The Monroe Township High School ice hockey team received a boost of confidence.
That shot in the arm came when Monroe defeated Old Bridge High School, 8-3, on Feb. 7 at the Old Bridge Ice Arena.
“This just gives us confidence that we can beat them,” senior right wing Kyle Lange said. “Now we have to continue to do what worked here tonight so that we can beat them again.”
The Falcons were able to get out to a 2-0 lead on goals by senior Austen Poye with 12:08 left in the first period and freshman Vincent Foresta about seven minutes later.
However, it was the crucial five-goal third period that broke the game open for the Falcons.
Lange finished the game with three points, scoring a goal and passing for two assists, while junior Samuel Fishteyn fired in three goals, including the team’s last two in the third period. Fishteyn also scored Monroe’s only goal in the second period with 14:12 left.
“We had a poor first two periods because we just weren’t mentally focused,” Lange said. “But we came out in the third period hard and strong, put the puck in the net and finished our opportunities.”
“I thought we came out with a slow start,” Monroe coach Jerry Minter said. “Usually we’re a little better at moving the puck. The weather conditions didn’t help. It was really foggy, and the ice was slow. But we picked it up in the third, got back to what we do well, and it showed.”
Minter was thrilled that his team had confidence going into the rematch with Old Bridge in the first round of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament on Feb. 12 at the Jersey Shore Arena in Wall.
The Falcons had also defeated Old Bridge on Jan. 19. That tight game resulted in a 3-0 score.
“It definitely helps as a confidence booster,” Minter said after the game on Feb. 7. “But it’s tough. It’s tough to beat a team three times in a year. No matter the sport, the level, it’s tough to beat a team three times in a year. So we need to study up and work on some of the things that didn’t go our way today.”
