By Mike Gurnis
When it comes to postseason games, you never know who is going to step up and play the role of the hero.
For Roxbury, freshman defenseman Jesse Ambrosi- who had just one point and no goals to his name this season prior to the Haas Cup- is not a name that would have been at the top of anyone’s list to score a championship-winning goal.
But in the Haas Cup, Ambrosi has shined, and for that, Roxbury has its first Cup title of any kind since 2017.
Just 48 hours after scoring his first career goal- a critical goal in a third-period comeback win over Parsippany Regional in the semifinals, Ambrosi struck again, this time ripping home a point shot with 1:44 left to give top-seeded Roxbury the lead in an eventual 4-2 win over second-seeded High Point-Wallkill Valley-Kittatinny in the 26th Haas Cup final at Mennen Arena.
“I stopped the puck, found a lane, shot the puck, and it went in,” Ambrosi said. “
It’s amazing. It’s a once in a lifetime thing. So I’m very, very fulfilled.”
It was the fourth overall Cup title for Roxbury, which won Halvorsen Cup titles in 2016 and 2017, and last won the Haas Cup in 2008. It capped off a perfect run through Haas/Charette division play, as it went a perfect 12-0 in the regular season before winning both its semifinal and final in the Haas Cup.
It wasn’t without its share of adversity, though. During the first week of practice, the team received devastating news when former captain Gavin Barooah- who just graduated last summer- passed away tragically in a car accident.
This whole season was dedicated to his memory, and the team’s will to overcome any obstacle in its way in his honor, shined through in this tournament.
“It means a lot. It shows how much we’ve been through beginning of the season,” senior Ryan Van Zile said. “An incredible loss in the locker room, and it just shows how resilient we are through adversity. It shows all of our hard work, our teamwork and (that) we really built something special in this locker room.”
The team’s resilience was on display on Saturday when it erased a 4-1 deficit with three unanswered goals in four minutes to tie it and eventually win in overtime against Parsippany Regional. It was tested once again in the final, as High Point-Wallkill Valley-Kittatinny took the lead in the third period off a perfect shot from Alex Sonvico with 8:51 to go.
But the Gaels responded almost immediately, as Michael Nelson- who netted the game-winner in Saturday’s semifinal comeback- tied the game just 1:01 later. Then, with 1:44 to go, it was Ambrosi’s point shot that found its way through traffic and into the back of the net to give his team the lead.
It will go down as the Haas Cup-winning goal for Roxbury.
“He deserves it so much,” Van Zile said. “I mean, getting his first career goal in the playoff game, it’s something special. He’s made an impact since day one, and really deserves it with the hard work he’s put in.”
Ambrosi said of the team’s mentality once High Point took the lead: “It’s a 0-0, game. We’ve just got to score. That’s it. 0-0, shoot the puck and hope for a lucky rebound and get it. That’s it.”
Van Zile, by far the team’s leader on offense, had a big performance as well. He was involved in all four goals, finishing with two goals and two assists. He tied the game on a rebound with 1:08 to go in the second period, and then had the primary assist on both Nelson and Ambrosi’s goal in the third.
He capped it off with an empty-net goal with 30 seconds to go.
“I mean, we had that experience from the last game that we just have to keep fighting, put pucks on net, follow our system,” Van Zile. “Listen to coach (Benbow). Jesse (Ambrosi) with another big goal, and I just can’t describe what it feels like right now.”
A team which was playing with a heavy heart all season got to celebrate a championship on Monday evening. When all was said and done, there was no question as to who Roxbury won this game for.
“This game was definitely for (Gavin Barooah),” Ambrosi said. “He’s in our hearts all the time. We said from the beginning of the season, this game, this season, is going to be for Gavin.”
SCORING SUMMARY
First period
HPWK — Brady Reid (Anthony Tokar, Hunter Baker) 5:26
Second period
ROX — Ryan Van Zile 1:08
Third period
HPWK — Alex Sonvico (Anthony Tokar, Hunter Baker) 8:51
ROX — Michael Nelson (Ryan Van Zile, Jesse Ambrosi) 7:50
ROX — Jesse Ambrosi (Ryan Van Zile, Michael Nelson) 1:44
ROX — Ryan Van Zile 0:30 ENG
Shots on goal: Roxbury 34, High Point-Wallkill Valley-Kittatinny 21
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E-mail Mike Gurnis at michaelgurnis@gmail.com
Morris-Sussex Hockey Report 