VALLEY SPORTS HISTORY
2014
2014
• There is some Magic coming to Rostraver Township this fall. The Southwest Pennsylvania Magic, an “A-Minor” hockey team in the Federal Hockey League will make its home at the Rostraver Ice Garden. The team will play a 60 game season including 30 home games at the Garden. Donn Hoffman, the team’s vice president said the team and the league are happy to have a team in the region. “We brought a game to Connellsville and the league is really interested into expanding in to this area. We looked into Connellsville but the building wasn’t up to par for us. The Garden is an old-style rink and we’re going to update it.”
• The Thunderbird Gym in Monessen will be hosting the 2014 Pennsylvania State Championships and the Thunderbird Open powerlifting competition August 16th. The meets are sanctioned by Raw United. Both are raw meets and no bench shirts are permitted. The deadline for entry is July 26th. The cost is $50 for the full meet or push/pull or $35 for a single lifting event. To enter contact David Lhota at the gym which is located at 216 Third Street.
2004
• The Charleroi American Legion team surrendered 32 hits and runs to Carmichaels. Consequently, the Magicians dropped a doubleheader at home with scores of 19-4 and 13-6. Center fielder Jon Menhart collected five hits including a double, a triple and a home run during the twin bill. Drew Dunham singled three times in the first game while Jared Lapkowicz doubled and singled twice during the nightcap. Charleroi coach Tom Hartman explained the loss this way. “Every inning where we scored one or two, they score three or four. We don’t have that one dominating pitcher needed to stop a team like them.”
• Extra innings were a bittersweet experience for the Rostraver baseball team. In a doubleheader at Mill Run, Rostraver lost 6-5 in eight innings but got some satisfaction in the nightcap with an 8-5 win that lasted nine innings. In the first game, the visitors trailed 5-1 before scoring three runs in the sixth thanks to Ryan Russell’s lead-off triple and one in the seventh to tie it up. But Rostraver lost in the eighth on Jeremy Miller’s ground-rule double. Russell took the loss in relief. In Game 2, Rostraver scored three in the ninth while holding Mill Run scoreless to salvage the split.
1994
• Playing with only nine players, Baker’s Pub kept rolling in the Belle Vernon- Rostraver Softball League with a 22-13 win over Family Vision Center.
Lonnie Todd drilled two triples and three singles to lead the winners, who scored the game’s last eight runs. Joe Duche contributed three singles in Baker’s 24 hit attack with Dan Sepesky adding a triple, two doubles and a single, and Pete Shearer having a triple and two singles leading Family Vision.
• Union Grill and Beer Arena remain tied for first place in the Mon Valley Mer.
Ryan Brown (38) and Mike Bright (34) combined for 74 points as Union Grill routed Smitty’s 134-108 to lift its record to 4-1. Lyndon Henderson poured in 40 points in Beer Arena’s 113-110 victory over Foster House for their fourth win in the last five decisions. Union Grill held a commanding 70-50 lead with Bill Greco (19) and Mike Williamson (15) backing Brown and Bright. Beer Arena and Foster House played the last 30 seconds of their contest with only three players on the floor as the others had fouled out.
