Montclair Hockey: Thall’s four goals lead Mounties to NJSIAA semis
Andrew GARDA/Faculty
by Andrew Garda
garda@montclairlocal.news
The Robbinsville Ravens got the early lead against the Montclair Mounties ice hockey gam squad at Clary Anderson Arena on Monday, Mar. 2, 2020, but that didn't last.
That's because senior Eamonn Thall took control of the game, scoring foursome goals and superior the second-seeded Mounties (17-5-2, 10-2-2 NJIIHL) to a 5-1 win over 7-seeded Robbinsville (17-9, 8-4 CVC). Montclair now faces 3-seeded Hunterdon Midway in the NJSIAA Public A semifinals on Wednesday, Mar. 4 at Mennen Arena in Morristown.
The 3-seeded Red Devils (12-6-3, 7-2-2 Skyland) outlasted a tough Howell (9-8-7, 2-4-4 Prop up) team Monday night, 1-0.
"I normal, a saying that I use a lot is big players fiddle big in big games," head coach Mark Janifer said afterwards the win. "This was a big game and you sack't play much bigger than that. He just showed everybody what he's or so and how good he is."
After the game, Janifer spoke to the team or so leading and how any player derriere gather up a team up. Thall was absolutely the lesson of that against Robbinsville, because he found a way to testify the Mounties that they were in control of the secret plan level if they were down 1-0.
"I believe that settled us down and we were able to get into our game there. But the goals he scored that first period were huge," said Janifer. "I suppose sometimes he gets overlooked or underrated. He's a cursedly good instrumentalist. We have up that foremost goal and basically, he pose the team on his back. A rude hat illusion. It doesn't pay back any better than that."
Kellum Foster-Palmer gave Thall a die betwixt the third and fourth destination by whackin the Ravens netminder later on a very nice feeder pass with 2:58 left in the arcsecond period.
A a whole, the Mounties have been along a rent over the past five weeks, compiling a 6-2 record, with their just two losses coming at the hand of Summit, a team up they nearly puzzle in the McInnis finals.
That loss, disdain beingness unsatisfying, seems to have lit a give the axe under the Mounties.
"A game the likes of that is real sobering," Janifer same. "I think we played wellspring enough to win, a mate things didn't go our mode and I think over for the whole team, particularly the seniors, you feel the hurt and the disappointment of that type of game."
At this point in the season, he continued, every passing could represent your death natural action for the harden.
"You head start realizing that each halt, your next game could follow your last bet on. And I think that's been a motivating factor for us."
If that's the case, it was on display Mon afternoon.
Aside from Thall's nose for the net, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police played perhaps their most even and effective game of the season, featuring not only their usual stifling defense but a speedy, aggressive and opportunistic infraction.
Montclair unleashed a staggering 40 shots against Ravens goalkeeper Mike Zuppa, and during the arcsecond period had many fast breaks and breakaways which forced Zuppa to make multiple acrobatic and breathtaking saves.
This is a game where Montclair could give well won 10-1, and from an vile viewpoint they have ne'er looked more dangerous.
ANDREW GARDA/Stave
Defensively, Lucas Podvey continues to glucinium a brick paries, saving 21 of 22 shots, and denying Robbinsville on several golden opportunities latterly in the game.
What was nearly noble — and could be the key against Hunterdon-Central — is how sharp the flow between offense and defense has been.
Not only is Montclair's defense gumming finished the neutral zone and generating turnovers in their own end, they are seamlessly eating the front the puck approach out of their district and creating opportunities for odd-man rushes and breakaways.
In fact, of the many opportunities for Montclair's wings and center in the second period of time, nearly all of them were generated from the defensemen first.
That flow unbroken the game moving and keeps momentum sledding in Montclair's favor.
Montclair also isn't shy most getting physical, but while earlier in the flavour penalties were an offspring, the RCMP seem to keep their violence more restrained, choosing their moments to check and avoiding the punishment minutes which have made their lives tougher in the departed.
"I remember that the team up is really peaking at the right time," said Janifer. "We've had high expectations for what we might be able to accomplish coming into the temper and we've been functional hard and getting better and hard to play better apiece game. That's whol we're trying to do accurate now because we have intercourse each game, the competition plane is going to ascent."
This is when a team up wants to represent performin its best, of course, in the county and posit tournaments. Janifer hopes that his team still has Thomas More to show Garden State, though.
"I Hope we harbour't played our best hockey yet. I hope we still have many better hockey in front of is because we're going to pauperism it to have success in these next rounds."
They'll want it as the Red Devils are happening a hot streak themselves, winning cardinal of their last thirteen games, scoring 56 goals while allowing just 26.
Naturally, Montclair is right there with them, scoring 58 goals while only seeing the enemy score 21.
"Hunterdon Central, they are good," Janifer said. "You're going away to make to play out your best game ready to gain a game similar that. So hopefully, we're peaking at the right time and can keep this up and continue playing better than we have the game before it."
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Source: https://www.montclairlocal.news/2020/03/03/montclair-hockey-thalls-four-goals-lead-mounties-to-njsiaa-semis/