Ice hockey
By: Jim Green
Hopewell Valley Central High School ice hockey coach Mark Kowal knew his team faced a difficult challenge Monday.
The Bulldogs were taking on Colonial Valley Conference Valley Division rival Hightstown in a meaningful regular season tilt just three days after defeating the Rams in the Titans Cup final at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton.
On top of that, the Bulldogs were forced to play without their starting goalie, sophomore Bryan Driver, and one of their top defensemen, junior Nick Colati, both out due to the flu. If the Bulldogs slipped up against the Rams, who entered the game 10-4-1, it hardly would have been a surprise.
But Hopewell Valley came through again, scoring three unanswered goals in the third period to pull out a 5-4 win over Hightstown at Ice Land in Hamilton. The Bulldogs improved to 14-2-1 overall and 10-1-1 in the CVC, one game ahead of West Windsor- Plainsboro North for the Valley Division lead.
"It was especially tough, since we just had a big cup win against the same team," Kowal said. "This is the third time we’ve played them, and we might have to face them again in the county tournament. It’s difficult to beat a good team so many times."
With Driver and Colati out, and sophomore wing Pete Carroll playing while suffering from the flu, Kowal knew he would need a collective team effort to pull out another win over the Rams.
Back-up goalie Marco Solia, a senior, and junior defenseman Colin Disbrow were forced into Kowal’s rotation and charged with helping to keep the high-powered Hightstown offense under control. Solia made 17 saves as the Bulldogs defense held Rams forward Adam Tousant, the CVC leader in goals scored, to a single tally.
"We’re missing a lot of our team," Kowal said. "We had guys who stepped up and filled their roles. That’s the definition of a team."
Through the first two periods, it seemed as though Hopewell Valley might have to be satisfied with winning the Titans Cup final.
Hightstown goalie Dale Sokol made several sparkling saves early to keep Hopewell Valley scoreless, and, with 3:47 left in the period, forward Chris Miller put the Rams on the board with a slapshot from straightaway.
Hopewell Valley responded with two goals in the first nine minutes of the second period to take a short-lived 2-1 lead. Senior forwards Emeka Ogbonna and Jay Rush each had a goal and an assist in the period.
"When you look at the point production, they (Rush and Ogbonna) are playing very well together," Kowal said. "The guys who I think sets everything up is (linemate) Sean Martin."
Rush took over the game early in the third period, scoring twice to put Hopewell Valley up 4-3. Martin then added a breakaway goal that put the Bulldogs up 5-3.
Despite the hat trick from Rush, who leads the CVC in scoring with 61 points on 32 goals and 29 assists, Kowal felt his entire team deserved credit for pulling out the hard-fought victory.
"I don’t know if it was another ‘Jay Rush to the rescue’," Kowal said. "This (Hopewell Valley) was a team that came up with a successful effort to beat a very good team."
Driver made 17 saves, and Ogbonna had two goals and an assist as Bulldogs claimed pulled out the Titans Cup final Saturday.
"We had some unfinished business," Kowal said. "When the horn went off (at the cup final) and we were on top, we finished some of that business."

