Red-hot Raiders skate to Van Cott Cup finals

State playoffs also looming

By: John Beisser
   
   Two games, two shutout victories for the Hillsborough High ice hockey team as the Raiders continue to steamroll their way to a potential White Division championship, which will serve as a prelude to the NJSIAA playoffs.
   On Feb. 12, the Raiders exploded for seven third period goals to break a 0-0 deadlock in defeating Cranford by a 7-0 count at Warinanco Park in Roselle. The victory over the Cougars avenged an early season 2-1 loss to Cranford. On Friday, Hillsborough blanked a stout Chatham team by a 3-0 score to extend its winning streak to four games.
   The victories improved Hillsborough’s record to 13-5-3 overall (11-2-1 in the NJIHL White Division). The Raiders earned the No. 2 seed in the Van Cott Division Playoffs and the accompanying first round bye.
   Hillsborough defeated rival Watchung Hills in the Van Cott semifinals Tuesday to land a spot in Saturday’s championship game. Montclair-Kimberly earned the top seed with a 12-2 division mark, with both defeats coming at the hands of Hillsborough. MKA was set to host the Westfield-Summit winner in the other semifinal.
   The Raiders, 4-1 winners over Watchung Tuesday, will play for the Van Cott Division title on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at South Mountain Arena in West Orange.
   Despite dominating in every statistical category in the first two periods vs. a defensive-minded Cranford team that entered the contest with a 10-9-1 record, the game was knotted in a scoreless tie entering the third. With a 5-3 man-up advantage, Alex Merry broke the tie, tallying a goal off assists by Corey DeFranco and Matt Janos. DeFranco then scored off a Joe Kubrak feed to make it 2-0. The Raiders notched a short-handed goal as Trevor Bierwirth received a well-timed pass from DeFranco and found the net to make it 3-0 and Hillsborough never looked back.
   DeFranco finished with three goals and two assists, Bierwirth added two goals and one assist. Merry chimed in with one goal and one assist, James Nobilio scored a goal while Chris MacPhee had two assists. Hillsborough out-shot Cranford 32-14 and Eric Visnovsky was brilliant in goal once again, stopping all the shots he faced.
   "I thought our guys showed signs of progress in that it was the same blueprint as the first time we played them for awhile there," Verney said. "We didn’t panic, though. They were collapsing their defense and I think they iced the puck about 11 times in the first two periods. But we stayed patient, stayed confident and took care of business in the third period."
   Chatham represented another major challenge on Friday and entered the game with a 12-7-1 record that was achieved against one of the toughest schedules in the state. With the game tied 0-0 after one period, defenseman Sean Burke scored on a well-executed play to make it 1-0. Janos dug the puck out from behind the goal and fed DeFranco, who then hit a cutting Burke in stride and the defenseman showed off his offensive skills by burying the shot in the upper left hand corner of the goal.
   Matt Daugherty made it 2-0 with Bierwirth and John Cohn being credited with the assists. Janos then iced the game with a late goal.
   "Matt’s goal was kind of a fluke as he was just dumping the puck in and it bounced in," Verney said. "But he deserved it because he hit three posts during the game. But, like we tell the guys, he kept plugging away and things have a way of evening out."
   In one of their crispest outings of the season, the Raiders held a commanding 42-23 edge in shots as Visnovsky saved all 23 shots he faced.
   "Eric was outstanding again and this was really a great around effort," said Verney, who was effusive of the play of his defense, comprised of sophomores MacPhee and Cohn, senior Burke and freshman Chris Korenczuk, who is a converted forward.
   "Our four defensemen have been absolutely huge for us, stepping up without Eric Psihoules, who is still out with the shoulder injury," Verney added. "They are playing solid, fundamental hockey."
   Verney said he is hopeful that Psihoules will be back for the Division Championship game Saturday (if Hillsborough won Tuesday’s game) but he probably will be sidelined until the NJSIAA Tournament first round game. The NJSIAA public school seeding meeting was scheduled to take place yesterday (Wednesday) when the Raiders would learn who their opponent is and when the game will be played.
   The way Hillsborough’s playing these days, the Raiders figure to be a tough out for anyone on their schedule.