Ice hockey
By: Mike Molaro
Heading into Monday’s opening round of the Mercer County Ice Hockey Tournament, Hopewell Valley Central High School coach Rob Siris was concerned about how his fourth-seeded squad would react to facing Hamilton, a team the Bulldogs dominated 11-0 earlier this season.
The rookie coach had nothing to worry about, as HoVal (12-5-1) stretched its unbeaten streak to seven games (6-0-1) with a 10-0 triumph over the Hornets that was called after two periods because of the 10-goal rule.
"I was worried about how our guys would respond playing a team that hasn’t won a game," Siris said. "Our tempo was up from the start. We clicked from the beginning.
"The coaching staff wasn’t as concerned about winning the game as we were about how our guys would mentally prepare for the game. The guys were focused from the opening face off to the final buzzer."
Up next for the Bulldogs in the county tournament is a Feb. 23 quarterfinal match-up against Princeton, which HoVal has defeated twice already this year.
HoVal jumped out to a 7-0 lead after one period against Hamilton and held a 33-3 advantage in shots over the two periods. Junior goalie Jake Laurie, who was outstanding in the nets earlier this season while junior Bryan Driver recovered from an injury, earned the shutout.
"The win was nice, but I really liked our defense today," Siris said. "To hold a team to just three shots in two periods says something about how well we played defensively."
Junior forward Gregg Amato continued his superb play with three goals, while sophomore forward Ben Bershad and sophomore forward Alex Laughlin each scored twice. Freshman forward Eric Doran and junior forwards Pete Carroll and Bryan Frank each added a goal.
Frank contributed three assists, while Amato, sophomore forward Charlie Knights, senior forward Tony Baker and Brian DeAngelis each had two assists. Doran and Laughlin also added an assist each.
Amato has been honored by the New Jersey Devils as their Mercer County Player of the Month for January.
Riding that 6-0-1 streak, the Bulldogs are doing it at both ends of the ice.
"The guys are playing well together," Siris said. "This is giving us a chance to play everyone. We are coming together as a team. We are heading in the right direction."
HoVal held off a stubborn Steinert club 3-2 on Feb. 4, as Laughlin netted the game-winning goal with 8:19 remaining. Laughlin and Amato each had a goal and an assist, while sophomore forward Charlie Knights also scored. Driver turned aside 14 Spartan shots for the victory. The Bulldogs held a 2-0 lead before Steinert tied the score.
"We didn’t skate as hard as could in the first and second periods," Siris said. "We talked to the guys after the second period, and we came out strong in the third period. We concentrated on our back checking and staying with the man."
The Bulldogs faced one of their most important games of the season yesterday (Wednesday), when they skated against first-place Notre Dame at Mercer County Park.
With an 8-1-1 record in the Patriot Division of the Colonial Valley Conference, HoVal is 1 ½ games behind the Irish. Notre Dame topped the Bulldogs 11-3 earlier this year but this is definitely a different Bulldog squad.
"That game (11-3) is not reflective of who we are as a team," Siris said. "We had a bad second period in that game. We are looking forward to playing them again."
NOTES: The Bulldogs visit Governor Livingston of Berkley Heights on Friday and take on West Windsor-Plainsboro South next Monday. HoVal on Feb. 18 visits perennial state power Montclair, where Siris was an assistant coach the previous two seasons.
"These next four games are good tests," Siris said. "But I feel we are pretty well prepared."