Chatham Hockey Falls to Kinnelon 4-1

MORRISTOWN — Two nights after stopping the Star-Ledger's No. 4 ranked team—Morristown-Beard—the Chatham Cougars hockey team fell to Kinnelon, 4-1, at Mennen Arena on Thursday night.

The Cougars succumbed thanks to a number of missed opportunities.

Kinnelon jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead behind a Billy Huber goal, just 2:59 into the first period. And shortly after, Chatham went down another goal—this time shorthanded—as Kinnelon's Mike Crampton scored on a breakaway to make the score 2-0.

With a tw0-goal lead, Kinnelon did its best to give Chatham scoring chances, but despite the Cougars' five power play opportunities, they were only able to pounce on one.

Sophomore Danny Casey—assisted by junior Billy Pellegrino—scored with 30 seconds remaining in the first period, bringing Chatham within one goal going into the second period.

"Missed opportunities," Head Coach Harvey Cohen surmised. "They capitalized on our mistakes, and we didn't capitalize on theirs."

In the second period, the chances for Chatham continued, but the Cougars couldn't capitalize as another power play came and went without a goal. Despite seven chances on net, Chatham couldn't put anything together offensively, and a questionable no goal call by the officials left the team's fans frustrated and grumbling in their seats.

Kinnelon, on the other hand, added to its lead with a Crampton slap shot 6:30 into the period, making the score 3-1.

The story continued in period three as Huber scored his second goal of the night with a wrist shot from just inside the blue line. After two more unsuccessful power play opportunities for Chatham, Kinnelon skated away with the 4-1 win.

"We didn't raise our level of intensity to where we might have and we didn't capitalize on our scoring chances," Cohen added.

Chatham is now 10-7-1. It will next face Summit on Tuesday at 6 p.m.