St Joseph's Prep Hawks

North Allegheny 2 Meadville 2 (OT) CRANBERRY – A Friday night in Cranberry could only mean one thing as the North Allegheny Tigers took to the ice on Senior Night to face the historic Meadville Hockey Club, who have been guided now for 20 years by Jamie Plunkett, who in my opinion when the history books are written, will go down as the finest coach in the state of Pennsylvania for the sport of ice hockey. A who’s who night of Western Pennsylvania Hockey occurred on this evening at the Cranberry BladeRunners as several of Western Pa Hockey’s personalities were in attendance as the Bulldogs (12-4-0) and Tigers (14-4-0) sparred in a February game that will have significant impact on a bye and a top 4 seed in the upcoming Class AAA playoffs. Many people ask me why I spend so much time being involved in Pa Hockey promoting a sport for a league than obviously doesn’t support my endeavors and has done everything it can not to help Pa Hockey promote its own product. Well I have news for those people and people who put disgusting personal posts on the Pa Hockey Forum about my family and myself….. long after all of the players and parents go away from this game, I will be covering Pa Hockey and doing it my own way whether anyone likes it or not. When my brothers first took to the ice in 1970 in the first Interscholastic Hockey game at the old Alpine Arena, Interscholastic Hockey has been in my blood and I have shared some great moments with many people and made some of my best friendships in this sport and it is something that no one can take away and for my friends, I share memories with them as well. So here’s some recollections of last nights combatants. Last night, like many I spend in the rink was a trip down memory lane. A chance to catch up with Brian Cole, whose family was a staple with the Richland program of the early 1970 and recount the great playoff battles between Churchill and Richland in the early to late 70’s and the story of the North Allegheny 1977 WPIHL Championship in which Bob May, the first NA coach, who was in attendance last night for Senior Night and the leader of that championship team, who fell short that year in the State Championship to my Churchill family as 30 years ago our program reached and captured a title that had eluded our program the first two years against Baldwin and Mt Lebanon. The mid to late 70’s was about the time I first met Frank Black, whose sons Jimmy, the current North Allegheny coach and Bobby, who is assisting Jimmy at NA and are following in the footsteps of their father, who provided a tremendous service to the hockey community in many aspects that people who appreciate this sport can only imagine as a coach, rink manager, administrator and visionary when hockey was in its early days at the Sewickley Arena, the Alpine, the Belmont, Kirk Nevin, Rostraver and the Arena. Coincidentally, a young guy who came along and started his coaching career with the Fox Chapel and then the Tigers by the name of Ron Steedle, who was in attendance last night and served in the Shaler program from the early 80’s until two years ago [22 years as a coach in Interscholastic hockey] and I had the very good fortune of coaching with and continue our mission collectively with our 12th year in the Keystone State Games. During the mid-1980’s is when I first met Jamie Plunkett and although I don’t recall the exact meeting, I know he was working and helping at the Allegheny College club team and I was a player-coach with Dave Keon at Bethany College. My recollections of playing a game at a rink near Allegheny College were that it was very cold and had a side missing to the building similar to the Wheeling Park rink we played our home games at. As legend would have it, a year or so later coach Plunkett got the call from the Phillis family as took the helm with the Bulldogs and that rink I played a college game in 23 years ago has become a shrine of high school hockey with the 8 State Championship Banners, the tributes to players who have left us at an early age, a meeting place for the people of the town of Meadville to watch their boys, the Bulldogs try to make another run at Pennsylvania High School glory. And it hasn’t come with out its struggles as a dry spell hit Bulldog hockey after the first seven titles in 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996. Coach Plunkett, supported by his wife Sue and two daughters, continued to work toward and believe the Dawgs could reach the promised land. And by the way, they finished that building under superintendent Plunkett and built a pretty neat place effectionately known as the ‘House of Chills’. In 2003, with Mt Lebanon and Bethel Park out of the way courtesy of my former club Franklin Regional (that I spent three great years with only to give up to help build the PIHL and have returned to in the past year to rebuild tomorrow’s Panthers), the Bulldogs faced off against a bunch of kids who were part of a freshman and developmental program developed by a gentleman named Gary Swingle, who I coached with and learned a lot about life and coaching from and gave nine years to the Franklin program, which resulted in 5 trips to the Penguins Cup finals that fell short. I took a lot of ribbing from coach Plunkett and the Bulldog faithful at the time about wearing a Franklin jersey to broadcast the game as the Meadville hat provided by Doug Nickerson, whose son Christian I coached in Keystones earlier that year, disappeared in the overflow crowd at RMU Island Sports Center. The Dawgs dispatched a very talented Franklin team that knocked off Bethel and Lebo and moved on to the State Finals against one of the most talented teams ever to play for a State Championship in Malvern Prep. Malvern was a team with no less than 5 current NCAA Division 1 hockey players played the Dawgs, but