 High School Ice Hockey:
Third Period Burst Allows Township to Advance
Friday, February 15, 2002
By Mike Costantino
SJSports Staff Writer
Washington Township scored three goals in a span of ninety seconds to break open a close game and defeated Shawnee 5-1 in a quarterfinal elimination game played at Hollydell on Friday. Actually this game was Shawnees' other than that burst in the third period and the last minute of the second period. The first minute of the third was when Township scored there other two goals.
 Shawnee scored the only goal of the first period on their only shot as Bill Hansbury capitalized on the power play when the defenseman fell down. Hansbury would skate down the left side, and as Adam Seczech came out to take away the angle, Hansbury picked the far side top corner just under the crossbar to give Shawnee the 1-0 lead.
Goalie Bill Sutphin kept that lead for Shawnee as he made several point blank saves. But with under one minute remaining in the second period, Townships' Jason Pelle hustled to keep the puck in the zone and fed Chris Keyser in the slot. Pelle's shot beat Sutphin to tie the game at 1-1 after two periods. The third period belonged to Townships' line of Nick Martorano, Mark Capone and Eric Marano as they created havoc in the offensive zone on every shift.
Marano gave Township the lead for good at 2-1 converting a pass from Capone and Martorano fifty-one seconds into the third period. It stood that way until the seven-minute mark when Township pulled away. First Capone broke in and with the defenseman all over him and Sutphin coming out to cut the angle, he slid the puck along the ice and found the long side open and his goal made it 3-1. Then thirty seconds later on the power play, Capone made a nice play at the point to keep the puck in. Marano put the puck on Martorano's stick and his one-timer made it 4-1. Thirty seconds later, Marano was all alone in the slot and his quick shot closed out the scoring at 5-1. Township moves into the semi-finals possibly to face Cinnaminson, a 7-0 winner against Eastern.
Photos by Art Redd
             
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High School Ice Hockey:
