High School Ice Hockey:
Cherokee is Top Chief in JVB, Again

Monday, February 28, 2000

By Bonnie Gould & Mike Costantino
SJSports Special Correspondent & SJSports Staff Writer

The Cherokee Chiefs won their second consecutive JVB championship by defeating Washington Township 6-3 and finished the season 20-0. Shawn Zahaczewski led the Cherokee offense with three goals and an assist, Brandon Gould with a goal and two assists, and Dan Redner with two assists. Mike Duczkowski led Township with two goals. Township would score first as Duczkowski scored on a feed from Steve Overpeck and it was 1-0. That lead would only last two minutes as Cherokee converted on the power play to tie the score at 1-1 as Newt Wallen was set-up by Zahaczewski and Gould.

One minute later Shane English assisted on Zahaczewski's first goal and Cherokee led 2-1. Immediately following the face-off, Duczkowski scored to tie the game at 2-2. Most teams would have panicked, but Cherokee maintained its poise, in part because of their team captains who would score two goals in sixty-one seconds late in the period. First, assistant captain Zahaczewski scored his second of the game to make it 3-2, and then team captain Gould with assistant captain Redner assisting made it 4-2.

Teams would trade goals in the second period, first Zahaczewski completed his hat trick and Cherokee led 5-2. Township would cut the lead to 5-3 as Davidson scored with less than five minutes left in the period. With a two-goal lead and JVB Player of the Year Chris Sabol in nets, Township would get no closer. Bill Goy added an empty net goal in the last minute of the game to complete the 6-3 win for two-time champion Cherokee.