High School Ice Hockey: Cherokee's Buzzer-Beater Hands Township First Loss Friday, January 21, 2005 By Mike Costantino SJSports Staff Writer Lou Sarcone scored on a breakaway as time expired and Cherokee rallied from a 4-3 deficit in the last ninety seconds to defeat Washington Township 5-4 and hand Washington Township their first loss of the season. Fred Brewer led Township with two goals and Pat McMahon scored twice for Cherokee. Brewer scored the only goal of the first period on the power play, picking the top corner. McMahon then scored his two goals in a sixteen second span, his second one on a breakaway to put Cherokee up 2-1 early in the second period. Brewer tied the game at 2-2, again on the power play late in the period on a pass from Andy Rohach. Township had a chance to take the lead midway through the third period, but this time Angelo DiBatista stole the puck at center ice and his short-handed breakaway goal put Cherokee up 3-2. With the home crowd now getting edgy, Township responded with two goals in thirty seconds, one by Chris Keyser to tie the game at 3-3, and then Rohach putting home a rebound of a shot by Rob Hniedziejko for a 4-3 lead. Cherokee got the equalizer from Dan Altieri as he converted a pass from McMahon with less than two minutes left to tie the score at 4-4. Township kept the puck in the Cherokee zone in the final seconds and with Sarcone hanging at center ice, Matt DeLuca fired a pass to center ice and Sarcone raced in and just beat the buzzer for the game winner. Notes: Township faces Moorestown on Monday and needs to win if they expect to finish in first place. Photos by Art Redd