Bridgewater-Raritan HS Ice Hockey Recap: A Season to Remember
BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Rock Ice Arena’s crowd erupted in heartbreak following Thursday’s overtime game loss, ending the Panthers season. The Bridgewater Raritan High School Panthers Varsity Hockey team wrapped up an incredible season with a devastating overtime loss against Monroe High School on Feb. 27. Despite an attempted comeback by sophomore Alexander (Sasha) Abolenskiy, scoring two goals to tie Monroe with two minutes left in the third period, the Panthers fell short in overtime, losing 3-2. The Panthers had an outstanding season, with a season record of 22-4 along with becoming Skyland Conference champions for the first time in over a decade. Captain Sean Fagan hung up his skates for the final time as Bridgewater captain, closing the chapter of his high school hockey career along with seven other seniors. The Panthers had a thrilling season, starting the year off with a 6-0 win against rivals Hunterdon Central High School. Following one loss against the Pingry School, the team went on a 17 game win streak, breaking the New Jersey record for most consecutive wins without a tie. Justin Madison, making his varsity hockey debut as a freshman goaltender had a save percentage of .904 percent and a total of 602 saves becoming a vital part of the Panthers roster. Sasha Abolenskiy, Bridgewater-Raritan’s top point scorer, finished the season with 30 goals and 39 assists, reaching a total of 100 career points. Sasha was one of the stars of the season, highlighted by the final game. A few days following the end of the season, Sasha reflected on the season as a whole. "It feels a little empty knowing how memorable this season was and what we’ve accomplished as a collective. We were very upset about our loss to Monroe especially knowing this was our seniors final go around. As much as we hang our heads, we should credit ourselves with what was BR’s best season in quite some time," said Sasha.Going into the 25-26 season, Sasha spoke about the team's goals. "We look to do what we did last year, we will be missing our best personnel from last season, so it will be more of a challenge getting to where we were last year," said Sasha. Sasha also reflects on the senior who he hates to see leave, forward Nicholoas Wisniewski, who contributed a great attitude to the team. Junior Alex Koletnikov had 27 goals and 29 assists, making a huge impact on the team this year. The Panthers now need to say goodbye to some of their most valuable players from over the years. Captain Sean Fagan having a career total of 109 points, assistant captain Dylan Churpakovich, and other key players like forwards Dmytro Murentes and Nicholas Wisniewski are those of which the Panthers will be missing. The list goes on, with Defensemen Tair Gafialtullin and Matias Dorey, as well as fellow seniors Shawn Yuhasz, David Yi, Benjamin Meyer, and Lucas Rohman. Bridgewater-Raritan honors all of these players, on a huge season. Although the outcome wasn’t the one the team had hoped for, so many accomplishments were made, making this season and team unforgettable. — By Giuliana ArminioThe article Bridgewater-Raritan HS Ice Hockey Recap: A Season to Remember appeared first on Bridgewater, NJ Patch.
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