
After sophomore Jayden Mentzer gave Hollidaysburg a 3-0 lead with a goal on an assist from Seth Burger at 3:33 of the second period, feisty Richland (10-8) shaved the deficit to 3-2 after two periods on second-period goals by Connor Bethmann at 3:41 and Tanner Pfeil at 11:46.
Young scored on an unassisted wrist shot at the 4:23 mark of the third period to put the Golden Tigers ahead, 4-2, but Richland made things interesting, making it a 4-3 game on Jack Lorence's unassisted goal off a short-range wrist shot with 2:45 remaining.
With 1:31 remaining, Richland pulled its sophomore goaltender Alea Ladika - who registered an outstanding performance with 31 saves in the game.
Young sealed the outcome for Hollidaysburg by firing a shot nearly the length of the ice into an empty net for his fourth goal of the game with 29 seconds left, setting the 5-3 final.l
Hollidaysburg outshot Richland in the game, 36-17, but the Rams carried the fight to the Golden Tigers for all three of the game's 17-minute periods.
"We're the number one team in the league right now, and all the other teams are out to beat us - just like we saw here tonight,'' Young said. "We had to fight hard to get this win.''
Hollidaysburg head coach Cory Reed was absent from Tuesday's game due to a family illness, and the coaching duties were handled by assistant coaches Joe Duey and Cory Kirkham.
Joe Duey's son, senior Tyler Duey, has been a stalwart in goal for Hollidaysburg all season long.
Joe Duey said that Tuesday's hard-fought win provided the Golden Tigers with a good test heading into the postseason.
"We wanted to come out strong in our final regular-season game tonight, because we knew if we won, we would have an undefeated regular season,'' Joe Duey said. "(Richland) provided us with good competition tonight.
"This is what we wanted — especially in our last matchup of the regular season,'' Joe Duey added.
Joe Duey said that the Golden Tigers have been on a quest all season, and want to complete that quest by winning the league championship game.
"We lost a close game to State College in last year's championship game, and our kids kind of want some redemption this year,'' Joe Duey said. "We have 10 seniors on this year's roster, and in their last year of playing, it would be nice to send them off with the league championship banner.''
SCORE BY PERIODS
Richland 0 2 1 — 3
Hollidaysburg 2 1 2 — 5
First period: H-Young (Burket), 3:39; H-Young (unassisted), :16
Second period: R-Bethamn (unassisted), 13:19; H-Mentzer (Young), 13:27; R-Pfeil (Blough), 5:14
Third period: H-Young (unassisted), 12:37; R-Ladika (unassisted), 2:45; H-Young (unassisted), :29.
Shots on goal: Hollidaysburg 36, Richland 17
Saves: Duey, H, 17-14; Petrusic, R, 36-31
Records: Hollidaysburg (18-0), Richland (10-8)