The Seton Hall Prep varsity ice hockey team continued its play in the Pepsi Varsity Classic at the Ice Vault in Wayne.
SHP defeated Indian Hills and St. Joseph of Montvale to improve to a 5-5-1 record.
The Pirates defeated Indian Hills, 6-1, Dec. 29, led by junior Stephen Buck’s hat trick. In the first period, Buck scored on an assist by sophomore Thomas Colucci. In the second period, the Pirates scored two goals and Indian Hills scored one as SHP took a 3-1 lead into the third period. Junior Liam Carroll scored on an assist by junior Chris Baumann and Carroll scored again on assists by junior Chris Lambert and senior PJ Murphy. In the third period, SHP scored three goals. Buck scored two goals to give him a hat trick on assists by Colucci, Carroll, Murphy, and junior Jake Sandomeno while junior Devon Dobres scored on assists by Sandomeno and sophomore Jack Dubee. Senior goalie Jack McConeghy had 31 saves.
On Friday, Dec. 30, in their final game of the Classic, they defeated St. Joseph of Montvale 2-1. Junior Gavin Angulo opened the scoring for SHP with 6:29 left in the first period off a scramble down low on assists by Dobres and junior Kevin Bishop. They extended their lead to 2-0 in the second period on a power-play goal off a rebound by Colucci on assists by Sandomeno and Buck with 4:31 left. St. Joseph scored a goal in the third period. McConeghy had 26 saves. Following their Friday game, SHP head coach Mike Atkinson said, “As a group we are starting to figure each other out. Our lines are coming together and starting to find their way on the score sheet. We’ve really done a good job of getting pucks on net and finding rebounds and loose pucks and scoring on those chances. Our goaltenders have been solid in net and they give us a chance every night.”