ROXBURY, NJ - The Roxbury High School ice hockey team's season ended this week with a double-overtime loss to West Morris, a game that ranked among the most thrilling high school hockey games in recent years.

The game, at Mennen Sports Arena, was part of the MCSSIHL Haas Division semi-finals. The 11-7 Gaels and 7-8-4 Wolfpack battled through three periods of regulation play and one period of sudden-death overtime before needing a shoot-out to decide the winner.

West Morris took the early lead, scoring the first goal within the first minute of the game. However, the rest of the period found both teams locked in a hard fought, physical battle on the ice with the Wolfpack outpacing the Gaels in shots by 13-7.

SIGNUPSCRIPT

The second period saw the Wolfpack build their lead when they added another goal with 6:50 left in the period. But Roxbury answered with a momentum-changing goal, with 28 seconds left in the period, by sophomore Ryan Van Zile (18), assisted by junior Gavin Barooah (21) and senior Jake Calanni (14).

With West Morris’ lead cut to one goal, the Gaels entered the final period of regulation time re-ignited from their late second period goal. They struck hard and fast.

In the first minute of the period, Calanni scored for the Gaels, assisted by Barooah, to tie the game at 2-2. Three minutes later, Calanni scored again, assisted by senior Stephen Ellison (12) and Van Zile, to give Roxbury its first lead of the night.**BULLSEYE

To the dismay of Roxbury fans enjoying an evening filled with momentum swings for both teams, West Morris scored 20 seconds later to tie the game at 3-3.

For the next 10 minutes, both teams battled valiantly to break the gridlock, but found themselves heading into sudden-death overtime.

Not-So-Sudden OT**STANDARD

As that began, the Gaels and Wolfpack continued their struggle to break through and secure the win. With the Wolfpack continuing to outpace the Gaels in shots, Roxbury’s goalie sophomore Mikey Guadagnino finished overtime play with 40 saves going into the shootout.

The game-culminating last stand lasted six rounds and featured five shooters from each team going up against the opposing goalie. After five rounds of action, the teams were tied with two goals each.

But it was West Morris that put the final goal into the net for the win, more than two hours after the game began.**BULLSEYE

It was an emotional moment for both hockey squads; jubilation on one side of the ice, agony on the other. Both teams were exhausted physically and mentally.

Moments later, the fans saw a display of the best in sportsmanship as West Morris goalie Phil Togno led his teammates to console and congratulate the Roxbury players – many being friends and teammates on travel club teams - in what might turn out to be the game of a lifetime for everyone.

Roxbury was seeded #3 in the Haas Cup race. West Morris Central, the defending Haas Cup champion and the #2 seed, will now take on fourth-seeded Whippany Park, on Feb. 13, for the championship.

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