Archbishop Ryan Raiders

NEW KENSINGTON – Plum has been through the ringer in the second half of the 2003-2004 season with losses to contenders Meadville, Mt Lebanon, Bethel Park and Monday night’s division clinching loss to Fox Chapel, where the Mustangs outshot the Foxes, but came up short on the scoreboard 5-3 with an empty net goal. What Head Coach Stu Relnick is more concerned right now is securing a playoff berth and a home ice berth in the playoffs and Plum is currently sitting in 9th place in the overall standings, which would send them on the road. Shaler coach Ron Steedle has a different theory and he only could dream of having Plum assistant coach Mike Sargo [who scored over 100 goals in leading Gateway to the WPIHL AAA crown and Penguins Cup Semi-Finals in 1996] suit up in Shaler Blue and White or maybe borrow Travis Senchur for a half of season, the Titans could have capitalized during the unreal ten one-goal games in which Shaler and they would be talking about home ice advantage in the playoffs and not just trying to survive and avoid a first round trip to Meadville or Mt Lebanon, which equates to Siberia for Titans. Shaler has lost twice to Plum, 5-1 in St Margaret’s and a 5-0 whitewash in November and was looking to measure its progress over the season’s 2nd half. Shaler came out and took the play to Plum in the first period pressuring the Mustangs which would result in the opening goal as Graham Papciak on his off wing beat J.P. Balson low on the ice at 5:26 for a 1-0 Shaler lead. Then the Titans were whistled for hauling down a Plum player in the slot and the Mustangs capitalized on Shaler’s inability to clear the puck. Travis Senchur blasted a slapshot high over the shoulder of Ben Burns with 2:48 remaining in the first. Plum took the lead at 11:14 of the second period as Senchur took a Jonathon Smith feed and beat Burns between the legs for a 2-1 Mustang advantage. The Titans came back and tied the scored as John Shannon’s shot was like a pinball off defenseman and legs and sticks and ultimately J.P. Balson to knot the score at two apiece with 6:09 remaining in the middle period. The Mustangs would answer as Mike Dunlap would take advantage of a Shaler defensive meltdown in its own zone and beat Burns with exactly five minutes remaining in the middle frame. On to the third period and both teams had several chances to score but it was Shaler once again who had the better chances late in the game, but could not beat J.P. Balson who stopped 27 of 29 shots on the evening. Jim Rouda had a wide open net and the puck just would not go in for Shaler, who pulled the goalie and watched Josh Huber’s shot in the final seconds ring off the post and Plum held on for a 3-2 victory at the Palladium at Parnassus.