Madison Hockey Crushes Mount Olive To Reach Haas Cup Final

MORRISTOWN – The Madison High School ice hockey team is right back where it expected to be.

A season ago, the Dodgers fell just short of capturing the Haas Cup. Coach Dave Hansen's primary goal this season was to lift the trophy for the first time. After Erik Andersson's three goals helped Madison dispatch Mount Olive, 5-0, Saturday afternoon at Mennen Arena, the Dodgers' 364-day wait is over–almost.

"This has been our goal from the start of the season," said Brett Perry, who had a goal and an assist. "We have a lot of talent, and we have a good shot to win the whole thing."

Standing between Madison (14-4-2) and Haas Cup glory is West Morris, which the Dodgers defeated twice this season (3-1 on Jan. 4 and 6-4 on Feb. 5).

But the Dodgers will have to wait a little bit longer than they thought, though. The Haas Cup final against West Morris was rescheduled from Sunday night to next Monday, March 8 because NJSIAA rules prohibit teams from playing games on three consecutive days.

Madison's first-round state playoff game is scheduled for Monday night.

But the logistical difficulties were the toughest Madison faced Saturday. They pounded the Marauders (14-7-1), champions of the Charette Division, for the second time in 11 days, scoring four goals in the second period after a scoreless first.

"We knew they weren't going to hand us the game," said assistant coach Joe Swanson. "We had them on their heels in the first period, but we just couldn't score. Once we got the first goal, we knew more would come."

Madison outshot Mount Olive, 39-13, dominated possession of the puck, and launched shot after shot at the Marauder net. It was a stark difference from Wednesday's quarterfinal win over Parsippany Hills, when Madison lacked rhythm.

"We played a full 45 minutes tonight," Hansen said. "Our intensity was high. Then, we weren't running the system, weren't running plays. They'd just launch shots without passing. But Mount Olive is a tougher team for us to play, I think that's where the intensity came from."

According to Swanson, the Dodgers did everything right in the first period except score. And once the first goal came–by Brett Anton, 70 seconds into the second period–his prediction came to pass.

"We were getting to the net, we were doing some hitting, playing defense," Swanson said. "We were good in their end, good in our end, great in the neutral zone. They did everything we wanted."

Andersson scored his first goal of the day with 9:40 left in the second, just 12 seconds into a Madison power play, with a slapshot from the left faceoff circle.

It took just another 1:14 for Andersson to pick up his second, a low wrister that deflected off a Mount Olive defender and into the back of the net.

Brett Perry finished off Madison's avalanche of four goals in less than seven minutes with a sparkling moment of individual brilliance with 7:09 to play.

Perry counterattacked on a Mount Olive scoring chance and found himself alone, with just one Marauder in between he and the goal. Perry looped a short pass into the open space past the blue line, squeezed past his defender to reach the puck, and ripped a slapshot top shelf.

"We started getting to the net," Andersson said. "And once that happened, their goalie broke down a little and we started putting the puck in the net."

Andersson completed his hat trick early in the third period, and the only remaining drama was whether Grant Perry would pick up his second shutout in three games. Mount Olive launched six shots in the third period against a more defensive-minded Madison team, and Perry remained up to the task.

The Dodgers' reward is a chance to right the wrong of the 2009 Haas Cup final, when Madison blew a 3-2 third-period lead and lost, 5-3.

For Andersson–the freshman who watched that Haas Cup final from the stands as an eighth grader–the goal is the same next Monday night.

"Last year, they came this far and had the chance to win," Andersson said. "I'm playing for the seniors, and we want to get this win for them."

NEXT UP
Madison's next game would have been the Haas Cup final Sunday night, but logistical issues–beginning with the snowstorm that pushed the Dodgers' semifinal game against Mount Olive back two days–forced a postponement.

Thus, Madison's next game will take place in the state tournament. The Dodgers are seeded 21st in the Public B bracket, and they will take on 12th-seeded Mahwah (16-4-2) in the first round Monday night at 7:45 at the Ice Vault in Wayne.

The winner will face the winner of the Glen Rock/Bernards matchup in the round of 16. All second-round games must be completed before March 4.

Mahwah won the North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League B Division title handily, outpacing second-place Indian Hills by 12 points. The Thunderbirds will face Pascack Valley for the B Division cup title Sunday.

SCORING SUMMARY
Mount Olive  0  0  0  -  0
Madison       0  4  1  -  5

FIRST PERIOD
None

SECOND PERIOD
MAD- Brett Anton (from Spencer Waresk and Bobby Yutko), 2:10
MAD- Erik Andersson (power play, from Cecala and Brett Perry), 5:20
MAD- Andersson (from Waresk), 6:34
MAD- Perry (from Cecala and Charlie Olendorp), 7:51

THIRD PERIOD
MAD- Andersson (from Cecala), 4:35

SHOTS ON GOAL
Mount Olive     3    4    6  -  13
Madison          14  12  13  -  39