A little Morris County Secret
The Crimson reached the final in the NJ Prep State Championships in 2002-03 and every year since. The first years saw Lawrenceville win the championship, each year defeating Morris-Beard. That streak came to an end in the ’05-’06 season when Morristown-Beard broke through with a championship defeating Pingry.
Morristown plays in a league consisting of eight school from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The league is called the WIHLMA (Women’s Interscholastic Hockey League of the Mid-Atlantic). This year’s championship was the Morristown’s second league championship in the past three years.
It’s been a fantastic year for the Lady Crimson. Finishing tied for first place with Princeton High School and culminating with a 4-0 win in the championship game over the same Princeton Team. The Crimson are currently 16-2-1 on the season, with at least two regularly scheduled games to play. Morristown-Beard lost to Princeton 1-0 in their first match-up. The Crimson out shot the Tigers 21-10, but could not break through. In the second match-up, Morristown-Beard cam out on top and won 2-0 while out shooting the Tigers 26-8. That win forced a tied for the regular season championship.
The post-season playoffs were held The Hill School in Pottstown, PA. The Crimson met up with Shady Side Academy in the semifinals. This would be the second match-up of the season between Beard and Shady Side. Morristown-Beard had won the first match up 2-0. The Crimson held to form, shutting out the Pennsylvania school 3-0. Gina Maffei (Wayne, NJ), Samantha Vicari (Wayne, NJ) and Megan Winters (Basking Ridge, NJ) found the net in the 3-0 victory. All goals came in the second period. The stunning defense held Shady side to only 5 shots on net, just below the season Shot-on-Goals against average of 7.25. Morristown-Beard has been out-shot in only one game this season, by perennial power-house Lawrenceville.
The Women's Interscholastic Hockey League of the Mid-Atlantic (WIHLMA) includes the following teams: Hill - Pottstown, PA; Holton Arms - Bethesda, MD; Morristown-Beard School - Morristown, NJ; Pingry - Martinsville, NJ; Princeton Day School - Princeton, NJ; Princeton High School - Princeton, NJ; Shady Side Academy - Pittsburgh, PA
Princeton was seeded #1 in the tournament, both Mo-Beard and PHS were 9-1 in league play and split in the regular season, but PHS won a tie breaker based on 1 less goal against on the season. The championship game matched up the regular season champions.
For the second game in a row, the Crimson used an explosive second period to bring home the championship. After a scoreless first period, one where the Crimson out shot PHS 10 to 1, Morristown-Beard busted through on a goal from Whippany resident Nicole Julich. The sophomore defenseman was set up by Gina Maffei and Succasunna resident Brittany Deventer. The even strength goal gave the Crimson a 1-0 lead just one minute into the second period. Just 46 seconds later, Junior Megan Winters (Basking Ridge, NJ) connected on a goal from assist Kathryn Alberti (Bernardsville, NJ). The third and final goal of the period came from Katie Paine, a freshman from Lebanon, NJ. Paine was set up from Gina Maffei and Katie Alberti with just over 6 minutes left to go in the middle period. Gina Maffei added a third period goal, assisted by Deventer to close the scoring.
Morristown-Beard out shot Princeton 27-7 in the championship game. Five of the Seven Princeton shots on net came in the third period. Goaltender Allie Maffei, twin sister of Gina, recorded her 7th WIHLMA shut-out in 10 games and 8th overall this season. This was the 13th shout out of her high school career. Princeton keeper, Chelsea Corell recorded 23 saves.
Morristown-Beard is coached by Montville resident Bruce Driver. Many local hockey fans know Bruce from his days with the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. Driver played for the University of Wisconsin from 1980-83 before entering the pros in 83. Driver was member of the Devils organization from 1984 through 1995. Driver joined the Devils third season and helped secure a defense that won the Stanley cup in 1994-95.
Driver kept his basic game plan and added a few small changes for the championship game. For offensive zone face- offs, Driver sent out Gina Maffei with Brittany Deventer and one of his four stellar defenseman Nicole Julich.
The combination, Deventer at center, Julich on left wing, Maffei on right wing and Winters and Alberti on defense, gave the Crimson very potent offensive line up. This high powered line was only sent out in spurts and resulted in the first goal of the championship game, as well as the final goal in the third period.
Driver also tried to match the defensive pairing of Winters and Deventer with Gina Maffei, Katie Paine and Annie Taggart against Princeton’s top line. This allowed the Crison to control play and keep the top seed in their own end of the ice. This created a strong mismatch in Morristown-Bread’s favor. Deventer and 4 other top players, (Julich, Charlotte McAuley, Captain Brooke Underwood and Vicari), to play against their second line.
