Morristown posts a stunning comeback

Mt. Olive vs. Morristown -- Ice Hockey -- January 22, 2007
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View Professional Photos from the game at: www.njsportpics.com

The next three photos below are by Jim O'Connor -- NJ Sport Pics

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The photo below are by V. Carchietta

Morris Twp, NJ – If you had told Mt. Olive that today’s game against was meaningless, they would have easily ignored you and walked away. Morristown has already clinched the Charette Division title. Morristown had already beaten the Marauders 7-2 in the first meeting. Packing it in was not the idea for the eager Marauders. It may have been attacking, strong fore-checking and winning loose pucks.

Four minutes had passed before both teams opened up the play. Before that, a few light shots and a lot of body play eased both teams into play. But before you could blink, John Belamente took a pass in the high slot and walked in one on one with Morristown keeper, Ben Rennie. Belamente picked the top corner for a 1-0 Mt. Olive lead. It wasn’t long before Belamente found that same little corner of the net. A stranded puck lay just inside the circle off a face off deep in the Morristown zone. Belamante picked up the dormant puck, weaved between two defenders and picked the top shelf again. Mt. Olive took a 2-0 lead into the locker room thanks to a few key saves by Mt Olive Keeper, Dan Gillette. Morristown’s Steve Genualdi went end to end and was robbed by Gillette on a breakaway. Genualdi hit the post again and the ensuing rebound was smothered. The best save of the period occurred with under a minute left and the Mauruders shorthanded. Colonial Junior, Joe Stellato was in the right spot just above the crease to wrist a deflection on net. The quick shot was smothered by the sharp Gillette. All 11 shots the Colonials peppered Gillette with were saved.

The Colonials still had a 1:05 advantage starting the 2nd period. Morristown came out firing, but all shots missed the net and Mt. Olive was 1-0 on penalty kills. Mt. Olive took a 3-0 lead on
Dominic Potente’s goal with 8:47 left to play in the second period. Morristown was able to break through when Trey Peacock connected off a well executed two on one. Steve Genualdi fed Peacock who was able to beat Gillette above the blocker. Both teams returned blows before you could announce the goals. Belamente answered just thirty-five seconds later and Mt. Olive regained a three goal advantage. Only twenty seconds after Beamente’s goal, the Colonials cut the lad back to two. Senior Adam Barberio knocked in a loose rebound and closed the seconds period flurry leaving Morristown down two at the intermission.

Both teams pressed in the third and the first 9 minutes went scoreless. Both keepers cam up big. Ben Rennie was forced to make an acrobatic save as the puck deflected wildly off his own defenseman. Rennie turned in another block off a centering pass by Genauldi. The Colonial keeper stoned the open wrister from the slot. Gillette had to come up big a few times and was strong while the Marauders were short handed, which was twice during the final period.


Trey Peacock put the Colonials within one with 3:24 left to play. The freshman’s second goal of the game made the score 4-3. A shot by Dan Donofrio was deflected #15 and whiffled around Gillette’s block, knotting the game up at 4 with only 1:01 left on the clock.

Gillette came up huge again with under a minute to play, stoning a 2-1 break away. The rebound squirted loose and was juggled around before Joe Stellato fed Steve Genualdi to cap a remarkable comeback in the final 3 minutes. Ben Rennie came up with a save and cover with 10 seconds left. Morristown won the face off, cleared the zone. An icing with one second left enabled the Marauders one last face off deep in the Colonial zone, but Mt. Olive was unable to get a shot off.