High School Ice Hockey:
Clearview Wins in Overtime to Tie Series

Thursday, March 2, 2000

By Mike Costantino
SJSports Staff Writer

Gunnar Fox scored with sixty-seven seconds left in the first overtime, as Clearview defeated Washington Township 7-6 to even the SJHSIHL championship series at one win apiece. The loss was the first of the season for Township and spoiled their comeback from a four-goal deficit. The Gooch brothers paced the Clearview attack as Mike scored three and brother Dave added two. For Township, Joe Gori scored three and Eric Marano added two.

Gori opened the scoring at the forty-two second mark, as he sped up the left side and the puck seemed to change direction and fool goaltender Jared Weisenbach. Gooch tied the game at 1-1 as Township goalie Derek Lucas was handcuffed on a dump-in, and Gooch jumped on the loose puck and fired into an empty net. Both teams would trade power play goals later in the period, Marano for Township and Gooch for Clearview and the period ended at 2-2.

The second period was all Clearview as they scored four unanswered goals. Gooch completed his hat trick on the power play at the eleven-minute mark to make it 3-2. Two minutes later, again on the power play, Fox deflected a shot from the point by Mike Gooch and it was 4-2. Dave Gooch would score the next two goals, first on a great pass from John Meenan that led to a breakaway, and then with twenty-nine seconds left in the period on a feed from brother Mike and the period ended with Clearview up 6-2.

Just as the second was all Clearview, the third was all Township's. Marano scored on the power play in the first minute on a nice feed from Gori and Joe Pelle. Gori made it 6-4 two minutes later again from Pelle, this came ten seconds after the referee had waved off an apparent Township goal due to the net being dislodged. Gori completed his hat trick with ten minutes left in the game and it was 6-5. With the goalie pulled in the final seconds, Derek Poletis jammed in a rebound of Steve Brown's shot and the game was tied at 6-6. In overtime, Township carried most of the play and generated five shots, but it was Fox who broke down the right side and shot from the top of the circle that gave Clearview a chance at their first title.

Game three is next Wednesday night March 8th at Hollydell.

Photos by Art Redd

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