High School Ice Hockey:
Wiedmann Preserves Tie For Collingswood

Monday, January 24, 2000

By Mike Costantino
SJSports Staff Writer

Collingswood and Cherokee played to 4-4 tie, thanks mainly for two saves on separate breakaways made by Collingswood goalie Wiedmann in the final minute. Pat Henderson opened the scoring for Cherokee converting a pass from Pat Birney and the 1-0 lead. Collingswood tied the score at 1-1 three minutes later as Joe Pavlow set up Cairns. Cherokee responded quickly as Frank Lord gave his team a 2-1 lead on a feed from Rich Gould. With less than two minutes left in the period, Collingswood converted on the power play as Smitley scored with Eric Sooy assisting and we were tied at 2-2.

Henderson' power play goal at the ten-minute mark on a nice set-up from Kyle Kelly and Paul Caruso gave Cherokee the 3-2 lead. But twenty seconds later Mahoney scored for Collingswood, and we were tied at 3-3 heading into the third period. When Adams gave Collingswood their first lead at 4-3 just fifty seconds into the third, it was Cherokees' turn to respond. And they did just that, with just over nine minutes left Kelly tied the game at 4-4 on a pass from Henderson.

Both teams had chances over the next few minutes but neither could capitalize, and Collingswood got a huge break as they spent the last three minutes of the game on the power play. But it was Cherokee that had two breakaways for the win, first by Caruso and then by Henderson in the final seconds and Wiedmann stopped both to preserve the tie.

Photos by Art Redd