Pawlick, Schneider Named Athletes of the Week

Congratulations to this week's Cranford Patch Athletes of the Week, swimmer Allison Schneider and hockey record holder Eric Pawlick, for their outstanding seasons so far.

Schneider, a senior on the swim team, helped lead the Cougars to their first ever championship when they captured the coed conference title this past Tuesday against Arthur L. Johnson High School. The team needed a victory to secure the crown and Schneider did her part to make sure that it happened.

"I was really proud of the team," said Schneider. "We won every meet and went undefeated and we went up against some really hard teams and we pulled through at the end of the season."

The senior may have had her biggest moment recently when she finished third in the 500 meter in the county tournament and sixth in the 200 individual medley.

"I got the highest placement that I've ever gotten at counties this year, so I was really happy about that," said Schneider. "That was my biggest accomplishment along with dropping that much time on my 500. I was nervous going in to the 500 because I had practiced that morning and swam for three hours, so I didn't know what the outcome was going to be, but I was really happy when I looked up at the board and saw my time."

Practice and dedication to herself and her sport has helped Schneider achieve her goals.

"I practice at Berkeley eight times a week, in the morning before school and after school," said Schneider. "My friends at Berkeley really helped me get through the practices and I've been friends with most of them since I was about 5."

"I did lessons at the 'Y' when I was 6 months old with my siblings," Schneider said. "I swam at Berkeley Aquatic Club for ten years and I'm going to be swimming at Rowan University in the fall."

As it turns out, the South Jersey college was exactly what she was looking for.

"I've been talking to the coach at Rowan for a while, and they're Division 3, and he knew my coach at Berkeley," Schneider said. "I like the team and the school a lot and my parents both went there."

Our boys' Athlete of the Week, Eric Pawlick, has been a starter on the ice hockey team ever since he laced up his skates as a freshmen.

His speed, agility and ability to put the puck in the net has allowed him to reach the 100-point milestone in his career, one of the few to reach that rarified air at Cranford.

Pawlick was at the rink at a young age, with hockey stick in hand.

"I started playing hockey when I was 6," said Pawlick. "I started at Cranford Hockey Club, I would go to their Sunday clinics, and ever since then I really got into it and got into higher levels and just kept progressing. My Dad pushed me really hard and that's really what got me to the stage where I'm at now."

Pawlick made an impact right away at the high school level when he entered three years ago. He was varsity-ready, thanks to his previous experience.

"It was pretty much like my travel team, the same type of competition," Pawlick said. "It really wasn't too much of a transition especially with the help of the seniors when I got here. They helped me out a lot."

The junior knew back then exactly what his goals were, with his sights set on 100 points right from the start.

"It definitely was a goal for me coming in," Pawlick said. "Not many people get to do that and now I'm looking to get a hundred goals. I have 65 right now. Getting 100 points meant a lot to me because I worked three years for this, anybody would like to make that accomplishment."

"Eric has been outstanding for us since the beginning," said head coach Rich Hurley. "His speed is one of his biggest assets. It's no surprise that he's reached 100 points. He's a special player."

The Cougars are 10-8-1 this year and need just one victory in their next four games to nail down a spot in the state tournament.

"We're definitely getting a lot better," Pawlick said. "It looks like we're going to states, so it's definitely going to be good."