OFFENSIVE MINDED: During the Rams’ 4-3 overtime loss to Monroe in the NJSIAA South Public tournament on February 24, senior Nicolas Wheeler of Southern Regional skates around the blue line and fights a defender for the puck. (Images courtesy of David Biggy)
It was tumultuous, back-and-forth, and everything an ice hockey fan might hope for from a match between two very comparable teams. Graham Borg, the head coach, will ultimately have to wait another season to see if his squad can win a game in the state tournament.
I have yet to receive that first one. After his Southern Regional team lost to Monroe 4-3 in overtime in the opening round of the NJSIAA South Public tournament on February 24, Borg commented, “It’s been five years, and we were a little closer to getting it this year than in the previous four, but it didn’t happen for us.” Despite a few setbacks, we had a successful season overall. Perhaps this could have been a home game as a higher ranked club if we had defeated a few of the teams we believed we should have defeated. Ultimately, you play the hand that is given to you.
By the end of regulation, the eighth-seeded Falcons (13-6-1) and ninth-seeded Rams (14-9-1) were tied 3-3, but with 3:01 remaining in overtime, Cameron Schwartz delivered the game-winning solo.
We were aware that we needed to stop him. “He’s a good player and their big gun,” Borg added. For the majority of the game, we were able to keep him out of the game, but he came up with a fantastic play in overtime.
A few minutes after the Rams had multiple chances to win, Southern fired a couple shots at rival goalie Peyton Million during a power play that Monroe stopped with roughly six minutes remaining. A defenceman just outside the Rams’ blue line sent a puck to Schwartz.
CLEAR IT OUT: In the second period of the Rams’ defeat by Monroe in the opening round of the state tournament, Southern senior goalie McLein Barenbaum blocks a shot on goal.
With a backhand spin move to the outside, Schwartz gained the attack as a Southern forward came close. He then zigzagged by multiple defenders who were attempting to check the puck away. Schwartz beat the final defenseman and sent the Falcons to the next round by putting a wrist shot past Southern goalie McLein Barenbaum’s glove.
Between the third period and overtime, I instructed the players to focus on our zone first and allow our defense to develop our attack, Borg stated. The play began with failing to pick him up in the neutral zone, but it concluded with the puck in the goal. He managed to get through the cracks even though we didn’t put a body on him.
The Rams performed admirably in responding to Monroe’s scoring punches and bouncing back throughout the game.
With 9:57 remaining in the second period, Callie Siek scored her first goal of the season after Andrew Buda played the puck behind the goal line after Schwartz gave the Falcons a 1-0 lead in the first period. Southern’s Aidan Ruiz then played the puck forward on an offensive zone face-off.
Monroe grabbed the lead with a power play goal approximately four minutes later, but Santino Vilardi carried the puck across the left circle and then passed it to Nicolas Wheeler, who beat a defender into the slot and chipped in a shot to tie the score at two.
NOT QUITE: In the third period, Southern Regional forward Santino Vilardi almost gets his stick on the puck before the opposing goalie sweeps it away.
About 30 seconds later, Ruiz was whistled for a boarding penalty, giving Monroe a man advantage for five minutes, which made things a little shaky for the Rams. The Falcons scored to make it 3-2 with precisely three minutes remaining in the period. But when the third period began, Southern was able to kill the remaining portion of the penalty, and with 8:50 remaining, Buda and Vilardi set up Wheeler for the Rams’ third goal.
Borg remarked, “I would have said you’re crazy if you had told me before the game that’s how it would go, with Nic scoring twice and Callie getting her first of the season.” However, they took over and had significant responsibilities to play today. Their shots were effective. Naturally, Buda and Ruiz also had opportunities, but their goalie managed to make the saves.
Buda, the Rams’ career scoring leader, who finished with 88 goals over four seasons and 44 goals this season, intercepted a cross-ice pass near the Monroe blue line with less than 20 seconds remaining in regulation. He skated into the slot with a chance to win the game, but Million made a poke-check save to force overtime.
“This was just a fantastic group of kids, and we had a winning season,” Borg remarked. They were incredibly easy to coach and the perfect teammates. It was wonderful to spend another season with our locker room community, which is full of kind and courteous people. It goes without saying that we will miss the seniors who are leaving. This team has some capable captains.
A Southern Senior Wins Another Track Title with Style
For the third time in his remarkable career, Southern Regional senior Cole Cramer has won a NJSIAA Group 4 championship.
Following his first-place finish in the preliminary indoor track races held on February 23 at the John Bennett Center in Toms River, Cramer won the group title by replicating his scorching pace of 6.32 seconds in the final.
Daniel Tobia of Hillsborough and M.J. Lincoln of Lenape were Cramer’s closest rivals, both finishing in 6.45 seconds, barely ahead of Washington Township’s John Santor, who came in fourth in 6.48 seconds. Nile Thony of Piscataway, who finished fifth in 6.50 seconds, was second to Cramer in the qualifying heat.
