Verona/Glen Ridge hs hockey team falls to Ramsey in state tournament first round to end 15-9-4 season

GLEN RIDGE – The 13th-seeded Verona/Glen Ridge varsity ice hockey team lost to fourth-seeded Ramsey, 9-0, in the second round of the state Public B tournament on Feb. 26 at the Ice Vault in Wayne.

Verona/Glen Ridge, under head coach Ken Lilien, finished the season with a 15-9-4 record.

Prior to the state tournament, Verona/Glen Ridge won the NJIHL-American McInnis Cup title during a memorable run. As the No. 4 seed, they defeated fifth-seeded Nutley 2-1 in overtime in the first round on Feb. 13. Glen Ridge senior assistant captain Owen Gleeson scored the game-winner.

They then defeated top-seeded Montclair, 3-2, in overtime in the semifinals on Feb. 18 to hand Montclair its first loss of the season. Gleeson scored his second goal of the game for the game-winner. In the championship, they defeated second-seeded Montclair Kimberley Academy, 4-2, Feb. 20, with Gleeson scoring twice. Verona/Glen Ridge avenged two lopsided losses to MKA in the regular season – 9-3 on Dec. 16 and 6-0 on Jan. 6.

In the first round of the state tournament, Verona/Glen Ridge defeated 20th-seeded Woodbridge, 7-4, Feb. 22.