Dominating Performance Lifts Chatham to 1st State Title

The ice hockey team was in control throughout the entire NJSIAA Public B state championship game Sunday, but a dominating second period proved to be the difference in a 7-3 win over Middletown South High School at the Prudential Center in Newark.

Already leading 1-0 on a Jake Pyhel goal early in the first period, the Chatham attack piled it on in the second, led by three goals from junior forward Danny Casey and Phyel adding his second of the day, blasting Chatham out in front, 5-0.

The championship was the first in program history for the top-seeded Cougars (20-3-3), who lost in the state final in 1995 and 1996.

“All season, our goal was to get to this point,” said Casey, who netted three goals in the Chatham win, “so I think for us to get here and play as hard as we did collectively and to put as many pucks in the net as we did, is phenomenal. I’m proud of everybody. Everyone did a great job.”

For video highlights of the Cougars' victory, click here.

For a video of the team's return to Chatham High School, click here.

After 11th-seeded Middletown South (15-7-3) killed an early Chatham power play, the Eagles found themselves shorthanded after defenseman Jimmy Burns was called for a slash just three minutes into the period.

Chatham capitalized as Pyhel added his second of the day, this one putting the Cougars up 2-0.

“We wanted to get the puck deep and play the puck in their zone as much as possible,” Chatham head coach Harvey Cohen said, “try to forecheck and capitalize on our opportunities, and we did that.”

Casey got in on the scoring action just minutes later, after senior Alex Rauter saved a Middletown South scoring opportunity, leveling Burns and deflecting the puck to teammate Billy Pelegrino.

Pelegrino connected with Casey at the other end of the ice, with the junior capitalizing on the breakaway opportunity, deeking past Middletown South goalie Chris Marsillo and putting a backhander top shelf for a 3-0 Chatham advantage.

“They had an odd-man rush and I was just back-checking and I hit my man off the puck,” Rauter explained. “Danny just went down and scored on a breakaway. It was a great goal.”

Casey added two more goals to close out the period, the first with 2:33 remaining, slipping a wrist shot past Marsillo, sending Chatham ahead, 4-0.

Just over one minute later, Casey completed his hat trick as Rauter unselfishly fed him a pass across the crease on a 2-on-none, sending the Cougars into the second intermission leading 5-0.

"It was a very unselfish game,” Cohen said. “Whoever was open, got the puck and that’s been the key to the whole season. We were just able to capitalize on some breaks and Casey and Rauter made the most out of their chances.”

Rauter added two more goals in the final period, the first a shorthanded opportunity putting Chatham up 6-0 just two minutes into the third.

Middletown South, which knocked out second-seeded Brick in the semifinals, finally got on the board when Chris Connor scored to make it 6-1. But Rauter quickly answered a minute later to push the lead to 7-1.

“This is the greatest feeling in the world,” Rauter said. “We knew they had a big goalie and a couple of good defensemen, so we wanted to use our speed and chip pucks deep, get around the goalie and get him moving. I think we did our job.”