Junior Kings make it Eighteen in a Row

Jan 27 -  Princeton, NJ. The New Jersey Kings Junior team edged the Black Knights (formerly HIT Canada) in two very competitive games this weekend to extend their winning streak to eighteen, and locking in first place in the IJHL Elite division.

 The last loss for the Kings was on Nov 3 to the Arrows.  Saturday night the Knights struck first on a goal by Seth Rowsan.  Within a minute Houston Foster snapped a quick shot over the Knights goalie’s shoulder to make it a tie game. After half a period of back and forth play and multiple shots for both teams, the Kings broke the game open with 3 goals, all from Defenseman, near the end of the first.  Ben Scott scored on a pass from Joe Gunerman, and Keith O’Connor had a pair of goals from the point. Undaunted, the Knights kept pressing and managed to slip the puck past Zach Scott as the buzzer went off to make it 4-2. 

The Kings added two unanswered goals in the second- one from newly signed forward it Nick DiMarino and a power play goal (the first of three goals) from Kevin LoGuidice that night.  The Knights came out with new life in the third period and capitalized twice on power plays to make it 6-4. Play was heated and crisp and both teams stepped their games up a notch.  Kevin LoGuidice popped in two more on assists by Ben Scott and Phil Vassilev to give the Kings some room. The Knights managed one more goal on a power play. Final score Kings 8 - Knights 5.

Sunday morning’s game was a close low-scoring battle. The Kings came out roaring with 2 goals in the first.  Phil Vassilev fed both goals- one to Nick DiMarino at 11:02 and one to Houston Foster at 8:34.  The Knights answered back with a lone goal by Adma Roberts to make it 2-1 Kings at the end of the first.  The second period was a game of defense, and remained scoreless until the Knight’s Wallace Thompson sent one past Zach Scott with two minutes left in the period. The score tied at 2-2- the play was fast paced, physical and highly charged in the third period.  Dan Kacerosky notched the winning goal on a pass from Will DeFusco with 1:47 left on the clock.  The Knights pulled their goalie, hoping to tie, but Anton Rassadkin grabbed a loose puck and scored the open –netter. Final Score Kings 4- Knights 2.

Scoring Jan 26 :  LoGuidice (3g, 1a), B. Scott (1g, 2a), Kacerosky (3a), O’Connor (2g), Necci (2a), Foster (1g, 1a), DiMarino (1g), Gunerman (1a), Vassilev (1a), DeFusco (1a). Zach Scott- Win.

Scoring Jan 27: LoGuidice (2a), Vassilev (2a), Foster (1g), Kacerosky (1g), DiMarino (1g), Rassadkin (1g), O’Connor (1a), DeFusco (1a).