coach Plunkett’s team lead by Christian Nickerson completed the dream ride for the Meadville Hockey nation at Ice Line 5-4 in as thrilling of a hockey game as I’ve seen in 36 years. My fondest memory was of Jamie telling me he never thought he’d see it again with a tear in his eye and with his great family by his side on the ice. So here we are in 2007 and the man who drives the Bulldog Hockey program continues the strive for excellence. And trust me, when the Dawgs take the ice, people pay attention as 5 time Pennsylvania Champions Bethel Park coach Jim McVay [who has deservingly been selected to guide 2007 Team Pittsburgh] was in attendance to scout two potential playoff opponents in March, who will try to defeat Bethel Park, who has defeated both Meadville and North Allegheny. The interesting revelation is that when Jamie Plunkett coached his first season at Meadville, Jim McVay was playing on an Upper St Clair club that compled the 2nd perfect season in Pennsylvania Class AAA 4-3 over Malvern Prep, only two years after Conestoga, who was coached by former Upper St Clair coach Taylor Railton, did it in 1985. Plunkett’s Meadville teams completed that feat against Pennsylvania competition no less than five times during the late 80’s and 90’s. So while coach Plunkett coached game # 1000 earlier this season, Jimmy Black has been trying to start a tradition at North Allegheny after leading Pine Richland to the Class AA Pennsylvania title a year ago. The North Allegheny program has long been a successful one, but is looking to put it over the top with a State Championship and its choice of Jimmy Black, Bobby Black and Rich Conlon (a former State Championship player with South Hills Catholic) is a very good one as the Tigers are well on their way to continuing the process of moving toward their 3rd consecutive Penguins Cup final appearance. The Tigers have been Class AAA’s hottest club and have not lost a game on the ice in the regular season since early December. Wes Waldschmidt, whose brothers Billy and Garrett, were strong players for the Tiger program and younger brother Brady is also a member of this years Tigers, has been the catalyst of the NA surge over the past month. And as the NA Hockey Club honored Wes and the other five seniors and in a touch of true sportsmanship, the senior members of the Meadville Bulldogs, one had to wonder what effect this game would have as both clubs are pointing to March and the Class AAA playoffs. The opening period of this contest was a typical North Allegheny – Meadville matchup with tight checking and good action at both ends as both goaltenders Max Richards of NA and Mike Licinski of Meadville were sharp in the early going. North Allegheny carried an advantage in play due to a couple of power plays, but Meadville played strong in their own end limited the Tigers chances. Two giveaways in the defensive zone led to the games opening scores as North Allegheny’s Josh Herbert picked off a clearing attempt and beat Licniski through the 5-hole at 3:38 for a 1-0 lead. It was shortlived as Pat Leone returned the favor with 3:15 to go beating Richards on a wrist shot high to the stick side to knot the score 1-1. North Alllegheny has opportunity after opportunity in the second period with three consecutive power plays at 11:46, 7:37 and 5:31 of the middle period, but Meadville killed all of those penalties and built some significant momentum in the process. Coach Plunkett called a timeout prior to the third penalty and maybe to rest his troops or calm the down or possibly to break NA’s momentum. In any event, it worked and it was almost prophetic as Morgan Nickerson stole the puck at just missed on the back hand at 4:39 and Alex Drelick breakaway attempt was stopped by Max Richards. This game was like a playoff game as the drama built and both teams worked feverously to gain an advantage and the go ahead goal. Meadville would take the lead in this hockey game as Mike Noonan would not be denied poking the loose puck on the doorstep past Max Richards with 7:14 to play. The Tigers had a chance to tie the game immediately following the Dawg goal on another power play, but again Meadville stiffened and held a slim 2-1 lead. Meadville continued to bottle up the Tigers in their own end with excellent forechecking and pressure. The game hit the final minute and a terrific outlet pass to senior Danny Gaertner by the Tiger defense created an odd man break and Gaertner beat the Bulldog defenseman and lofted a shot toward Mike Licinski and defenseman Tyson Stupy was there to pounce on the rebound and beat the Meadville goaltender with just 21 seconds left to tie the score 2-2 with just 21 seconds remaining. The teams battled on through overtime, the best chance coming off the stick of NA’s Donnie Lewis, that just trickled wide of the net after Mike Licinski made the save. The game ended in a 2-2 tie and as both teams appear ready to challenge for the Class AAA title to be decided a month from now and could face each other again in the 2007 Penguins Cup playoffs, The night didn’t end with the game as Plum and Seneca Valley faced off and some more hockey memories flourished. An opportunity through Frankie Valli and at least one of the 4 Spartans, Garry to meet W & J Head Coach and former Pittsburgh Penguin Peter Taglianetti ensued in the lobby and a chance to thank him for an accomplishment that 16 years later still warms all of our hearts when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 1991 and 1992. At this time we really don’t know the future of the Pens, but we all reflected our hope that Mario is able to have a new arena for Pittsburgh, Sidney, Geno, Marc-Andre and the boys can fill our kids memories of Stanley Cups in the coming years and Pa Hockey can continue to bring memories alive for families, players and coaches for years to come!