After a , Upper St. Clair hockey coach Larry Marks said his team was still learning how to play together while in the midst of losing four out of five games.
However, in mid-February with the playoffs around the corner, he says they have finally figured it out, and they used it to return the favor against the Black Hawks.
The Panthers scored three goals in the first seven minutes of the game, and C.J. Murray and Luke Stork both recorded hat tricks in an 8-4 victory at the Ice Castle Arena Friday night.
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"They've got back into realizing one person can't do it all," Marks said. "They're realized what they needed to do and they did a good job of it."
Murray and Michael Sweeney scored within a minute and a half of each other for a quick 2-o lead in the first. Two minutes later Murray got a short-handed breakaway and backhanded one past Bethel Park goaltender Austin McGinty for a 3-0 lead.
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Murray's second goal prompting Bethel Park head coach Jim McKay to switch goaltenders after Upper St. Clair opened up that quick lead on only five shots.
"Our gameplan was hit the red line and get the puck to the net," Murphy said. "We just kept on shooting and shooting, and they went in."
Stork scored his first goal during a 4-on-4 from the left circle on a pass from Murray with about three minutes left in the first. He then scored two in the second, including a power play goal with 35 seconds left in the period to complete the hat trick.
"I think we our top two lines are very talented and we have one of the best top two lines in the league," Murray said. "Luke played great and he shot the puck really well."
Murray capped off his night with another breakaway at 7:34 of the second period. He picked up a loose puck at center ice after a collision involving Michael Segerdahl and beat McGinty's replacement, Dillon Ondrako, to make it 6-1.
"[Murray]'s just so fast," Marks said about his captain. "He's very good at reading the play and almost knowing what the other guy is going to do before he does it.
"He's so big and he has that long reach, so he's able to use his height and his body to his advantage. He's a very gifted hockey player."
Speaking of big bodies, Upper St. Clair poured on the offense without the help of power forward Justin Selep, who entered the game tied with Stork for third on the team in scoring.
"I think it gives the other kids on the team confidence where they know they can do it, too," Marks said. "They don't have to rely on just Selep and Murray; they can go out and other kids can score goals."
More so, with two regular season games left on the schedule and the playoffs fast approaching, the team is starting to gain momentum going into the postseason.
"It gives us great confidence because when Justin comes back we're going to be scoring more," Murray said. "So without him here, to win like this is pretty big."
