High School Ice Hockey:
Washington Twp. and Eastern Battle to a Tie

Sunday, October 18, 1998

By Rick Murro
SJSports Special Correspondent

On Sunday night, the Washington Township JV League team played its first league game against a powerful and tenacious Eastern Club. This game had all the makings of a great contest and neither team would disappoint their fans. In a penalty-filled up and down game, skating and hard hitting was the key for both clubs.

Eastern was the first to tally on an unassisted goal from T.J. Connoly. Shortly following Connoly's goal, Eastern scored again with a goal from Mike Mazer with the assist from Chris Singer and Jeff Cardamone. Washington Township answered with two quick goals of their own when Chris Andrews scored with 1:17 remaining in the first period. The assist went to Ken Condit. Al Anderson scored for Township fifty seconds later to tie the game at 2-2.

The second period proved to be as rough as the first with both teams fighting hard for an edge. At 12:50, Ben Copperman scored for Eastern to put the Vikings up by one. Hard hitting prevailed for most of the period until Mike Marmero put Eastern up by 2 with 5:30 remaining in the second. Township didn't let up, and their hard work in the corners finally paid off with a pretty goal scored by Mike Mazzucca at 4:58. Eric DeFiere for Township capped off the period with the equalizer goal with 0:34 left to knot the game again at 4-4.

The third period of this game will probably be the hardest fought period these two teams will ever play. End to end action was the theme for this entire game, but the final period was the best period of hockey yet.

Eastern and Township were not strangers to the penalty box in this period with almost fifty minutes in penalties. Players from both clubs threw their weight around to try and get an advantage anyway they could. A break finally came at 9:43 when DeFiere scored unassisted to put Township up by a goal. Eastern answered the bell at 6:42 when Mazer scored his second goal of the evening to tie the game up once again. The closing 2 minutes of the third period was some of the best hockey played in this young season, with each team fighting for numerous chances to score only to be denied by a great defensive play or goalie glove save. The break came for Township with 1:35 left in the game when Al Anderson, with an assist from Tom Nicoletti, wristed a shot past the Vikings goaltender to put Township up by a goal. With a little more than a minute left, Eastern's forward Brett Pitchetti scored to tie the game. Connoly was accredited with the assist.

Even though this game ended in a tie, both teams played excellent hockey and will meet two more times in league play this year, Sunday, December 6th at 5:45 PM at the Coliseum and Sunday, January 10th at 7:30 PM at Holleydell. Washington Township's next game will be played on Sunday, October 25th at 6:45 PM at Twin Rinks of Pennsauken against Shawnee.

Photos by Art Redd