Plum Mustangs - 1989 A

BETHEL PARK - Plum coach Stu Relnick was looking forward to this game with Bethel Park as a measuring stick for his young club, which had reeled off seven consecutive victories after an opening night loss to Franklin Regional. The Mustangs were ranked # 3 in this weeks Post Gazette poll and it seemed worthy of the ranking, but a notch in their belt would be a win over the three time defending state champion. Bethel Park is ranked fourth in the poll after a couple of stumblings against North Hills and Baldwin left the Hawks at 4-1-1, Head coach Jim McVay was looking for his club and maybe some of his leaders to step to the forefront from a stiff challenge from the Mustangs. A very well played first period saw both teams play excellent defensive hockey through the opening ten minutes. Then Plum took an undisciplined penalty at 3:10 of the first and Bethel made them pay as Brandon Hanley scored on the wrist shot through the 5 hole of B.J. Schreib to make it 1-0. Plum came back in the second period as Phil Mains tipped a Danny Coyle shot from the right point past Brian Bakowski to knot the game at 1-1 at 13:47. Plum seemed to be taking the play to the Hawks, but Grady Clingan shot a puck from a wierd angle which hit off Schreibs back and gave Bethel the lead at 10:46 at 2-1. Another undisciplined penalty by Plum led to Hanley walking off the near boards and firing a wrist shot upstairs on the glove side past Schreib at 7:11 on the power play and extended the Bethel lead to 3-1. Just a minute later, Clingan came over the blue line and unleashed a big slapshot past Schrieb to give Bethel a 4-1 lead. J.P. Balson relieved Schreib and played well keeping the Hawks off the board. The Mustangs had a great chance late in the second to get back in the game with a 5 on 3, but Bethel performed some excellent penalty killing and took the starch out of the Mustangs and the score stood at 4-1. In the third period, Bethel Park was up to its old tricks as the Hawks stymied Plum with the territorial advantage and in shots at 10-4. The Mustangs pulled the goalie and Hanley scored on a 180 foot slapshot into an empty net to complete the hat trick and pace BP to a 5-1 victory.