Site Editor posted on February 06, 2012 22:56
In sports the one of the many sayings is it’s not how you start but how you finish. Look at the Giants, they got hot at the right time and unfortunately are celebrating another championship. Same can be said for the St Louis Cardinals last year. As we look back in the SJHSIHL, we used the last 6 games as a barometer to see who has been hot. Cherokee comes in as the favorite, rightfully so as they are the defending champs and finished atop of the Tier 1 division with just 2 losses. And in their last 6 games have gone 5-1. Clearview has won 4 games in a row and 5 out of 6, with the lone loss coming against Cherokee, a team they defeated earlier in the season.
Shawnee has struggled lately losing 4 out of the last 6 games and have struggled offensively all season averaging just over 4 goals a game. However they are strong defensively, giving up less than 4 per game and are a young team and will only get better. Williamstown has split their last 6 games, will get Haynes back from suspension, which will help, they need to remain disciplined if they want to advance in the tournament. Washington Township has won 3 in a row and 5 out of 6. Now sporting a full squad and a hot goalie, we expect them to go far in the tournament. But the hottest team as we head into the playoffs is Moorestown. Up until losing the last game of the regular season, they had won 6 in a row, with consecutive wins against Clearview, Township and Cherokee.
Now does all this mean anything, probably not, but the good thing is the games should be exciting and hopefully well attended. While I think Cherokee should get there, I would not be surprised to see a Moorestown-Township final.
Written by Mike Costantino