Summit Hockey Defeats Scotch Plains, 10-1

Before the season began, Summit High School hockey head coach Keith Nixon said one of his team's strengths is that it has multiple scoring options. The Hilltoppers (2-0) proved it last night as seven players scored in a convincing 10-1 win over Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School  at the Union Sports Arena.

Senior forwards Bobby Lawrence (tri-captain) and Trevor Silverstein, and junior forward Timmy Yager scored two goals each. The Hilltoppers took the Raiders (0-2) out of the game early, scoring less than a minute into play and going ahead 5-0 in the first period.

"We stressed coming out strong, getting a jump on them and not getting into a position where we're nursing a one goal lead deep into the game," Nixon said. "We were shooting from off the net and getting good opportunities. On that note, it was a good step forward."

Lawrence gave Summit a 1-0 lead 45 seconds into the game on a rebound after Scotch Plains's freshman goalie Jason Breit saved his initial shot. Sophomore forward Eric Stabler got the assist.

Two minutes later, sophomore forward Jeff Wycoff put the Hilltoppers ahead 2-0 with an unassisted goal. Wycoff sped past his lone defender and then fired a hard shot past Breit. Summit's quickness allowed them to capitalize on open looks all night.

"They caught us flat-footed several times," Raiders head coach Matt Gualtieri said. "We couldn't keep up with them."

Stabler made it 3-0 with 10:58 remaining in the first on another put-back goal off of a rebound. Senior forward Jon Santina and Lawrence (whose shot deflected to Stabler) assisted.

Still less than halfway through the period, Silverstein notched his first goal on a terrific one-timer. Standing to Breit's left, Silverstein received a cross-ice pass from Wycoff and then immediately took the shot and scored.

Senior forward Conor Jackson scored the last goal of the first on a shot right in front of the net.

In the second period, Scotch Plains only allowed one goal. The Raiders held the Hilltoppers scoreless for 11 and a half minutes before Yager found the back of the net on a wide open shot. He scored again early in the third going one-on-one with Breit.

"I really thought that Yager especially had a good day," Nixon said.

Yager then took an interference penalty with just over 12 minutes left in the game. Scotch Plains responded to the 5-on-4 advantage, as sophomore defender Kevin Lewis scored a power-play goal near the blue line. Junior forward and assistant captain Ed Logie made the assist.

"We told the defensemen to get the puck on the net from the blue line, and it was just a face off win that came back and we scored," Gualtieri said.

The Raiders cut their deficit to 7-1, but Summit came back with consecutive power-play goals by Bobby and Frank Lawrence. Frank's goal was his first as a varsity player.

"I thought we moved the puck well on the power-play," Nixon said. "We had a lot of opportunities and the game slowed down a little bit for them today."

"I liken a lot of it to fatigue," Gualtieri said of the penalties his team took late. "Kids are looking at 25-30 minutes of ice time and they're going to get tired. Fatigue is going to be a factor, especially early on in the season."

Silverstein closed out Summit's victory with an impressive goal from his knees on the right side of the net.

Summit and Scotch Plains will both participate in the 27th Annual Cron Tournament on Tuesday night at Warinanco Park. The Hilltoppers play Mendham in the first round, while the Raiders are paired up with Arthur L. Johnson High School. The games are scheduled for 6 and 8:30 p.m., respectively.