It all started when Mark saw Sara driving away from their first date before it even started..... Let's back up. Sara & Mark had both played the "online dating" game before, never really having much success. But in May of 2022... something told them it was time to give it another shot. After matching on Bumble over a love of local breweries, Mark asked Sara to meet and watch a Penguin playoff game at Southern Tier Brewery. Sara, as usual, arrived early and parked out front. Mark, as usual, parked at the easiest parking lot available at the casino. When he finally started walking towards the brewery, he saw a girl running away in a Phil Kessel shirt (her "how you'll know it's me"). No, she was not running away or got cold feet. She was parked in a no parking zone:). After finally meeting, Sara informed Mark that if the Penguins lost, it must be a sign, and they couldn't go out again. Lucky for Mark, it was actually the last playoff game the Penguins won.... They bonded over movies and music, the desire to have a partner to go on adventures with, being the "Fun Aunt / Uncle", and eventually, their competitive nature at trivia. It was at their first tivia night, at the Parkway Theater one month into dating, that The M+S Connection was born.