Ice Hockey
Favorite athlete: Lebron James
Favorite team: Flyers
Favorite memory competing in sports: Winning states
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: Forgetting my bag for a tournament
Music on playlist: Future
Future plans: Continue playing hockey
Words to live by: Anything can happen
One goal before turning 30: To have a house and golf every day
One thing people don’t know about me: I like basketball
By GORDON GLANTZ
With a period to go, there may not have been too many spectators in the partisan crowd at Robert Morris University last Saturday who thought North Penn was going to overcome a 1-0 deficit against state potentate Erie Cathedral Prep.
The Knights, coming off an eruption in the third period to beat SHSHL rival Council Rock South for the coveted Flyers Cup, were not among the doubters.
They know the third period is their period.
Kevin Vaitis, the head coach since 2009, will generally set the tone while the ice is being treated between stanzas and then turn the room over to the team.
“It’s a combination,” said Vaitis. “What I try to do, in situations like that, is to come in and remind the players, ‘You don’t get to this point if you’re not a talented team. We have to stick to our game and play our game.’ But, I always make sure to give them time to talk as well. I talk to them a little bit. I leave, and there are still a few minutes for them to talk amongst themselves.”
Usually a man of few words, senior assistant captain Cole Pluck felt compelled to add his two cents for what were going to be the final 17 minutes of his career.
“There’s really not that much to say,” he explained. “I just said, ‘We still have a whole other period to go. We just need to get some goals.’ We knew we needed to win the third period to win the game. I just said that we needed to get a few goals to win it.”
It was, however, a bit out of character.
He added: “I guess I’m just more of a leader by example but, if I think we are going to lose, I pick them up.”
In all honesty, the senior explained, it was more a matter of when than if the Knights would take over in the state title game.
It was fulfilling a destiny that went beyond the Flyers Cup.
“We were always aiming for the state title this year,” said Pluck. “We even dyed our hair (blonde) for it. We wouldn’t have done that if we didn’t think we had a chance.”
The fourth-year varsity winger is one of three seniors, along with Tommy Sprague and Harris Hunsberger, and he proceeded to play a key role in the four-goal run that brought the Knights their first state crown after their first Flyers Cup.
Added Vaitis: “The big message that we carried over to Saturday, when were down 1-0 going into the third, was about the three seniors – Cole Pluck, Thomas Sprague and Harris Hunsberger. It was about going out there and winning this game for them.”
When that happened, the first thoughts of the coach turned toward Pluck.
“I was beyond ecstatic for them, and for Cole, especially, as four-year varsity player and thinking about what he went through for the first two years and what they were like. To go out on this note as a senior, making North Penn history, it is a huge accomplishment. It was for the entire team, but especially for a senior like Cole to go out that way,” said Vaitis. “There are not many players who get to go out and win their last game as a senior. Cole, and also Tommy and Harris, were able to win their last high school game. That makes it extra special.”
In the Clutch
Pluck, who had a career-best 21 goals and 33 assists in the regular season and 5 goals and 2 helpers in the Flyers Cup tournament, was credited with an assist on what turned out to be the power play game-winner in the state final from point man James Boyle.
“It was great, but I don’t really remember too much about the play now, though,” said Pluck.
Not only was he part of the passing sequence, he then crashed the net and obstructed the view of 6-4 1/2 Erie Cathedral Prep goalie Ian Brown.
While the details are still vague to Pluck, Vaitis says the senior carried out his assignment to perfection.
“We had a power play and his job and was to create traffic in front of the net,” said the coach. “One thing we talked about was getting the goalie to move from post to post and (Boyle) did a nice job of bringing the puck off the wall and shooting around the screen (by Pluck) for the goal.”
The Knights were met with a police escort and plenty of fans as they pulled into the high school parking lot at 1 a.m. Sunday.
It capped off quite a career journey for Pluck.
“It was really fun,” the NP senior said. “My freshman year, we were not too good. It’s good to be better now and winning it all.”
But those rough nights as a freshman are still in his mind.
