In this season featuring equal parts long runs of excellence and extended periods of ineptitude, the Mt. Lebanon hockey team hopes to stay on the positive side of the see-saw during the most important time of the year.

"That would be nice if we were on a good streak now, I'll tell you that," coach Dave Hornack said with a laugh.

The Blue Devils began their season 3-0-1.

Then lost five consecutive games.

Followed that up with a 4-0-1 stretch.

But promptly finished the regular season by losing seven of eight.

When you consider the Blue Devils won their most recent game, 1-0, against Pine-Richland in a play-in postseason contest Saturday, do they have reason to hope that the type of streak they want -- a wining one -- is to follow?

"I was thinking about that the other day, how our streaks have gone hot and then cold," Hornack said. "I'm not sure why that happens. We only had three real bad games where teams outscored us 4-0 or 5-0, and we've seemed to respond pretty well to that.

"But the playoffs are unique. Everybody's 0-0-0, and we're now in the situation along with every other team that we win or we are done, so we must bring our 'A' game. We better play with some patience, play good, solid defense and keep plugging."

No. 12 seed Mt. Lebanon (9-12-2) plays No. 5 Plum (15-4-3) in a first-round game at 8 tonight at the Valley Sports Complex in New Kensington.

The teams met Jan. 25, and -- fitting for a team that has played 15 of 23 games that had at least one team scoring one or zero goals -- the Blue Devils lost, 1-0.

That was one of the Mustangs' wins during a 12-1-1 stretch it carried into the postseason. Plum is arguably Class AAA's hottest team.

Still, Mt. Lebanon is confident it can win and continue its newest winning streak.

"I feel like we have a very good chance if we play our game," Blue Devils captain Mike Teta said. "If you look at the standings, it seems like we always play the top teams tightly."

It's clear that the Blue Devils' strength this season, when they're playing well, has been goal prevention. During their nine wins, they have allowed only a combined eight goals; in their 12 losses, opponents have scored 48 times.

Factor in the fact that Mt. Lebanon has only one player, senior Douglas Patrick, who has scored double-figures in goals this season (with 16) and only two players who have more than four goals (junior Chris Ford has nine), and it's clear that the Blue Devils must stress defense in order to win.

"I'd say so; we definitely try to," Teta said. "Our coach implies [our formula to win is] we have to score a goal on a rebound or something and then play tight defensively. We've been very good at that, and we know we can rely on [junior Travis Lisowski] because he's a good goalie. He's reliable, and our defense is good, too."

Lisowski, who also plays for the ViperStars organization, finished the season with a goals-against average close to 2.50 and a save percentage of better than .900. He had two shutouts.

"His mental makeup is what makes him the best," Hornack said. "He's strong mentally and knows how to focus himself.

"We had a little sitdown before the Shaler game [the regular-season finale], and he responded well to that. He's a great skater and a good puck-handler and he is real athletic. So that, plus the fact, I think, he's mentally tough and a real student of the game -- he understands goaltending techniques and strategies -- make him as good as he is."

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