Ice hockey
By: Jim Green
The Lawrence High School ice hockey team has struggled mightily at times this season. But the Cardinals have proven one thing: They are clearly not one of the Colonial Valley Conference’s weakest programs.
The Cardinals posted their third win in five games last Thursday, defeating lowly Nottingham 5-0 at Mercer County Park. Lawrence (4-12-1 overall) improved its conference record to 4-9 in what likely was its final CVC tilt of the season.
The Cardinals’ previous three wins came against Nottingham (1-13-1), Hamilton (1-16) and Ewing (4-11-1).
"It was good that we beat the teams we should’ve beaten," Lawrence coach Andy Borowsky said. "But we were hoping to beat the teams we weren’t supposed to beat.
"I’m happy we won (against Nottingham). It was good for them (the Cardinals)."
It also was the Cardinals’ first shutout of the season. Junior goalie Dan Katona, who has started since Frank DiBella suffered a muscle injury in early January, made 17 saves.
"This was his (Katona’s) last game of the season," said Borowsky, who plans to give freshman backup goalie Zion Zate the start Tuesday in the Cardinals’ season finale against Red Bank. "It was good he (Katona) got one (a shutout) in his last game."
Lawrence, which outshot Nottingham 26-17, dominated play from the start.
Senior forward Jason Poli began the Cardinals’ onslaught with a wraparound goal 3:31 into the first period. Just over four minutes later, junior defenseman Jordan Astrin flicked a shot on goal from 10 feet inside the blue line that somehow sneaked past Northstars goalie Sean Goodwin, giving Lawrence a 2-0 lead.
Katona made a key save that preserved the two-goal lead with less than six minutes left in the period. And junior defenseman Brad Wham scored with 48.1 seconds left to put Lawrence up 3-0.
Wham had taken a rebounded shot by senior captain Chad Ham and backhanded home the puck a split-second before Nottingham’s goal came off its moorings.
Goodwin turned away several chances for Lawrence to extend its lead early in the second period. But senior forward Jon Aicher broke through with 8:29 to go in the second.
The play started with freshman forward Evan Fruscione digging the puck out of the corner behind Nottingham’s net. Fruscione then delivered a perfect pass to the top of the left circle, and Aicher ripped a shot past Goodwin.
It was Aicher’s team-leading 10th goal of the year.
"I think the seniors realize this is it," Borowsky said. "They see their time running."
The Northstars appeared to answer Aicher’s goal 11 seconds later with a tally of their own. But the officials waved off the goal, ruling a Nottingham player was in the crease.
"It (the shutout) was something in everybody’s mind after that (Nottingham’s apparent goal)," Borowsky said. "I think that woke everybody up. They (the Cardinals) saw the shutout slipping away."
But the Cardinals, who had surrendered single tallies in each of their last two wins against Hamilton and Ewing, were not about to let another shutout opportunity get away. Ham completed the scoring less than two minutes into the final period, unleashing a rocket from along the boards outside the blue line that found the Nottingham net.
Ham, who moved from defenseman to forward early in the season, leads the Cardinals in scoring with 16 points on seven goals and nine assists.
"He (Ham) played great," Borowsky said. "I’ve been telling him to take that shot all year."
Borowsky hopes the Cardinals’ season-ending hot streak will have a carryover effect when his underclassmen begin play next winter.
"This was great for Katona," Borowsky said. "It’s good for (junior forward Mike) Tennant. He’s going to be our leader next year.
"Hopefully, it (the season) will end on a good note."
Several students of the Ben Franklin Elementary School attended the game with their parents. They went to the game to support Borowsky, who is a teacher at Ben Franklin.
"I want to say thank you to them (the students and their parents)," Borowsky said. "They came out to see us in our last (CVC) game. It was good to see them."

