High School Ice Hockey:
Lenape Captures 2nd Place In Final Regular Season Game

Friday, February 12, 1999

By Mike Costantino
SJSports Staff Writer

It came down to the last game of the season, Lenape against Washington Township, in which the winner clinches second and avoids the defending champions and top seed Eastern until the finals. The loser could finish as low as fourth. Lenape used two goals from Salvador and a goal and two assists from McClure to defeat the Minutemen 4-2 at Hollydell on Friday night in a SJHSIHL game.

Despite allowing a shorthanded goal in the first minute to Townships' Steven Brown, trailing 1-0 Lenape used a fierce checking game and physical style. At the six-minute mark, McClure tied the score at 1-1 with Salvador and Jerry Reed assisting. Thirty seconds later, Salvador scored with McClure assisting and Lenape led 2-1. The strong defensive performance led by Reed and the solid goaltending by Sheehan kept Township off the board. Their best opportunity came when Derek Poletis was stoned from point blank range at the end of a power play.

Township seems to be a team that has lost some of its fire since being either in first or one point behind for most of the year. They have stumbled their last few games and don't appear to be playing with the same tenacity they had been in December. They need their top players, Poletis and Joe Gori, to spend more time on the ice and less in the penalty box if Township is going to advance in the playoffs.

Lenape scored in the first minute of the second period as Reed scored on a rebound following a great individual effort by McClure and a 3-1 lead. When Sheehan stopped Gori and Poletis on a 2-on-1 at the six-minute mark, the defense and forwards continued their hard hitting. A few minutes later Salvador scored his second of the game and Lenape led 4-1. The third period featured a total of eight penalties, five by Township, and they could not generate much offense as they spent half the period shorthanded. With less than a minute left in the game, Joe Gori scored on the powerplay and it was 4-2 but it was too little too late.