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WEST WINDSOR: Change revives Pirates

Cangelosi aids ailing offense

By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
   The veterans on the West Windsor-Plainsboro South ice hockey team sensed a growing urgency in a three-game losing streak.
   So did Joe Cangelosi.
   ”We knew we had to change a couple things,” said Pirates head coach Brian McGurney. “Cangelosi is the only underclassmen who came to me and talked to me about it. Before it got any worse, he wanted to put an end to it.”
   The sophomore forward has certainly done his fair share as the Pirates have rebounded after a loss to Hopewell Valley on Jan. 5 that left them 3-3 with five straight wins before skating to a 4-4 tie with Monroe on Wednesday. Cangelosi had two goals in an 8-2 win over Lawrence on Monday.
   ”I think right now we’re working more as a team and getting stuff done and working harder than what we did toward the beginning of the year,” Cangelosi said. “I think we have to keep going with it and rolling with it and still play hard. The season isn’t over.”
   Not by a long shot, but it could have taken a worse turn if the Pirates didn’t start to turn it on just in time. After switching their lines, two timely wins in the same week after Hopewell turned the tide.
   First, the Pirates trailed Bridgewater-Raritan, 3-0, before rallying for an 8-4 win. Three days later, they handed Wall Township its first loss of the season, 3-1.
   ”We were down 3-0 against Bridgewater and we pulled ourselves together,” Cangelosi said. “We knew Wall would be hard. They were undefeated. Bridgewater and Wall were the best games we played as a team.
   ”We knew those were going to be tough games,” he added. “We had to come out and play our game and we did.”
   With the wins, the stage is set for the remainder of the season. WW-P South plays Lawrence again on Wednesday.
   ”The guys pulled together,” McGurney said. “The unfortunate part is they’ve shown what they’re capable of so there are no excuses for the rest of the season.”
   McGurney has seen the level that his team can play at, and it’s what he will expect the rest of the season. Cangelosi expects the same having seen where the Pirates have come from and where they are now.
   ”I think we’re going into games more focused knowing what we have to do to win,” Cangelosi said. “We’re playing pretty hard. We’re playing a little more physical than we did before. I think that helps.
   ”Those games we lost, we lost by one or two. We were playing well, but we weren’t scoring enough to make us win. I think that motivated us a little more that we could compete with these good teams and come close to beating them.”
   WW-P South has proven to itself now that it can beat good teams. A big boost has been the lift that the line of Cangelosi, Adam Rothman and Nick Wong is giving. They are in their second season together.
   ”That helps us a lot,” Cangelosi said. “We work really well together. We know where each other is on the ice. We just look for each other. Our line had three goals (Monday). Nick Wong was open and we got the puck to him for a goal. We know where each other is.”
   Said McGurney: “They have been our most consistent line this year. I kept them together as freshmen. Even when we had to juggle lines, we don’t touch them. Usually it’s seniors who have been together. They’re sophomores and I won’t touch them.”
   Cangelosi’s role has grown, as has he, in his second year of varsity. He feels more confident and comfortable on the ice.
   ”I think I’m playing a lot better this year than last year,” he said. “I’m getting a little more ice time. If I’m not scoring, I’m passing the puck and letting the other guys on my line score, whatever it takes to get a score and help the team win.”
   McGurney appreciates Cangelosi’s mindset as much as his do-anything attitude. Cangelosi has done all that has been asked.
   ”He listens and knows what his role is,” McGurney said. “He grew a lot this year. He’s not afraid to go into corners. He’s a guy who’ll do the dirty work on that line. He’s been a real, real nice surprise this year.”
   The surprise started with Cangelosi stepping up to tell McGurney when he sensed the team needed a change. Soon after, the Pirates started winning and Joe Cangelosi is ready to do his part to make sure it doesn’t end.
   ”I just hope to keep on doing that for the rest of the games,” he said. “We have to keep doing that. We’re not satisfied. We want to keep going.”