By: Neil Hay
There’s a reason why it’s called the home ice advantage.
Hightstown hockey coach John Jones felt his team outplayed host Verona in just about all phases of the game last Thursday, but one. And that proved to be the Rams’ fatal flaw as Verona doubled up the Rams 4-2 in the opening round of the state tournament.
In Jones’ view, "We outplayed them. We were just beaten by the home ice advantage."
How so?
"The key to the game was the very lively boards" at South Mountain Arena in South Orange. The host Hillbillies know the boards there, are proficient in passing the puck off the boards, and know how to exploit that advantage to the fullest. The puck zooms off the boards, much faster than visiting teams ever expect.
"The puck would come off the boards hard and fast. We knew that going in," said Jones. "The kids weren’t used to it. It’s hard to adjust to it. I’ve never seen boards like this before."
The Rams, seeded 37th in the tournament, outshot Verona, the 28th seed, by a 31-23 margin. But Verona goalie Henry Doernberg (29 saves) was the difference as he kept the Rams off the scoreboard more than enough times to help his team advance to the next round.
"He might have been the best goalie we’ve seen all year," said Jones.
Hightstown never led in this game. Bryan Jones (from Curtis Schickner) gave the locals a 1-1 tie after one period. Jones scored another in the second period, while the Rams were killing a penalty, to even the score at 2-2. On that play Corey Pinney single-handedly skated around to kill the Verona man-advantage, then found Jones in the high slot, who went in alone on Doernberg to net his second goal of the game on what Jones called a "razzle-dazzle" play.
"I’m not sure I ever saw a penalty kill display like that." But the Hillbillies took a 3-2 lead before the period was over, then iced it with another tally in the final session.
Hightstown goalie Ethan Lippman, completing his first year on skates after making the switch from wrestling, finished with 19 saves.
"Lippman played an average game," said Jones.
With a full year under his belt, Lippman should return next season as a much-improved goalie. Pinney played well in the loss, Bryan Jones played a solid game, and the defense of Schickner, Jeff Scott and Marc Silverman played their usual effective game.
With the loss Hightstown’s season ended at 10-9-2. The Hillbillies improved to 19-5-2, with most of that success garnered at home.
"Of course I am disappointed," said Jones of the outcome of the game and season. "I was very proud of my team and what we accomplished. Our goal was to make states. In the pre-season that was a reach. I’m proud that the kids could attain it.
"Afterwards it was difficult for the seniors," Matt Ciallella, Reuben Alt, and Ryan McCready, "knowing that it was their last game. Ryan was a wonderful addition to the team. He brought a great attitude. He progressed nicely through the season to become a good hockey player."
As for the season, "I was very pleased in terms of what we accomplished with the personnel we had. I was pleased with the kids and their performance, and how they progressed during the season as a team."
Once the premiere team in the CVC, Hightstown now finds itself in the middle of the pack while other programs zoom ahead. Hightstown remains the only CVC team to have made states in every year of the program’s existence. But the Rams have not much else to show for their efforts of late. With only six travel team players, Jones would like to see more area players playing travel hockey before they get to the high school.
"That’s what makes the difference," said Jones. "They do not learn the game before they get into the high school. Hockey is down in the area because the East Windsor PAL program folded several years ago. When the Peddie School rink closed and the program moved to Ice Land, the number of players dwindled. I’d love to see the East Windsor PAL program come back."
And that would be Hightstown’s home ice advantage.
