Cardinals close in on tournament final

ICE HOCKEY

By: Tim Falls
   Another win and the Lawrence High School varsity ice hockey team will return to the Hornets Holiday Tournament final.
   The Cardinals won the round-robin tournament held at the Lawrenceville School’s Louck Ice Center last season.
   After handling Hightstown and Ewing, Lawrence only needs to take down Southern Regional in their game at 6 p.m. today (Thursday) to advance to the final on Saturday.
   "We’re starting to really gel," said Lawrence coach Andy Borowsky. "We’ve got three good weeks under our belt and we have a lot momentum going our way."
   The Cardinals are in good shape in the tournament with eight points, just ahead of Southern Regional with seven points. Lawrence gained two points for both wins and also gained a point for each period of play it won. The Cardinals won all three periods in both games to maximize their points.
   A win over Sourthern Regional, along with sending Lawrence to the final, could set up a rematch with West Windsor-Plainsboro North. Though the Cardinals lost to the Knights on Dec. 8, Borowsky felt his Cardinals weren’t really ready and is eager for a second chance.
   Lawrence, which stands 6-3 with losses to the Knights, Steinert and Princeton, has won three straight with the two tournament victories and a 5-3 win over Hamilton.
   Lawrence senior Pat Kowalczyk led the attack against Hamilton with a hat trick, while senior Kevin Gafgen and sophomore Brock Krawczun each added a goal.
   Krawczun and sophomore Tim Finnerty provided three assists each against the Hornets, while Gafgen had an assist as well.
   Lawrence led in shots, 42-14 and junior goalie Matt Azrolan held Hamilton to two first-period goals and one third-period goal with 11 saves.
   The Cardinals may still have been feeling the effects of a 9-2 loss to Princeton from last Monday as Hamilton took an early 2-1 lead in the first period. Lawrence rallied with four goals in the second period to gain control.
   Lawrence didn’t wait to take the lead against Hightstown in the opening round of the holiday tournament.
   The Cardinals gained a four-goal advantage in the first period, added another tally in the second period and scored four more goals in the third period while allowing the Rams just two third-period goals.
   Krawczun led Lawrence with a hat trick and two assists against Hightstown, while Finnerty scored twice and freshman Pat Fedorko, sophomore John Stever, senior Pat Keegan and Kowalczyk all scored once.
   The Cardinals utilized two goalies in the win, with the junior Azrolan recording 14 saves and freshman Brian Azrolan recording 17. Lawrence led in shots, 48-33.
   Borowsky got to play his other goalie, senior Terrence Denauski, in the 10-2 victory over Ewing on Tuesday night. Denauski had 10 saves as Lawrence led in shots, 47-12.
   Kowalczyk made himself an offensive menace with four goals and two assists, while Finnerty had a hat trick and an assist.
   Krawczyn scored and had two assists, while Stever scored and had an assist, Keegan scored and Fedorko, Gafgen and senior Matt Watson all had an assist.
   After taking a one-goal lead in the first period, Lawrence scored five second-period goals and four third-period goals to dismiss Ewing a second time this season.
   "So far, so good," said Borowsky, knowing the true test will be when his team faces Sourthern Regional today. "The captains have been working hard, the whole team has been working hard. Everybody’s been extremely focused."
   Co-captains senior defenders Watson and Gafgen have been a force on the ice along with assistant captains senior forwards Keegan and Kowalczyk.
   "Southern Regional looks like a good hockey team," said Borowsky. "It’s not going to be easy. They’re a team we can definitely beat, as long as we play our game. We won this tournament last year and we want to do it again."