Plum Victorious in Heart-Pounding Finale

Thursday was a night of real, grueling, impassioned hockey for Plum.

The Mustangs defeated Hempfield in the late-night nail-biter with a final score of 9-7, winning their final game of the regular season.

The Plum varsity hockey team went into the game with a 6-11-2 record, and they needed to win to have a shot in the playoffs.

They took on Hempfield forward Kyle Rosendale, who leads the AAA division in scoring with 42 goals and 22 assists on the season.

Plum's Hunter Brett was up to the task, however, and led the team with five of their nine goals.

"It was a big game, and we really needed to get the win," he said.

The Mustangs, who were on a losing streak up until their last game against North Allegheny, skated out as a more confident team Thursday night at the Kirk S. Nevin Arena in Greensburg.

Brett started off the game with a short-handed goal a little more than four minutes in and followed up a minute and a half later with an even-strength goal.

Tyler Galanis and Cody Cenci contributed the team's two other goals at 4:00 and 1:48 and ended the first period with a score of 4-2.

The Mustangs pulled ahead with a 5-3 lead a little more than four minutes into the second period when Brett shot one past Hempfield goaltender Victor Nichols.

Hempfield took revenge at the 9:26 mark when Plum goaltender Taylor Cestra fell similarly to make a save.

Cenci caught Nichols out of his crease at 9:15 and capitalized on the opportunity. The Spartans responded at 6:19 with a five-hole goal on Cestra, cutting the Mustangs' lead to one with a score of 6-5.

Plum wavered for a while as the team temporarily lost momentum and passes between players stopped connecting, but they pulled together to defend the net during a successful penalty kill toward the end of the period.

The one-goal lead had the team on edge going into the third period, Coach Stu Rulnick said.

The Mustangs didn't get too discouraged, though, and pummeled the Spartans  with shots early in the final period, scoring a power play goal from Brett at 12:24.

Rulnick picked up on Hempfield's strategy of hard dumps into the offensive zone and cut off their game by coaching Cestra to play the puck behind the net.

It didn't shut off the Spartans completely, though, and a hard shot pinged off the crossbar and fell into the net at 10:51, bringing the score to 7-6.

Brett scored an insurance goal to increase their lead to eight at 10:06. Jake Kuhn followed up with a smooth shot into the net with seven minutes remaining.

The Mustangs couldn't celebrate yet, though, as two hooking calls, about a minute apart, resulted in a five on three penalty kill for Plum.

Cestra stood her ground with just three defenders until Hempfield slid one past with four minutes left in the game, making the score 9-7.

The rest of the game was a battle from end to end as the Mustangs fought to hold onto their lead. Hempfield pulled Nichols from the net in the last minute to add an extra attacker but the score held at 9-7.

"It was a lot of back and forth," Brett said.

Plum can now go on to compete in a play-in game for a spot in the playoffs and a chance to win the Penguin Cup.

If Upper St. Clair wins against Penn Trafford Friday night, Plum will most likely play Mt. Lebanon.

"They understand this is it," Rulnick said. "They're focused now."

Reality set in for the team Monday after their defeat against Upper St. Clair at home, he said. The Mustangs had learned news that alumnus Mike Dunlap's health is failing in his battle against brain cancer.

The team signed a jersey for "The Dynamo" Monday night and gathered in a circle before their Tuesday North Allegheny game to have a moment of silence for their friend.

Since then, the Mustangs have played in his honor.

"It makes them appreciate what they have right now," Rulnick said.