Plum hockey team rallies after 0-4 start

By: Michael Love
Saturday, January 11, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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The Plum hockey team is on a roll with eight wins in 10 games through an 11-0 rout of Kiski Area on Jan. 6, at Palmer Imaging Arena in Delmont.

Ten Mustangs accounted for the 11 goals, and senior goaltender Landon Gribbin-Horner stopped all nine shots he faced for the shutout.

At 8-6, Plum rallied from an 0-4 start against some of the top teams in Class A.

The Mustangs put themselves in fifth place in the Varsity Class A Gold Division with the stretch run to the PIHL Penguins Cup playoffs in front of them.

“They’ve really come together as a group,” Plum coach Jon Gratton said.

“You can tell how each guy wants everyone else to succeed and how they want to group to succeed. If that means taking a hit and putting the puck in the right area or making a pass instead of taking a shot, the unselfishness and desire to win is there. It is so crucial. That can make all the difference once we get into the playoffs. Everyone will be good, but it comes down to who cares about it the most and who can do it as a team. And that is what I see from our group.”

Plum suffered a 4-0 loss to Chartiers Valley in the season opener, dropped a 3-1 decision to Quaker Valley, fell 2-0 to Blackhawk, and then lost to Chartiers Valley, 3-1, in the rematch.

Those three teams were a combined 33-6 heading into last Thursday’s games.

“There was a constant message that we were pushing and having the guys believe in that message that it was going to come together,” Gratton said.

“The credit goes to the kids because at that age, it is sometimes hard to see the big picture. It’s hard not to live in that moment and live in that defeat. But they trusted in the coaches and the message we were sending out. They never stopped pushing and working hard. Those competitive environments are what kept them there. It wasn’t like we were getting blown out. We knew we had some guys coming back from injury (senior forwards Luca Lapiana and Rylan Schoonover) and some young guys who were finding their varsity legs, and boy, have they ever found them.”

Gratton said having Lapiana and Schoonover out of action put some guys in situations against some really good teams who a lot of people are predicting will be there at the end.

“They got that experience and got it early and often,” Gratton said.

“Now, we’re in a situation where we’ve got all our horses on the ice and healthy, and they’re all taking a step in the right direction.”

Plum broke into the win column for the first time Oct. 28 with an 8-5 win over Greensburg Salem.

The Mustangs again spread the wealth as seven players tallied at least one goal in the victory.

“They needed to taste a win,” Gratton said.

“No matter how positive a loss is and at times, they can be, you just can’t keep losing. It felt like a weight came off our shoulders. There was a little hiccup in Erie, but we really haven’t looked back since.”

That hiccup came in the next game: a 3-2 loss to McDowell.

Plum averaged 6.5 goals a game in its eight wins.

Sophomore Colby Bartos led the Mustangs with 10 goals through 14 games.

He scored four of Plum’s six goals in a 6-2 win over playoff contender Montour on Dec. 16.

Lapiana missed a total of three games, but through his first 11 contests this season, he scored nine goals and assisted on 10 others.

He also is a PIHL all-star for the second time. He was one of three Mustangs selected to play in one of two Class A games Jan. 26 at Robert Morris’ Island Sports Center.

“Luca has earned every bit of it. It’s not a coincidence that he is there again, and it’s not a coincidence that he’s our captain,” Gratton said.

“He lives and breathes hockey and this (Plum team). He puts the time and effort in, and it’s nice to see him rewarded for it.”

Also selected were Gribbin-Horner and sophomore defenseman Joey Massarelli

Bartos and sophomore defenseman Alex Ledonne are all-star alternates.

“It’s awesome that we have five guys going to represent our team,” Gratton said.

“But really, it is a testament to the whole team. Those guys’ individual successes don’t happen without everybody. It’s an honor to be there. They earned it.”

Gratton will serve as a coach for one of the Class A teams.

“It’s about showcasing every kid there,” Gratton said.

“Obviously, you’d like to win the game, but that’s not all of what it’s about. Every kid is talented and deserves to be there. There’s going to be colleges watching and different people watching. It’s about getting them on the ice and putting them in a position to showcase their talents because they’ve earned the right to do that. It’s about having fun on the bench and getting to know these kids and the other coaches and creating those relationships. That is pretty cool.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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