Photo by Tim Burg, Official & Exclusive Plum Booster Photographer.

The Plum Mustangs boys soccer team won the first WPIAL soccer championship in school history with a 2-1 victory over Peters Township in the title game Saturday night. Plum has compiled an outstanding record of 20 wins, 1 loss and 1 tie, while outscoring their opponents an incredible 82 to 12. The Mustangs advance to the PIAA playoffs with their first round game scheduled for 8pm Tuesday night at Gateway High School, where their opponent will be City league champs, Schenley.

In the WPIAL Championship game Plum jumped out to a 1-0 lead with 9:53 left in the first half on a goal by Junior Paul Paradise off of a throw-in by Senior Michael McDade. Plum's All-State Midfielders, Paradise and McDade, controlled the center of the field all the night, as they had done all year.

Less than 3 minutes later Peters Township tied the game following a contoversial obstruction call which gave the Indians an indirect kick inside the box just to the right of the goal. Plum failed to clear the ball before Peters' star forward Chris Wilcox scored. The goal spoiled the bid by sensational Plum goal keeper, Zack Matthews, to record his 14th shut out of the year.

Plum went up for good, when Sophomore Clayton Kubrick scored the game winning goal with 32:51 left in the second half by drilling a shot off of a defender and past the Indian goal keeper.

It was Clayton's second huge goal of the week, as he had scored the only goal of the game in Plum's WPIAL Semi-Final victory over Char Valley.

Plum forwards Brice Lott, Ben Fecik, Anthony Russo and Kubrick continued to break through the Peters defense to create scoring opportunities, but were unable to add an insurance goal.

In the final minutes of the game, the previously unbeaten Peters squad, mounted a series of attacks, but the Mustang defense of Jon Fisher, Matt Fecik and Anthony Della Sala was up to the challenge. Zack Matthews made several acrobatic stops late in the game. Outside midfielders John Kraemer, Nick Russo and Michael Tardio dropped back to contribute defensively and help protect the one goal lead.

It was a total team effort that allowed Plum to earn the WPIAL Class AAA Title. The Plum Soccer Boosters send their best wishes to the Mustangs for continued success as they move on to the PIAA state playoffs.

WHO ARE WE ? PLUM !!!!

The 2005 WPIAL Class AAA Champion Plum Mustangs are:

Seniors - Ben Fecik, Matt Fecik, Jon Fisher, Pat Hanlon, John Kraemer, Jim Lewandowski, Brice Lott, Zack Matthews, Michael McDade, Nick Russo, Michael Tardio, Ricky Yelley

Juniors - Alex Burg, A.J. Pagano, Paul Paradise, Chris Yankoski

Sophomores - Greg Caffas, Michael Cuccaro, Anthony Della Sala, Kevin Hanlon, Matt Kraemer, Clayton Kubrick, Anthony Russo, Jonathan Williams

Freshmen - Marc Bucci, Tyler Condron, Pat Hogan, Tom McElhaney, Evan Phillips, Zack Taylor, Shawn Westerlund, Garth Wise

Coaches: Jeff Nese and Assistant Rick Nese

Athletic Directors: Bob Alpino and Assistant Jeff Wolfe

Athletic Trainer: Angelo Tardio

Principal: Pamela Kinzler