High School Ice Hockey:
Township Pummels Pirates, As Eights Are Wild

Monday, December 20, 1999

By Mike Costantino
SJSports Staff Writer

Washington Township scored eight goals in the second period to blow open a close game and crushed St. John Neumann 12-3 at the Coliseum in a SJHSIHL game played on Monday night. Buddy Anderson (who wears number eight) led the way with two goals and two assists and Township had eight different players score, which has been key for them all year as they are getting contributions from all their lines. Township remained one point behind Clearview for first place in the league that has turned into a two-team race.

Joe Pelle opened the scoring five minutes into the game putting home a rebound of a Derek Poletis shot. Ninety-seconds later on a designed play, Anderson dumped the puck towards center ice and hit Joe Gori in stride and his breakaway goal made it 2-0. Neumann's only answer was Eddie Marker who would score all three goals before being ejected for fighting. Marker's second goal of the period tied the game at 2-2. With forty-eight seconds left in the period, Anderson hit a wide open Steve Brown who deflected the puck in and the period ended with Township up 3-2.

Township began the second period by scoring three goals in a span of two minutes as Eric Marano, Mike Mazzuca and Poletis all tallied and it was 6-2. Marker scored his third goal at the nine-minute mark to bring Neumann to within 6-3, but within a few minutes he was ejected and that ended any chance Neumann had. Billy Verdecchio, Poletis, Marano and Anderson's two goals would make the score 11-3 heading into the last period. With the clock running non-stop, Scott Singer closed out the scoring at 12-3.

Photos by Boog Williams

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