High School Ice Hockey:
JV Championships Go To Cherokee And West Deptford

Thursday, March 4, 1999

By Mike Costantino
SJSports Staff Writer

Cherokee rallied from a three-goal deficit to defeat JVB top seed Triton in a shootout 5-4 in the first game of a championship doubleheader played at the Medford Ice Rink. After goals by Reeves, Skomsky and Dornish gave Triton a 3-0 lead in the first five minutes, it seemed that Triton was in complete control.

Late in the first period, Edwards scored for Cherokee to make the score 3-1 heading into the second period. Goals by Redner and Stubbs tied the game for Cherokee at 3-3 as we headed into the third period. The third period was hard fought and tight checking as both teams realized the next goal would be huge, but the period would end scoreless.

With both goalies, Sabol for Cherokee and Folkman for Triton playing flawless, the first and second overtime periods ended still tied at 3-3. The rules for a shootout are simple. Each team has an equal amount of times to score on the goaltenders. After each team had five chances, they each scored one and we were still tied at 4-4. Now with each team getting four chances, Cherokee scored on their last opportunity and Sabol stymied Triton. Cherokee was the JVB champion, although having co-champions wouldn't have been a bad thing.

In the JVA championship, the upstart team from West Deptford used goals by Koch and Curcio to defeat Clearview 2-1. West Deptford got goals from Koch and Curcio midway through the first period and the solid goaltending play of Kozej made them stand. Clearview cut the lead in half as Gardner scored in the last minute of the period and it was 2-1. Despite controlling the play for the next two periods, Clearview outshot West Deptford 20-3 but could not put one by Kozej.

[Jack Anderson provided key information for both championship games.]