Through the past four seasons which have included some very difficult times for the Parsippany Regional ice hockey program, there has been one constant.
Justin Wellman, the team’s senior goaltender, has been in between the pipes for every game of his four-year career, and has often faced a large volume of shots per game.
And while there haven’t been many wins for this team during this stretch, the senior has certainly done his part in giving his team a legitimate chance to compete on a nightly basis, and on Tuesday against Mount Olive-Hopatcong-Hackettstown, he recorded the 2,500th save of his career.
“Justin has been an absolute ironman for our team, starting and finishing every game the past four seasons; as well as the backbone of our team,” Parsippany Regional coach Anthony Egidio said. “Aside from being incredibly talented, he is hyper-focused in his preparation, a mentor to younger players, and a remarkable leader. The Parsippany Regional Ice Hockey program is in a better place today because Justin competed and led this team for the past four seasons.”
In 18 starts for Parsippany this season, Wellman has an .898 save percentage, which is particularly impressive when you consider the fact that he is facing over 30 shots per game. In fact, he has faced less than 30 shots in a game just once this season- a 20-save shutout in a 2-0 win against West Orange on Jan. 14.
He has kept his team in several games, as while his team holds a 3-14-1 record, four losses have come by two goals or less thanks in large part to his performance in the crease.
His high school career is not over just yet, though, as he still has three regular season games remaining against High Point-Wallkill Valley, Morris Catholic-DePaul, and Newark East Side, as he will look to help his team grab a couple of more wins to finish out the year strong.
The Morris-Sussex Hockey Report 