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JOHNSTOWN - Discipline is an overused word in the vocabulary of hockey coaches, but when the playoff bell rings, often the key component that seperates moving on and going home and making banquet plans is discipline. Westmont head coach 'King Arthur' Art AcQuillan could write theology on that subject when it comes to the playoff fortunes of his beloved Hilltoppers over the past decade. Mars is the new kid on the block and has sliced and diced the Class A competition, like the vega-matic to an 8-1-0 record atop the North Division, yes I said North Division, tied with Westmont. The Hilltoppers came out and pressured Mars early and Brian Terek scored on the backhand just 30 seconds in. The Planets answered on the power play as Bobby Beckert tipped a Steve Myers shot past Steve Costic to tie the game at one apiece at 8:32. Westy had a chance to regain the lead but Mars goaltender Bill Youngker robbed David Maslak from point blank range with 3:45 left in the first period. In the second, the Planets pressured and then got a little overzealous as it put the Hilltoppers on a 5 on 3 power play. With top scorer Myers in the box, Westmont made the most of its opportunity as Justin McClosky scored on a rebound at 12:18 and Sean Dorian added another just 41 seconds later to up the lead to 3-1. Mars struck back at 8:32, as Bob Brill scored a power play goal to cut the lead to 3-2. Both teams fought for territorial advantage, as Westmont worked the puck deep and Mars tried to control the play with puck posession and after two, the shots were dead even at 18-18. On to the third, and Westmont seized a two goal lead as Sean Dorian's lazy wrister snuck past Youngker to give the Hilltoppers a two goal cushion at 12:12. Then McClosky scored his second on the power play just 42 seconds later to seal the victory for Westmont. The Planets outshot the Hilltoppers 25-24, but will go away from this pivotal game with a hard lesson of discipline. The victory for Westmont sets up a big showdown, with crosstown rival McCort in the opening game of the WPHCA Scholastic Showcase, as the probable top two teams in Class A will square off December 26th at 7:30.

MONROEVILLE - Shaler is atop the PIHL North Division this season under Rich Michlowski and is a surprise team in that role. Gateway on the other hand is in a battle with Plum in the PIHL East division. The Gators came out like world beaters in the opening frame and outhit, outworked and outshot (16-5) the Titans in every aspect of the game. Results were evident as Justin Scott, Matt Kopaczynski and Lucas Pepper tallied to give Gateway a 3-0 lead. In the second, Shaler came back as John Kearney took a pass in the slot and beat David Himes to get the Titans on the board. Shaler took advantage of some sloppy play by the Gators to outshoot them 10-8 in the middle period. In the final period, Chris Manchester scored on the power play on a bang bang play and all of the sudden Shaler was within one. Tim Szczpinski, who plays like he's a nose tackle in a football game, got the tying goal with a little over five minutes to play. The Gators had several chances including the power play at the end of the third and into overtime. The best coming as Ken McLeary's backhander went over the open net in the final minute of OT. Gateway outshot Shaler 38-27 on the night.

MONROEVILLE - December at the Golden Mile, a place where anyone with sanity would love spending a Tuesday evening watching or possibly coaching a game. Witness Meadville coach Jamie Plunkett, of 'House of Chills' fame in attendance to coach his Bulldogs against a Plum Mustangs team locked in a battle for supremacy in the PIHL AAA East division. Coach Stu Relnick's club was looking to defeat a team ahead of them in the overall standings, which failed to happen in the Mustangs losses this season to South Division leader Bethel Park and North Division leader Shaler. The Dawgs are trying to keep pace with North Allegheny in the West Division. Bottom line ...this was an important game in the standings for both clubs. The first period was scoreless and as even as the shots on goal at 8-8. Plum's B.J. Schreib and Meadville's Dan O'Sharuk were not tested with many quality chances. In the second, Tim Newhook showed quick hands as he manuevered around the Plum defense in tight and beat Schreib to make in 1-0 with 8:22 left. Exactly three minutes later, D.J. Craven scooped up a Brian Bahurinsky rebound and deposited the puck behind Schreib to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead at 5:22. The next goal would be pivitol to start the third and Meadville's Christian Nickerson got it just 22 seconds into the final frame on a rebound. The Bulldogs Newhook tallied his second of the evening at 10:11 and Meadville was well on its way to victory. Plum's Travis Senchur broke the shutout on the penalty shot with 7:23 remaining, but any Plum hope was quickly erased as Ricky Thomas scored with 3:24 left. Senchur closed out the scoring as Meadville picked up its 7th win in its past eight games to close out the first half of the season at 8-2-1.

MONROEVILLE - Cathedral Prep coach Nels White was very optimistic prior to the start of this season that his team had positive attitudes and a good work ethic lacking from his team the past few years. The Ramblers faced a Gateway team that loves to muck and grind with the best of them. Just 16 seconds into the game, Matt WBF Kopaczynski broke through the ECP defense and beat Jon Freeman to the stick side and Gateway had a 1-0 lead. That was easy enough. The battle for territorial play continued through the opening frame and Cathedral Prep got its first break of the night as Tyler Wallen's shot from the point glanced off a Gator defenseman and past Davd Himes to tie the game at 1-1. In the secod period, the Gators regained the lead as freshman Mike DeLorenzo's blooper shot beat a screened Freeman to make it 2-1 at 7:51. Prep got its next break as an apparant offsides went unoticed and Adam Gerlach tie the game at 2-2. Early in the third period, Gateway smothered the Ramblers and it paid off as freshman Mark Wroblewski scored to give Gateway another lead 3-2. But Prep answered as Sam Namey tied the game with a little over five minutes to go in the third to make the final 3-3.