Coverage of opening-day action inside
WEST WINDSOR » Andrew Ferencevych, the West Windsor-Plainsboro coach, released the starting lineup for Monday’s season opener on Sunday and Alec Doody was a little surprised to find his name in the goaltender spot.
After all, Doody is just a freshman.
He shook off the nerves and played like a veteran leading West Windsor-Plainsboro to a season opening 3-1 win over Lawrence in a Colonial Valley Conference Valley Division game played at the Mercer County Skating Center.
Doody and WW-P (1-0) set the tone early scoring three first period goals and then holding off a furious charge from the Cardinals (0-1) throughout most of the third period.
“I didn’t expect to get the start,” said Doody, who had 20 saves “I was quite nervous and I felt like I had a knot in my stomach since it was my first game. I definitely feel a lot better now.”
After a sluggish first period Lawrence certainly tested Doody and the WW-P defense as it tried to cut into the lead.
“It was a rough start,” said Clifford Higgins, the first-year Lawrence coach. “The nerves got the best of us. Once we settled down we were the team we expected. It’s just too bad we couldn’t put a couple more pucks in the net. We go back at it next game put this one behind us.”
Putting the pucks in the net for West WindsorPlainsboro was Ronan Keenan, Tim Gardner and David Corell. Tyler Shankoff had a pair of assists and Nathan Potter had one.
“I told them that it’s a 45-minute game and that we have to work hard right from the start,” said Ferencevych, of his pregame speech. “We spent a lot of time working on fundamentals and working on team play and not as individuals. I think that in today’s effort. It was a team effort.”
Keenan, who is a freshman and recorded his first high school goal, started the scoring at the 8:40 mark of the first period. A little over two minutes later Gardner made it 2-0 and then the WW-P captain, David Corell got the third at the 3:40 mark.
WW-P took the 3-0 lead into the second period.
Most of the second 15 minutes were played at the blue line and neither team was able to generate any offense.
Things got hectic in the third as Lawrence turned up the pressure. Drazen Medich cracked the WW-P defense and it was 3-1 with 9:37 left in the game. Spencer Cohen and Chris Eden assisted.
“It was getting really tough near the end,” said Doody. “It seemed like everything was in our zone. There were a lot more rebounds and everything. I think I did pretty well.”
Lawrence (0-1) 0 0 1— 1 WW-P (1-0) 3 0 0— 3 Goals — Medich (L). Keenan, Gardner, Corel (WWS).
Assists — Cohen, Eden (L). Shankoff 2, Potter (WWS).
Shots — 21 (L). 31 (WWS).
Saves — Cobb 28 (L). Doody 20 (WWS).
PRINCETON 11, NOTTINGHAM 1
Princeton opened the season with an impressive showing against a game Nottingham team.
The Tigers (1-0) put up six goals in the first period and ended the game with 9:08 in the third period.
“We looked good and it was good to see what the kids could do in a game,” said Tim Chase, the Tigers first-year coach. “The kids played hard.”
Aidan Trainor, Ben
Drezner, Rocco Salvato and Stephen Avis each tallied a pair of goals. Kevin Chen, Colm Trainor and Justin Joyce all caged single goals.
Joyce added three assists, Aidan Trainor had a pair and Max Garlock, Ryan McCormick and Robbie Trainor each had one.
Nottingham (0-1) got its goal from Alex Truban.