Phil Pikus Shines as Millburn Hockey Downs Raiders, 5-3

The Records: Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School’s hockey team entered Friday’s game at the Union Sports Arena with a 4-5 record. Millburn High School, the home team, was 4-6-1. 

The Final Score: 5-3, Millburn. The Raider started strong, holding all the offensive zone pressure from the drop of the puck. Millburn was unable to carry the puck into the opposing zone for the first three minutes.

Senior defender Terrence White opened the scoring for the Raiders with seven minutes expired in the first period as he let a shot go from the point that trickled through the legs of goaltender Corey Nadell. Millburn’s Phil Pikus responded four and a half minutes later with the first of his three goals, willing the puck behind the Raider’s sophomore goaltender, Jason Breit.

Before the first period ended, Nick Gianni made it 2-1 for Scotch Plains when he and Jonathan Tomasulo entered the Millburn zone on a two-on-one. As the teams headed to the locker rooms for the first intermission, Scotch Plains controlled the momentum. But that changed in the second period.

When the teams returned to the ice, Millburn more effectively clogged the neutral zone to make sure the Raiders could not execute plays. As Millburn stymied Scotch Plains’ attempts to break-out of the defensive zone, it took control of the scoring with four unanswered goals from Jacob Goldstein, Pikus, Richard Koppenaal, and another by Pikus – his third for the hat trick. 

The third period saw a parade to the penalty box as the Raiders took three penalties to Millburn's two. The only goal scored in the third was a late five-on-three goal from Raiders junior Jonathan Tomasulo with nine seconds to go.

The Hero: Millburn’s Phil Pikus notched the hat trick, scoring more than half his team’s goals on the game.

What’s Next: With the loss, the Raiders fell to 4-6. The team’s next game is at Jonathan Dayton High School on Sunday, Jan. 16. The game starts at 6:40 p.m. at Union Sports Arena.