The Freehold Township High School ice hockey team is moving on to the state tournament that opens this week.
The Patriots brought their 12-6-2 record into the NJSIAA Public A tournament that started for Freehold Township on Feb. 21. The Patriots, seeded fourth, were scheduled to face 13th-seeded South Brunswick High School at the Jersey Shore Arena in Wall Township.
Freehold Township looks to bounce back from its elimination in the Shore Conference Tournament’s Dowd Cup tournament on Feb. 13 at the Jersey Shore Arena. The Patriots were defeated in the semifinals by Wall High School, 6-1.
“We played good as a team toward the end,” Freehold Township junior right wing Evan McNamara said. “We just need to take the puck and move some bodies more toward the beginning of the game to make it easier for us to win.”
McNamara scored a goal at the 7:05 mark of the first period to cut Wall’s lead at the time to 2-1.
The Patriots advanced to the semifinals when they knocked out Point Pleasant Borough High School, 4-1, on Feb. 7.
Wall fell in the championship game to Manasquan High School by a score of 2-1 on Feb. 15.
Freehold Township will rely on the lessons it learned from its defeat to Wall in the Dowd Cup.
“We played a good team, and it’s going to set the tone to play some other good teams around New Jersey,” McNamara said. “This will be a great way to prepare for that tournament.”