Senior Kyle Skiendzielewski finished first among the Rams, finishing 10th overall in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 9:53.13. Regretfully, none of the other Rams placed in the top six in their respective events. With a maximum score of 45 feet, 3 inches, classmate Kody Wagner placed 13th in the shot put, while senior Ansh Sharma finished 17th with a best score of 42 feet, 10 inches. Garron Smith, a sophomore who was 11 feet 6 inches tall, finished 13th in the pole vault as well.
The only Southern Regional girls to place in the top six at the Group 4 competition were Isabella Millard, Carly Murray, Emma Ortiz, and Adrianna Zitzner. They placed fifth with a personal best time of 4:06.50 and qualified for the competition of Champions. Junior Kodi Mikuletzky placed 18th in the shot put competition for the females as well, with a distance of 32 feet, 1 inch.
Pinelands Regional junior Katie Dillinger placed seventh in the high jump, topping 5 feet, 2 inches, and proceeded to the season finale in Group 2. Daneilla Holley, a senior at Barnegat, placed ninth in the high jump after clearing the 5-2 mark. In the shot throw, Barnegat junior Elizabeth Buschiazzo finished in 10th place at 32 feet, 7 inches, while in the 1,600-meter run, freshman Angelina Colavita finished in 10th place with a time of 5:30.15.
Trevor Barchetto, a junior, was the only Pinelands guy competing in the Group 2 event. He broke the 12-foot mark in the pole vault and finished in 11th place overall, setting a new school record.
Wrestling Finals Exclude Southern Girls
For the first time in a number of years, none of the eight Rams qualified for the state championship tournament held in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall on February 23. The NJSIAA South Jersey Regional girls wrestling tournament wasn’t kind to Southern Regional’s team.
The closest to leaving the region was sophomore Mikayla Vigilante, who advanced to the third-place match at 120 pounds before losing. Only the top three in each weight class advanced this year, as opposed to the previous two seasons when the top four did.
After receiving a first-round bye, Vigilante (19-11) advanced to the quarterfinals by pinning Makiyah Harris of Moorestown in 53 seconds, where she defeated Alyssa Orsino of Hammonton in 3:01. But then Vigilante ran into Clayton’s Sophia Holmes, who sent Vigilante into the wrestleback rounds after winning the semifinals match with a pin in 5:01.
Vigilante advanced to the third-place match after defeating Grace O Neill of Toms River East by pin in 2:49. However, she was defeated 4-3 in overtime by Samirah Duran of Egg Harbor.
Shae-Lyn Guido, a freshman weighing 114 pounds, too had a strong run, making it to the semifinals before being sent to the wrestlebacks. Guido advanced to the quarterfinals after first pinning Ocean City’s Abigail Milk in 1:43 and then defeating Delsea’s Adison Hughes in 1:24 in the second round. In 5:01, she defeated A.P. Schalick’s Athena Ebert.
In the semifinals, Guido went up against Kloi Tighe of Gloucester City and, after a fierce fight, lost 3-2. Guido, who finished 24-9 for the season, was pinned by Sophia Reyes of Eastern in 2:49 during the wrestleback semifinals.
In her first fight of the day, sophomore Mary Dymar defeated TRE’s Joanna Moore in 1:01 to go to the quarterfinals. However, Rancocas Valley’s Jeveah Turner defeated Dymar in 1:46 to send her down to the wrestlebacks. Denise Valencia of Maple Shade pinned Dymar in 2:10 after Dymar had pinned Margaret Armstrong of Willingboro in a scorching 19 seconds.
Emily Ramon Aquino, a junior, advanced to the quarterfinals as well before losing to the wrestlebacks. The top-seeded and eventual area champion Jade Hahn of Central Regional pinned Aquino in 1:29 after Aquino had first pinned Kingsway’s Fanta Kallon in 2:51 of the 185-pound second round. Aquino fell to Tatiyonn Crawford of Pemberton in the quarterfinals of the wrestlebacks after being pinned in 2:33.
Regarding the other Rams, freshman Hailey Schweigart defeated Overbrook’s Zoe Torraya in 2:38 to win her first 107-pound fight of the day. When Pitman’s Skylar Lawrence delivered her a 3:00 pin, she ended her tournament run. At 100 pounds, freshman Mia Kraft lost a 6-2 decision to West Deptford s Deysi Mauro Cortez in the first round, while senior Sydney Ward s career came to an end in the 132-pound first round, as she was pinned by Delsea s Sofia Vazquez in 5:18.
At 138 pounds, sophomore Samantha Jillson was sent home in the second round following a 1:26 pin to Manchester s Iyanna McCombs, while freshman Tianna Tapia-Mendez lost in the first round at 145 pounds, dropping a 9-3 decision to Cherry Hill East s Gianna Lopez. Lindsey McDermott had her freshman season conclude with a 1:34 pin against Gloucester City s Catalina Santiago.
As a team, Southern ended in ninth place with 57 points, 2.5 points behind Delran.
David Biggy
The email [email protected]