THE MIGHTY CASEYS - Ice Hockey: Handchen Cup Final: RBC 4, Brick 1

By Bob Badders - Senior Staff Writer

    TOMS RIVER -- As the final buzzer sounded, Red Bank Catholic's players skated in the same direction they always do after a win: right to goaltender Matt Langer. As it has all season, the tradition made plenty of sense. In the Handchen Cup final against Brick, Langer was once again the difference-maker.
    The senior stopped 26 of 27 shots against the Dragons' red-hot offense and after surrendering an early goal, shut the door to allow the Caseys to mount a comeback and take a 4-1 victory over Brick in the 2008 Handchen Cup championship on Monday at Winding River Skating Center.
    "We came into the season hoping and wishing we would get this championship," Langer said. "We came to play every single game, and we played our hearts out in this game."
    Using his combination of size, excellent positioning and athleticism, Langer was able to stymie a Dragons offense that had scored 11 goals in its two prior Handchen Cup playoff wins over Brick Memorial and St. John Vianney. Brick's ultra-dangerous top line of Mike Gumina, Matt Dornacker and Mike Guarino was held off the scoresheet by Langer and another strong effort by the Caseys' defense corps. Offensively, the Caseys got goals from four different players and had six different players record a point. Jared Thompson's second-period goal off a feed from Matt Szajdecki stood as the eventual game-winner to give the Caseys their 12th consecutive victory heading into the state playoffs.
    "It's perfect, one of the best feelings we've had this season," said junior defenseman Kyle Williams. "Brick came out and gave us the best game of the season so far but we pulled through as a team."
    Indeed Brick had opened plenty of eyes lately with its convincing win over Brick Memorial and its shocking upset of St. John Vianney. The Caseys had defeated the Dragons earlier in the season by a score of 6-3, but were well aware the squad they squared off against on Monday might as well have been a completely different team.
    "When we beat them 6-3 we didn't play our best and they obviously didn't either," Langer said. "We were all there when they beat St. John Vianney and we knew right away it was going to be a tough game. We thought for sure we were going to be playing Vianney, but after seeing Brick win the way it did, we knew we had to play even harder."
    The Dragons lived up to their recent reputation early on when Mark Masefield scored 1:10 into the game. Jesse Hallock dumped the puck in and Ryan Graf chased it down in the left corner. Graf then threaded a perfect pass through the crease to Masefield, who was able to redirect it past Langer. This is where an RBC fan might have started to worry. When Brick got on a roll against Brick Memorial, one of the conference's better defensive teams, it could not be stopped. When Brick scored in the first minute against St. John Vianney the lead quickly ballooned to three goals. This, however, is where RBC proved why it is a championship-level team.
    With an aggressive forecheck and good, honest work in the offensive zone, Red Bank Catholic started to control the play and was able to tie the game at one when Jesse Krauss scored at 8:12 of the first period. The junior forward had the puck behind the net and was able to circle in front and tuck a shot past Dylan Beaver.
    In the second period, the Caseys took the lead for good after some more great work in the offensive zone. Ryan Seewald kept the play alive behind the net and was able to get the puck to Matt Szajdecki. Beaver was without a stick and Szajdecki took advantage by sending a pass through the crease to a wide-open Thompson, who was able to bury the puck into the open net.
    "I was just lingering around the net," Thompson said. "Seewald was behind the net working hard, and he found Szajdecki and he made a great pass over to me."
    Connor Kelly was able to extend the lead to 3-1 when he scored a power-play goal at 7:25 of the second period. After receiving a pass in the left face-off circle from Thompson, Kelly turned and fired a shot while he was being checked to the ice that found its way through the legs of Beaver. The Dragons came out hard in the third period but Langer was there once again to shut the door. RBC senior forward Kevin Pecca added another insurance goal in the third period when he took advantage of a Brick giveaway and roofed a shot over Beaver at 8:34. Brick continued to push hard but Langer continued to stand tall to give the Caseys their first ever Handchen Cup title.
    "There were no worries," said Williams about the team's mentality after Brick went up 1-0. "We're the kind of team that brings its lunch pail to every game and knows that even if the other team scores first, we're going to come right back."
    "We played well as a team," Langer said. "Every time I had a shot I would make the save, and they would clear away the rebound. I really can't say enough about my teammates."
    The Caseys still have the state playoffs left, and will take on Don Bosco Prep in the first round. But for Langer, Monday's win was a special moment in his Caseys career.
    "To be able to win the Handchen Cup in my senior year," Langer said. "I couldn't have asked to go out any better."


Box Score

Handchen Cup Final

(2) Red Bank Catholic 4, (5) Brick 1

Brick (13-7-2) 1 0 0 - 1
RBC  (20-2-2) 1 2 1 - 4

Scoring - First period: (B) Mark Masefield (Ryan Graf, Jesse Hallock) 1:10; (R) Jesse Krauss (Patrick Branagan) 8:12; Second period: (R) Jared Thompson (Matt Szajdecki) 4:22; (R) Connor Kelly (Jared Thompson) 7:25 (PP); Third period: (R) Kevin Pecca 8:34.
Saves: (B) Dylan Beaver 20; (R) Matt Langer 24.
Shots: Brick 25-24.


E-mail: badders@digitalsports.com