SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 2025
Randolph avoids upset with late rally to defeat Morristown — GAME STORY
Mendham, Mount Olive tri-op battle to rare scoreless tie
Neither Mendham nor Mount Olive-Hopatcong-Hackettstown were able to find the back of the net on Saturday, as the teams played to a 0-0 tie in Halvorsen Division play at Mennen Arena.
Mendham out-shot Mo-Ho-Ha 29-24 in the game, with Mendham’s Brendon Eigner stopping all 24 shots, and Mo-Ho-Ha’s Talon Muscolino making 29 saves. Muscolino made an impressive save of an initial shot and then the following rebound on Mendham’s Denis Nunan late in the second period. Eigner, on the other hand, had a big save on a 2-on-1 midway through the third to keep it scoreless.
Mendham, which was without key players Kacper Lesiak and Brandon Eigner for most of the game (Eigner arrived in the final minute of regulation), was able to earn a point to remain in a tie for first place in the division. It is 7-3-1 overall with a 5-0-1-1 record in the division.
Mo-Ho-Ha dropped to 5-5-2 overall and is in third in the division with a 3-2-2 record. It will next face Montclair on Tuesday. Mendham will face Gill St. Bernard’s on Thursday.
Cummings’ shorthanded heroics lift West Morris over Montville
West Morris erased an early two-goal deficit with three unanswered to earn a 3-2 win over Montville in Halvorsen Division play at Mennen Arena.
Layton Cummings scored a shorthanded goal with 7:06 left in the third period to give West Morris the lead for good. The shorthanded goal came while West Morris was killing off roughly nine minutes of penalty time. About a minute-plus after one penalty, West Morris was given a minor and a major to the same player, so it ultimately had to kill off those penalties consecutively. West Morris was ultimately able to kill it all off to secure the win.
Justin Martinez and Cole Riley each scored to give Montville an early 2-0 lead. But Shiva Kuttikat and Alex Trezza scored 2:48 apart in the second period to tie it up.
West Morris’ Jason Trezza made 39 saves as the Wolfpack improved to 8-5-1 overall with a 6-2 mark in the Halvorsen. It will take on Madison on Monday.
Dylan Hunter made 22 saves for Montville, which dropped to 4-7 overall with a 3-5 record in the division. It will next face Roxbury on Thursday.
Newton-Lenape Valley snaps losing streak
Newton-Lenape Valley ended its six-game losing streak with an 8-2 win over Vernon on Saturday in Haas-Charette Division play at Skylands Ice World.
Sean Lockwood and Kellan Faessinger each scored twice for NLV, which improved to 3-10 overall and a 3-4 record in the division. Ty Dellicker had a goal and two assists, while Joey Gallucci had a goal and an assist and Vince Mancusso dished out two assists. Adam Yacuk made 21 saves in the win.
Klaus Harthaus stopped 66 of 74 shots for Vernon, which is now 0-11 and 0-6 in the division. Jake Chromcik and Mason Heilmann each scored in the loss.
NLV will next face High Point-Wallkill Valley-Kittatinny on Wednesday, while Vernon is set to face Parsippany Regional on Wednesday.
OTHER SCORES
High Point-Wallkill Valley-Kittatinny 4, Mountain Lakes-Boonton 0 (stats not reported)
Watchung Hills 3, Bernards-Somerville-Middlesex 0
E-mail Mike Gurnis at michaelgurnis@gmail.com
Morris-Sussex Hockey Report 