Baldwin Highlanders - 1975 & 1988 AAA

DELMONT ~ Special Report provided by Fox Chapel Hockey The atmosphere was intense coming into the Center Ice Arena in Delmont on Monday night as a divisional rival rematch was in the making. Talk of playoffs and division titles were in the air as Plum and Fox Chapel took the ice to go head to head for the second time this season. Back on December 8th of 2003 Fox Chapel handed Plum their first loss of the season and took over the lead of the division and have had it ever since. Plum looked to stay alive in the division race in this late matchup at 9:20pm. The Foxes came out of the gates flying with a power play goal by Sam Stack to put FC up 1-0. It would take two more goals by FC to wake up the Mustang squad, who after going down 3-0, came out hitting hard and frustrated a relaxes Foxes squad, who started taking penalties. Thats when Plum captain Phil Mains capitalized on the PP on a wrap-around to cut the lead to 2 before the period ended. The start of the second period saw more domination by Plum, while FC captian Jason Kreps put Plum back on the powerplay. Plum's Mains then brought the Mustangs within a goal, 3-2, on another powerplay goal on a giveaway in front of FC goalie Todd Hendry. Fox Chapel would not give in though as FC's sophomore sensation Matt Quigley added his second goal of the evening along with another FC tally to go ahead by three again. Plum bounced back with another goal by Mains for the hat trick on a walk in by himself into the FC cage to make the score 5-3. Shots were all even after 2, 20-20. The third period was all Plum...but no goals. Plum poured on the pressure in the third outshooting the Foxes 12-2. But excellent defense helped protect the delicate 2 goal lead by clearing rebounds away from danger and protecting Hendry. Plum would pull netminder JP Balson with a minute to go but to no avail. FC shut down the Mustang offensive to clinch their first division title since 1996, and their first ever division title in class AAA. Matt Quigley had 3 points on the night (2G, 1A), Phil Mains ended with 3 goals, 2 point nights included Dan Thiessen and Joe Budz. Plum outshot Fox Chapel 30-20. Fox Chapel improves to 17-2-1, Plum is now 12-7-1.