Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.
Click here to subscribe today or Login.

WILKES-BARRE TWP. — In hockey, goaltending can be the great equalizer. That sentiment rang truer than ever in Wyoming Area’s 6-1 win over Crestwood in the Casey Classic Final on Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena — the Warriors’ first championship in school history.

Warriors goaltender Jacob Urban hadn’t played in a month after a bout of mono, but his return in the championship game evened things out for Wyoming Area against a speedy and skilled Comets team that entered the game as two-time defending champions.

“This was my first day back, so to come out and do that with the boys is pretty special,” Urban said, explaining that he was medically cleared just hours before puck drop. “In warmups I was a little shaky, but once I made that first save in the first period I was feeling it.”

The Comets threw 42 shots Urban’s way, and just one — in the final seconds of the third period — got past the Warriors’ goalie on the way to the big win.

Wyoming Area coach Bill Weiss said it’s his final season behind the bench. In fact, Weiss wasn’t going to come back and coach this season until some of his players convinced him to.

“The dedication that these kids (had) showed me that they wanted this,” Weiss said. “And they were willing to work for it and give me the time and true heart and effort to come back. I came back. This is what I wanted. I’m done after this year. I’m finished.

“I got them what they wanted, and they gave me what they wanted.”

After falling in overtime to Crestwood in last year’s final, Weiss said that he told his team they needed to come out strong and build up an early lead to have a chance. That’s exactly what sophomore Caleb Travis did.

Just 2:43 into the contest, Travis wound up a slapshot from just inside the blue line and blasted one past Comets’ goaltender Patrick Croke to give the Warriors an early 1-0 lead. Travis was another late addition for Wyoming Area, having missed Thursday’s semifinal game to visit his father, a member of the U.S. Navy for the last 17 years. He arrived back in the area just after noon.

“They stayed all week with me in a hotel to watch me play for the last time for the rest of the season,” Travis said of his father seeing him play in the tournament earlier this week during his stay state-side. “We drove back to Maryland as a family on Thursday, and I flew up here (from Washington, D.C.) this morning.”

The Comets’ speed and skill was on full display throughout the contest, but every time they generated a high-quality chance, Urban was in position to make the stop. Especially in the middle frame, where Crestwood out-shot Wyoming Area by a 20-7 margin.

Most notably, a full split by Urban in the second period allowed him to kick out a 3-on-1 chance with his left pad to keep his team ahead by one. It proved to be the biggest stop of the game.

On the next shift, Travis turned on the jets and skated in all alone on Croke, beating the Comets’ goaltender five-hole to extend the Warriors’ lead to 2-0. Just 49 seconds after Travis’ goal, senior forward Brendan Lee made it a 3-0 advantage off a feed from Jacob Switzer after Switzer caused a turnover in the Comets’ defensive zone.

Urban was again put to the test early in the third period while his team was on the power play. Comets’ forward Jared McCune had a pair of breakaways, making an impressive forehand-to-backhand move. He appeared to have Urban down and out, but again the goalie was up to the task — throwing his glove up and catching enough of McCune’s shot to keep it out of the net.

Senior forward Alex Chronowski sealed the deal with 6:44 left, putting Wyoming Area ahead 4-0. Alex Hawk and Patrick Musinski added to the Warriors’ lead in the waning minutes of regulation before the Comets broke Urban’s shutout bid on Matthew Dopp’s rebound goal with under 30 seconds left.

Wyoming Area’s C.J. Rome lets a shot fly in Friday’s Casey Classic championship game against Crestwood.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_TTL123116Casey-Classic2.jpg.optimal.jpgWyoming Area’s C.J. Rome lets a shot fly in Friday’s Casey Classic championship game against Crestwood. Aimee Dilger | Times Leader

Wyoming Areas Jacob Switzer (right) manages to get a shot through a cluster of Crestwood players on Friday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_TTL123116Casey-Classic3.jpg.optimal.jpgWyoming Areas Jacob Switzer (right) manages to get a shot through a cluster of Crestwood players on Friday. Aimee Dilger | Times Leader

Crestwood’s Sky Swavely crashes the crease, flipping over top of Wyoming Area goalie Matthew Benton.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_TTL123116Casey-Classic4.jpg.optimal.jpgCrestwood’s Sky Swavely crashes the crease, flipping over top of Wyoming Area goalie Matthew Benton. Aimee Dilger | Times Leader

Jakob Switzer hugs teammate Caleb Travis after Travis scored a goal for Wyoming Area, helping the Warriors win their first Casey Classic title on Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_TTL123116Casey-Classic1.jpg.optimal.jpgJakob Switzer hugs teammate Caleb Travis after Travis scored a goal for Wyoming Area, helping the Warriors win their first Casey Classic title on Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. Aimee Dilger | Times Leader
Warriors top Comets for first tournament title

By Tony Androckitis

For Times Leader

Casey Classic Final

Wyoming Area 6, Crestwood 1

Crestwood`0`0`1 — 1

Wyoming Area`1`2`3 — 6

First Period — 1. WA, Caleb Travis (Brendan Lee) 2:43.

Second Period — 2. WA, Travis (unsassisted) 6:19; 3. WA, Lee (Jacob Switzer) 7:08.

Third Period — 4. WA, Alex Chronowski (Travis, C.J. Rome) 8:15; 5. WA, Alex Hawk (Chronowski) 10:51 6. WA, Patrick Musinski (Rome) 14:24; 7. CRE, Matthew Dopp (Reed Karaska, Joshua Edwards) 14:34.

Goalies: WA, Jacob Urban (41 saves – 42 shots); CRE, Patrick Croke (16 saves – 20 shots) and Charles Helmbold (4 saves – 6 shots).

Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @TLsports