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Sports

Westfield Hockey Edges Ridge by One

Hockey team dominates state powerhouse.

After scoring 21 goals in its first three games, the Westfield ice hockey team managed only four in its last three prior to Wednesday night's non-league clash vs. Ridge, which reached the Public A state championship game the past two years, winning in 2008 and falling in 2009.

When the third period began at the Warinanco Ice Skating Rink in Roselle, the Blue Devils found themselves down by a goal again. Just two nights ago Westfield fell to Cranford 4-3 in Union County Ice Hockey League competition at Warinanco.

Behind an inspired team effort and with the defense stepping it up, this time Westfield managed to be the team that came out on top by one goal.

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Third period tallies by junior center CJ Meyer and junior right wing Nick Attanasio put the Blue Devils over the top, with the home team winning 3-2.

"The energy that we showed tonight is kind of what we need to do every night," Westfield head coach Dennis Doherty said. "We still struggled a little bit in the second period, but it was a better period than we've had in the past.

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"We're close to playing 45 minutes. We played about 40 tonight."

Westfield improved to 4-2-1, while Ridge had a two-game unbeaten streak snapped and fell to 2-4-1.

The Blue Devils snapped a three-game – 0-2-1 – winless streak.

Attanasio flipped in a shot after receiving a pass from senior defenseman Dylan Moran with just 2:57 remaining in the third period for the game-winning goal.

Attanasio leads Westfield in goals with 10. He also earned an assist on Westfield's first goal.

"He just has a good nose for the net and is always around the puck it seems," Doherty said. "He has a good idea where he has to be and good things happen. It seems like the puck follows him around."

Meyer first tied the game at 1-1 six and a half minutes into the second period when he scored from the right side.

When he tied the score again at 2-2 after four and a half minutes elapsed in the third period, he did so when the Blue Devils were shorthanded.

His shot went in off a deflection, with assists going to senior defenseman Joe Kramkowski and Meyer's younger brother Sam, a freshman.

There was still 46 seconds remaining on the Ridge power play, which Westfield went on to kill.

"Joe Kramkowski made a heck of a play," Doherty said. "He reached up, he's a defenseman, and my first thought was, 'what is he doing down there?'

"Then I see his pass right on the tape to CJ for a great goal."

The shots on goal were pretty even in the first period, 10 for Westfield and eight for Ridge. The visiting Red Devils had a wide margin for the second period at 9-2.

Both Ridge goals – by sophomore forward Bryce Mullen in the first period and by senior forward Eric Von der Linde in the second – came on nice backhand efforts that Westfield freshman goaltender Joe Fleschler could not be faulted on.

Fleschler, who had a steady performance and produced a couple of dangerous saves with his chest, made a game-high 23 saves to earn the win in net.

Westfield had one power play in the first period and two more in the second, but each only netted one unsuccessful shot on goal.

"We have to shoot the puck more on the power play and have to take advantage," Doherty said. "You can't score if you don't shoot, so we need to shoot the puck more."

NOTES: Meyer is now 13 points shy of 100 for his career.

According to Doherty, Westfield has now scored four shorthanded goals this year.

"We actually have more shorthanded goals than power play goals," Doherty said.

Westfield's next four games will all be league contests, beginning with a matchup against Summit Jan. 5 at 6 p.m. at Warinanco. The Blue Devils will then face Cranford Jan. 6 at Warinanco, Governor Livingston Jan. 11 at Warinanco and Scotch Plains-Fanwood Jan. 13 at Warinanco.

Westfield is 1-1-0 for two points so far in league play, with 10 more league contests to go. 

NON-LEAGUE GAME AT WARINANCO, ROSELLE

RIDGE (2-4-1)                                    1           1           0 - 2

WESTFIELD (4-2-1)                         0           1           2 - 3 

FIRST PERIOD:

RIDGE – Goal: Bryce Mullen. Assist: Tommy Carpenter.

Time of even strength goal: 12:22. Ridge leads 1-0.

SHOTS ON GOAL: Ridge 8, Westfield 10

SAVES: Ridge 10, Westfield 7.

POWER PLAYS: Ridge 0-for-0, Westfield 0-for-1.

SECOND PERIOD:

WESTFIELD – Goal: CJ Meyer. Assists: Henry O'Brien, Nick Attanasio.

Time of even strength goal: 6:37. Game tied 1-1.

RIDGE – Goal: Eric Von der Linden. Assist: Sam Sisto.

Time of goal: 8:37.

SHOTS ON GOAL: Ridge 9, Westfield 2.

SAVES: Ridge 1, Westfield 8.

POWER PLAYS: Ridge 0-for-0, Westfield 0-for-2.

THIRD PERIOD:

WESTFIELD – Goal: CJ Meyer. Assists: Joe Kramkowski, Sam Meyer.

Time of shorthanded goal: 4:31.

WESTFIELD – Goal: Nick Attanasio. Assist: Dylan Moran.

Time of even strength goal: 12:03.

SHOTS ON GOAL: Ridge 8, Westfield 8

SAVES: Ridge 6, Westfield 8.

POWER PLAYS: Ridge 0-for-3, Westfield 0-for-0.

GAME TOTALS:

SHOTS ON GOAL - Ridge 25, Westfield 20.

GOALIE SAVES: Alec Wells, Ridge, 17.

Joe Fleschler, Westfield, 23.

POWER PLAYS: Ridge 0-for-3, Westfield 0-for-3. 

2009-2010 WESTFIELD BLUE DEVILS schedule/results (4-2-1):

Dec. 1 (A) Westfield 10, Scotch Plains-Fanwood 0 – at Warinanco, UCIHL

Dec. 2 (H) Westfield 4, Verona 1 - Warinanco

Dec. 7 (H) Westfield 7, Cranford 2 - Warinanco, Cron Tournament

Dec. 14 (A) Morris Knolls 11, Westfield 1 – Warinanco, Cron Tournament

Dec. 16 (H) Westfield 0, Summit 0 (tie) – Warinanco, Cron Tournament

Dec. 21 (A) Cranford 4, Westfield 3 - Warinanco, UCIHL

Dec. 23 (H) Westfield 3, Ridge 2 - Warinanco

Jan. 5 at Summit, 6 p.m., Warinanco, UCIHL

Jan. 6 Cranford, 8:30 p.m., Warinanco, UCIHL

Jan. 11 Governor Livingston, 3:45 p.m., Warinanco, UCIHL

Jan. 13 Scotch Plains-Fanwood, 8:30 p.m., Warinanco, UCIHL

Jan. 14 Madison, 4 p.m., Warinanco

Jan. 17 at Dayton, 6:40 p.m., Union Sports Arena, UCIHL

Jan. 18 Watchung Hills, 8:30 p.m., Warinanco

Jan. 20 Johnson, 6 p.m., Warinanco, UCIHL

Jan. 25 at Hanover Park, 8:30 p.m., Mennen Arena

Jan. 28 Hopewell Valley, 4 p.m., Warinanco

Jan. 31 at Mountain Lakes, 5 p.m., South Mountain

Feb. 3 at Johnson, 6 p.m., Warinanco, UCIHL

Feb. 8 Bridgewater-Raritan, 3:30 p.m., Warinanco

Feb. 10 Summit, 8:30 p.m., Warinanco, UCIHL

Feb. 14 at Governor Livingston, 7:30 p.m., UCIHL

Feb. 15 Dayton, 3:30 p.m., UCIHL

Record: 4-2-1

UCIHL: 1-1-0, 2 points

Home: 3-0-1

Away: 1-2

Goals for: 28

Goals against: 20

Shutouts: 2

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