Allie Maffei had to make 4 big saves in the third period. Beard, which took the second least number of penalties during the regular season, was called for four straight penalties in the third period. The Crimson played shorthanded 5-on-3, then 6-on-3 and 6-on-4 until 3:35 remaining in the game. Princeton pulled their keeper for most of the power play opportunity. Maffei stepped it up and responded with two big saves through screen, and one rebound save would have made any highlight real.
It’s been a fantastic year for the Lady Crimson. Finishing tied for first place with Princeton High School and culminating with a 4-0 win in the championship game over the same Princeton Team. The Crimson are currently 16-2-1 on the season, with at least two regularly scheduled games to play. Morristown-Beard lost to Princeton 1-0 in their first match-up. The Crimson out shot the Tigers 21-10, but could not break through. In the second match-up, Morristown-Beard cam out on top and won 2-0 while out shooting the Tigers 26-8. That win forced a tied for the regular season championship.
The post-season playoffs were held The Hill School in Pottstown, PA. The Crimson met up with Shady Side Academy in the semifinals. This would be the second match-up of the season between Beard and Shady Side. Morristown-Beard had won the first match up 2-0. The Crimson held to form, shutting out the Pennsylvania school 3-0. Gina Maffei (Wayne, NJ), Samantha Vicari (Wayne, NJ) and Megan Winters (Basking Ridge, NJ) found the net in the 3-0 victory. All goals came in the second period. The stunning defense held Shady side to only 5 shots on net, just below the season Shot-on-Goals against average of 7.25. Morristown-Beard has been out-shot in only one game this season, by perennial power-house Lawrenceville.
The Women's Interscholastic Hockey League of the Mid-Atlantic (WIHLMA) includes the following teams: Hill - Pottstown, PA; Holton Arms - Bethesda, MD; Morristown-Beard School - Morristown, NJ; Pingry - Martinsville, NJ; Princeton Day School - Princeton, NJ; Princeton High School - Princeton, NJ; Shady Side Academy - Pittsburgh, PA
Princeton was seeded #1 in the tournament, both Mo-Beard and PHS were 9-1 in league play and split in the regular season, but PHS won a tie breaker based on 1 less goal against on the season. The championship game matched up the regular season champions.
For the second game in a row, the Crimson used an explosive second period to bring home the championship. After a scoreless first period, one where the Crimson out shot PHS 10 to 1, Morristown-Beard busted through on a goal from Whippany resident Nicole Julich. The sophomore defenseman was set up by Gina Maffei and Succasunna resident Brittany Deventer. The even strength goal gave the Crimson a 1-0 lead just one minute into the second period. Just 46 seconds later, Junior Megan Winters (Basking Ridge, NJ) connected on a goal from assist Kathryn Alberti (Bernardsville, NJ). The third and final goal of the period came from Katie Paine, a freshman from Lebanon, NJ. Paine was set up from Gina Maffei and Katie Alberti with just over 6 minutes left to go in the middle period. Gina Maffei added a third period goal, assisted by Deventer to close the scoring.
Morristown-Beard out shot Princeton 27-7 in the championship game. Five of the Seven Princeton shots on net came in the third period. Goaltender Allie Maffei, twin sister of Gina, recorded her 7th WIHLMA shut-out in 10 games and 8th overall this season. This was the 13th shout out of her high school career. Princeton keeper, Chelsea Corell recorded 23 saves.
Morristown-Beard is coached by Montville resident Bruce Driver. Many local hockey fans know Bruce from his days with the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. Driver played for the University of Wisconsin from 1980-83 before entering the pros in 83. Driver was member of the Devils organization from 1984 through 1995. Driver joined the Devils third season and helped secure a defense that won the Stanley cup in 1994-95.
Driver kept his basic game plan and added a few small changes for the championship game. For offensive zone face- offs, Driver sent out Gina Maffei with Brittany Deventer and one of his four stellar defenseman Nicole Julich.
Driver also tried to match the defensive pairing of Winters and Deventer with Gina Maffei, Katie Paine and Annie Taggart against Princeton’s top line. This allowed the Crison to control play and keep the top seed in their own end of the ice. This created a strong mismatch in Morristown-Bread’s favor. Deventer and 4 other top players, (Julich, Charlotte McAuley, Captain Brooke Underwood and Vicari), to play against their second line.
Allie Maffei had to make 4 big saves in the third period. Beard, which took the second least number of penalties during the regular season, was called for four straight penalties in the third period. The Crimson played shorthanded 5-on-3, then 6-on-3 and 6-on-4 until 3:35 remaining in the game. Princeton pulled their keeper for most of the power play opportunity. Maffei stepped it up and responded with two big saves through screen, and one rebound save would have made any highlight real.
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