“I would get into the games,” said Pluck. “I would expect us to lose. We lost just about every game, and it just wasn’t too much fun that year.”
While he was able to play varsity as a freshman and earn valuable experience, taking a regular shift, the Knights struggled mightily.
He had 2 goals and an assist in 13 games as a freshman and improved as a sophomore, with 8 goals and 8 assists, although the team still missed the postseason.
Last season, his junior year, the Knights were back in the playoffs and made a quick appearance in the Flyers Cup, and he had 16 goals and 16 assists and another goal and assist in the postseason.
After a breakout year as senior, no one was happier for him than his coach.
“When he was a freshman, that’s probably when North Penn ice hockey was at its lowest,” said Vaitis. “We didn’t win many games that year. Each year, we got better and better. His sophomore year, we were closer to .500. His junior year, last year, we made it back to the playoffs and the Flyers Cup.
“In terms of his progression, he took on a little bit more responsibility each year. His freshman year was about being able to go out there and compete at the varsity level. Coming into his sophomore year, he saw a little bit more ice time and took on more responsibility.
“His junior year, Cole was playing on special teams. In his senior year, he was playing on our top line and on special teams as well. He was also one of the assistant captains.”
Along the way, Pluck clicked with Sam Norton and Nolan Shingle on the first line.
“We have been playing together for the last two years, so the chemistry between us is pretty good,” said Pluck, who primarily plays on the left side of the unit. “We just play well together. We just work the puck around.”
In the Room
In terms of wearing the “A” on his jersey, Pluck brings his own leadership style to the locker room and on the ice.
“He was a player who was not necessarily one of the most vocal players on the team,” said Vaitis. “He led with a lot of the actions that he took on the ice. You could always count on him to make a big play when you needed it, and the other guys all looked up to him for that.”
A prime example was a big hit in front of the North Penn bench in the state title game at a point when the momentum pendulum was in danger of swinging in the wrong direction.
“The other guys piggyback off of that – whether it’s a big hit, a good defensive play or scoring a goal,” said Vaitis. “In Saturday’s game, he had a big hit in the second period, right by our bench.
“Literally, like two seconds after, another player picked up the puck and Sam (Norton) hit that player. That’s another example where, if you needed something to happen, whether it’s a goal or a hit, he can be that player.”
For Pluck, it was matter of being aware in the moment.
“He was kind of right in front of me, looking backward to get a puck, and it was the perfect spot to hit him,” said Pluck.
The Next Shift
The eldest son of Linda and Jim, Pluck grew up playing all sports – from basketball to golf, and eventually gave up baseball to solely focus on ice hockey and play for North Penn and at the AA club level for Genesis with several of his teammates, past and present.
While Pluck has weighed all options and has yet to make a definitive choice about how he will skate his next shift, the solid student is leaning toward playing college hockey at the club level next year.
“I’m thinking about going to college, but I don’t know which one yet,” said Pluck. “I still have to decide.”
The Knights will be together few more times – as they will be honored by the Flyers, his favorite pro sports team, and then join together at a banquet on April 7.
“That means a lot to these players, and what they accomplished,” said Vaitis.
At that point, Pluck will officially part ways with his teammates but they will share a lifelong bond.
“It’s great that I didn’t lose in my last game in my high school career,” said Pluck, adding that he is going to miss his teammates but plans to hang around as much as he can in an unofficial advisory role. “It’s going to be sad for me, but I’m probably still going to talk to some of these guys. I’ll probably pop into some games next year.”
Next to his parents and his teammates, Pluck extended a debt of gratitude to Vaitis and his staff of Matt Stella, Frank Stumpo, George Watkins and former assistant and middle school coach Steve Galetta.
Even if the Knights go on to make this type of success a regular thing, and there does not appear to be any reason why it can’t be, the 2024-25 squad will always be the first.
And you never forget your first.
Vaitis will never forget Cole Pluck.
“Other players have seen what it takes to compete at this level,” said Vaitis. “They will have to step up and fill those voids.”
