GOING OUT IN STYLE: Ice Hockey: Dowd Cup Final: Manasquan 4, Rumson 1

By Bob Badders - Senior Staff Writer

    TOMS RIVER -- Senior forward Timmy Higgins and Manasquan had their eyes on the state playoffs since the start of the season, but the tough schedule they put before themselves in hopes of preparing for a deep playoff run actually ended up being their undoing.
    So the Dowd Cup playoffs for the Shore Conference B Division teams ended up serving as the Warriors' last hurrah. For the seniors it was the last game of their high school careers, and for Higgins it was his swan song.
    The Warriors' do-it-all superstar, Higgins wowed the capacity crowd at Winding River Skating Center by scoring four goals to lead Manasquan to a 4-1 win over Rumson-Fair Haven in the Dowd Cup final. Higgins scored at even strength, on the power play, on a penalty shot and finally into the empty net to give the Warriors their second cup championship in the last four seasons. The victory was Manasquan's seventh in a row since being officially eliminated from the state playoffs and enabled the Warriors to finish the season one game over .500 at 12-11-2.
    "We started off the season bad so we just wanted to come on strong at the end," Higgins said. "For the seniors, this was our last game ever, but everybody wanted it."
    "What I'm happiest with is that the seniors get to go out with a second championship in four years," Warriors head coach Tim Grable said. "Even the younger players, you don't know when you're going to have a chance to do this again. You never know what the road ahead holds."
    It is hard to imagine that the Coaches All-Division All-Stars did not include Higgins on the first team for the B Division. It certainly seems like that served as motivation to the forward/defenseman, because in the two games since learning he was selected as a second-team player he scored seven goals to finish the season with 29 and his career with 104 points.
    "It's sad to see him go but I'm so proud to be able to coach him for four years," Grable said. "He's a special player and for anyone to see the beating he takes, and he never responds with anything less than better play shift after shift."
    "There's not much to say, he leaves you speechless," said sophomore goaltender Joey Naimo. "When he's on the ice it makes everybody on the team feel more comfortable and relaxed."
    Lost a tad in the wake of Higgins' monster performance was the 42-save effort turned in by Naimo. Rumson outshot Manasquan, 43-16, for the game and Naimo and his defense stood tall to allow the early lead the Warriors had built to hold up.
    "As soon as the two goals went in I calmed down," Naimo said. "I felt I had more leverage."
    "He faced some tough shots and made some great saves," Higgins said. "He was definitely a huge part of the win."
    Higgins started off his memorable night with an unassisted goal at 2:06 of the first period. He forced a turnover and then picked up the loose puck and took off on a breakaway down the center of the ice. Once in on Bulldogs goaltender Will Hewitt, Higgins made a move before sliding the puck through the goalie's legs for a 1-0 lead. Just over four minutes later, Higgins scored on the power play to extend the Warriors' lead to two. Brett Crane had the puck at the right point and made a perfect pass through traffic to a wide-open Higgins parked right outside the crease on the left post. Higgins' first two shots were stopped by Hewitt, but he was able to lift the third rebound over the goalie's pads for a 2-0 lead at 6:48.
    "It was great to get the lead because we were able to start our trap," Higgins said.
    The Warriors were not generating a lot of shots, but it seemed like every time Higgins got the puck it found its way into the net. The senior pushed the lead to 3-0 in the second period when he drove wide on the Rumson defense and broke in along on Hewitt. Higgins was tripped up from behind and almost scored a Bobby Orr-esque goal before being awarded a penalty shot. On the penalty shot, Higgins skated in and made several moves in tight before backhanding a shot past Hewitt for a natural hat trick and a 3-0 Manasquan lead at 12:46. Higgins finished the season by scoring two or more goals in six straight games.
    Mike Buonopan finally broke through for the Bulldogs when he took a pass from Jake Kornblatt and beat Naimo for a power-play goal at 13:10 of the second period. The goal gave Rumson life heading into the third period, and the Bulldogs dominated with shots by outshooting Manasquan, 16-3, in the final 15 minutes. Naimo and his defense stood tall, however, and Higgins put the finishing touches on the Dowd Cup title with an empty-net goal at 13:20.
    "We definitely wanted this for our seniors," Naimo said. "And for the younger kids, this could be the last time we get this far because we're losing a lot of players (to graduation). Not only for the seniors but everyone, we just wanted to win. We put in a team effort and it turned out for the best."  
   


Box Score

Dowd Cup Final

(3) Manasquan 4, (1) Rumson-Fair Haven 1

Manasquan (12-11-2) 2 1 1 - 4
Rumson-FH (15-6-2)   0 1 0 - 1

Scoring - First period: (M) Timmy Higgins 2:06; (M) Timmy Higgins (Brett Crane) 6:48 (PP); Second period: (M) Higgins 12:46 (penalty shot); (R) Mike Buonopane (Jake Kornblatt) 13:10 (PP); Third period: (M) Timmy Higgins 13:20 (EN).
Saves: (M) Joey Naimo 42; (R) Will Hewitt 12.
Shots: Rumson-Fair Haven 43-16.



E-mail: badders@digitalsports.com