High School Ice Hockey:
Sterling is Knighted JVA Champs

Monday, February 28, 2000

By Mike Costantino
SJSports Staff Writer

Sean Johnson scored three goals, and Steve Marshall and Steve Schmidt each scored twice as the Sterling Knights defeated Delran 7-4 to win the SJHSIHL JVA championship. Sean Johnson paced the attack with three goals, and Steve Marshall and Steve Schmidt each scored twice. Justin Radziemski led Delran with two goals.

Playing without their leading scorer and JVA Player of the Year Brad Livingston, Delran struck first as Radziemski converted a pass from Chris Mirabella to make it 1-0. Schmidt tied the score at 1-1, scoring on the power play with just less than four minutes left in the period. Marshall and Schmidt would then score goals thirty seconds apart in the last minute, and Sterling led 3-1 after one. When Marshall and Johnson scored thirty seconds apart in the first five minutes of the second period to go up 5-1, Delran could have folded up, but to their credit they kept hustling. Finally, their hard work paid off as Chris Mirabella scored on the power play and it was 5-2.

Then with just over two minutes left in the period, Delran went on the power play and a chance to cut into the lead. However, Marshall broke in and fed Johnson and his short-handed goal made it 6-2. Still on the power play, Nitka scored for Delran and it was 6-3. Radziemski scored early in the third to bring Delran to within 6-4. But Sterling goalie Butler made the big save when he had to, and Johnson completed his hat trick with three minutes left to end any hopes of a comeback, to end with a 7-4 final.

Photos by Boog Williams