Montclair Hockey: Mounties fall in NJSIAA finals OT heart-breaker, 3-2
by Andrew Garda
garda@montclairlocal.news
NEWARK— Sometimes eve when you execute everything right, things get into't go your way.
That was the encase for the No. 2-planted Montclair High Cultivate hockey team as they fell to defensive champion and meridian-seeded Morris Knolls 3-2 in extra time of the NJSIAA In the public eye A tourney at the Prudential Focus on Monday, March 9.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police battled hard whol game long against a tough Golden Eagles team, and a huge reason they were competent to withstand the arcsecond and third catamenia, when they were outshot 23-18, was goaltender Lucas Podvey.
A atomic number 2 had all season, Podvey stood on his head, fashioning one physical process save after another, including a break off connected a penalty shot by MK's Jason Kwestel in the closing seconds of the second historic period to save a 1-1 association.
Contempt that, Kwestel got his retaliate in overtime, as a defenseman knocked the stand of Podvey's hands and the Gouverneur Morris Knoll forward deflected a shot by teammate Dylan Idland past the Mounties netminder to win the game.
Podvey successful No excuses to his coach, Mark Janifer, who didn't even cognise his netminder had unregenerated the stick until a media member told him.
"That tells you everything about who he is," Janifer said. "Someone else would receive jumped on that, "OH coach I didn't have a stick." But Lucas didn't say a Son."
Janifer said he knew his goalie was hurting, but he was also predestined Podvey is aware of how much atomic number 2 has meant to this team not honorable this temper, but throughout his career.
ANDREW GARDA/Stave
"He's just had a great career. For two age like a sho, he's been our starter and I likely can't count on two hands the number of times he's either saved a unfit operating room kept the States in the game so we could win," Janifer said. "Even up tonight, saving the penalty pellet, you have it off, just big keep after big save, always liberal us a chance to win. I think he understands what he meant to this team. I wear't think it was any secret from whatever of the coaches or from any of the players. And not just in the goal, but in the locker room, in the weight way, you know, just being a leader, not just organism a slap-up goalie."
Much anything, Janifer was disappointed for the seniors, like Podvey.
"[I'm] obviously very disappointed and I'm most thwarted for the seniors. I think it's another back [where] they played their hearts unconscious. Kel [Foster-Palmer] ready-made plays, Podvey made plays. Yeah, I just wish there was a way we could have got a profits for them. They put such pith and soul into this team up and they've been such great class leaders for U.S.. It would have been nice for them to pop off out that way."
Along with Podvey's goaltending, the hallmark of the Mounties this time of year has been resiliency, which they once once more showed Monday.
The Mounties took the go on a George Osterberg power-play end, off a pretty Brett Janifer pass, just 19 seconds later, Kwestel slipped behind the defense to receive a pass and has a unfastened shot at Podvey, tying the game at 1-1.
In the third period, MK's Jake Quinn ground himself alone in the slot and beat Podvey high stick-side to give his team a 2-1 run with 6:09 to go in the spunky.
The Mounties didn't hang their heads, however, and Brett Janifer would go coast-to-coast, beating starter goalie Elliott Marken top shelf to even the mettlesome 2-2 with barely four minutes left in the pun.
ANDREW GARDA/STAFF
Montclair would sound on a squeeze when a Robert Morris Knolls player was tagged for a 5-minute major penalty. Montclair was incapable to score in the death two minutes of the third base, and then struggled to give offense during the rest of information technology in overtime.
Then Morris Knolls flipped the shabu, Podvey had his put forward kicked out of his hand and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police fell just a little short.
"I think all twelvemonth, this has been a very resilient squad," aforesaid Janifer. "Peculiarly the beginning of the season, when…we were start out slow almost of our games. And as bad as that was I think…it built into us a kind of mentality that we could forever return. We weren't going to stop fighting until that final whistle blew. And I think you saw that again tonight. If there were many time along the clock after that destination we would deliver come back again, but there wasn't enough time.
While time did feed out on the Mounties Mon, Janifer said he couldn't cost prouder of his team.
"You know, one of the things going into the game I really wanted was for us to flirt our best. To have a good game and then let the chips fall where they crepuscule," the coach said. "And, I believe that's what happened. If we had gotten one or two bounces here or there, yeah, we could have been celebrating. But I thought we played a very good brave so from that standpoint, in that respect's none regrets.
Piece the glass and spotlight ne'er looked too big for the Mounties, Morris Knolls had the experience of being along this stage Montclair had not.
Janifer same helium thinks it did have an touch on, only one his squad now has going forward.
"I think [an advantage] Morris Knolls had going into this game was just the fact that they had the experience. They've been here before. They know the hale routine, you know, the kids wouldn't be in awe of the building or exist stolen aback by anything that was going on," Janifer said. "And so, you know acquiring here I think is a big sell. I think it's invaluable."
Janifer also had praise for the fan support MHS has received this mollify. The student section has been especially passionate, and the school jointly four buses to admit kids to "The Rock" for the game, while lacrosse put tryouts on hold to support the members of their team up skating for Montclair.
ANDREW GARDA/STAFF
"One of the things that was really heartening for me and for the team was just seeing the reply that the community of interests had round their achiever and how they were playing," said Janifer. "From the student body approaching out, to people in the community coming out, to alumni texting, writing [players]. The support that they've gotten and the inflammation that was generated in the community was unpaid and hopefully, you have sex, this is the beginning. Hopefully we'll be back down present presently and with another chance to win information technology and bring one home."
As disappointing as Mon's loss was, the Mounties have a tremendous total to be proud of. An 18-6-2 record, 10-2-2 in the NJIIHL, appearances in both the County and Body politic finals, both of which saw them battle into extra time against very good teams.
Janifer understands information technology leave be hard to fancy nowadays, but he thinks his team will one of these days appreciate what they accomplished.
"You recognise, when you set your goals high, sometimes they don't necessarily come true, but you buzz off beautiful highschool smooth though you don't get in," He aforesaid. "Eastern Samoa opposed to setting your goals low and achieving them. We set our goals high there. We didn't quite accomplish them but we got pretty utmost. We got jolly far."
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https://www.montclairlocal.news/2020/03/10/montclair-hockey-mounties-njsiaa-public-a-2020/
Source: https://www.montclairlocal.news/2020/03/10/montclair-hockey-mounties-njsiaa-public-a-2020/