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Sports

Plum Still in Running For Playoffs: A Father's Perspective

Ron Sakolsky offers his perspective on the Plum varsity hockey team's big win against North Allegheny Tuesday night.

Editor Holly Usher was stuck at home Tuesday after having her wisdom teeth removed, so Plum Hockey father Ron Sakolsky, or "Mr. S" as he is known to his hundreds of social studies students at O'Block Junior High in Plum, stepped up and reported on Tuesday's win against North Allegheny — and who better than someone who has attended every game all these years? Mr. S is the father of assistant captain Cory, a senior.

Tuesday night the Plum Mustangs entered the Airport Arena to avenge a loss recently to the Tigers of North Allegheny and won 5-3.

Before the game started the Mustangs took a knee in their left defensive circle, removing their gloves and laying down their sticks. The team formed a circle and took each others’ hands as they dedicated the game to alumnus Mike “The Dynamo” Dunlap, a former Plum hockey player dealing with stage four cancer.

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The moment of silence was led by senior Cory Sakolsky and junior Hunter Brett who earlier in the day had visited Mike with Coach Stu Rulnick and Coach Jerry Bass.

All of the Mustang family plan to include the Dunlaps and “The Dynamo” in their prayers.

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At the start of the game, Plum came out flying. North Allegheny took an interference penalty at 13:08, and the Mustangs sent a barrage of shots on the Tigers goal, but the goalie stood his ground.

Plum played the game with only four defensemen, and forward Joe Randazzo was scratched due to an injury Monday night.

The purple and gold played a remarkable first period and was without a doubt the best first period of their season. They were absolutely stunning in all aspects of the game.

Plum mounted seven shots on goal only to see North Allegheny score with six seconds left in the period, leaving the Tigers up 1-0.

The second period started off with an North Allegheny goal at 14:55, five seconds in. 

At 13:56, Cody Cenci slammed a rebound off of Nick Cicolini's stick  and ripped the net with a power play goal.

Plum was assessed a two-minute penalty at 12:25 for delay of game on Sakolsky after he blocked a shot and was knocked into the net.

Fortunately, North Allegheny did not score, but after the penalty kill NA took the score to 3-1 with about 10 minutes remaining in the first period.

The Mustangs took advantage of a North Allegheny high-sticking penalty at 8:15. Cicolini scored Plum's second power-play goal, assisted by Tyler Galanis and Cenci. 

On a delayed penalty, Jake Kuhn torpedoed the puck into the net only to have it disallowed by the referees.

Brett entered the center ice circle for his penalty shot, making a daring deek and bringing Plum to a 3-3 tie with the goal.

The magnitude of Plum’s stunning first period flowed into the second with 13 shots on goal.

Once again Plum’s momentum was stymied by a penalty for interference by Cenci. This time though the ‘Stangs would not succumb and number 44 scored his third point of the game with an unassisted short-handed goal.

There was but one tick left on the clock. 

Going into Plum’s best period all year, the third, the Mustangs led 4-3, still short-handed.

Plum’s stampede continued as they killed the penalty. Plum’s fifth goal came off a defensive stop by Sakolsky and a “Murphy pass” to Brett.

Brett’s shot blasted into the upper right corner of the net past the new North Allegheny goalie at 11:53.

The final period was all Mustang domination. After 19 games, the Mustangs demonstrated offensive aggression, defensive tenacity and “brick house” goal-tending.

One game remains in a must-win playoff possibility Thursday night at 9 p.m. at Kirk Nevin versus Hempfield.

Coach Stu gleamed with pride as he discussed the victory as “the first time the team played hard for three periods. They played with desperation and a lot of heart. That is what they need to do.”

More importantly it was very clear that playing the game for Mike “The Dynamo” Dunlap was the ultimate victory. 

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