Sports roundup: Ice hockey team wins championship
WEST MILFORD. The Silver Cup title is the first for the team since it won the Big North Bronze Cup in 2022.
| 19 Feb 2025 | 08:33
Early in the second half of the Passaic County Tournament quarterfinal game Saturday, Feb. 15, West Milford’s Ognjen Ljusic blocks the shot of Brooklyn Jelinsky. Wayne Hills won, 63-39. The girls team also lost in the PCT quarterfinal round to Passaic Tech, 56-48. (Photo by Glenn Clark)
West Milford’s John DelVecchio, right, lets go of a lefty layup during a third-quarter possession in the Passaic County Tournament quarterfinal game. Defending for Wayne Hills is Brooklyn Jelinsky. The game was Saturday, Feb. 15 at Wayne Hills. (Photos by Glenn Clark)
Grabbing a rebound on the defensive end is the Highlanders’ Tyler Liguori as Wayne Hills’ Chernoh St. Paul tries for the steal.
Highlanders’ Cole Stillman drives over mid-court after making a steal in PCT quarterfinal action against Wayne Hills on Saturday.
Landon MacKenzie of West Milford battles with Brooklyn Jenlinsky of Wayne Hills for a rebound on a second-half West Milford free throw.
West Milford’s Dean Deaver drives to his left into the lane during first-quarter action against Wayne Hills on Saturday, Feb. 15.
John DelVecchio of West Milford looks to his left for a cutting teammate around the defense of Justin Graves of Wayne Hills.
Tyler Liguori puts up a short jumper for the Highlanders during third-quarter action at Wayne Hills.
Cole Stillman of West Milford goes up for two points in the fourth quarter against Wayne Hills.
Ognjen Ljusic of West Milford converts a layup for his Highlanders team against Wayne Hills.
John DelVecchio of West Milford dribbles in to the lane past Brooklyn Jelinsky of Wayne Hills in the quarterfinal game of the Passaic County tournament played at Wayne Hills.
Joe Barroquerio and Timmy Riche each totaled two goals and two assists; Kyle Gregory had a goal and four assists; and Matt Montena stopped 30 shots to lead the third-seeded West Milford/Pequannock/Pompton Lakes tri-op boys ice hockey squad to a 6-5 victory over Lakeland/Hawthorne/Waldwick in the Big North Silver Cup championship game Thursday, Feb. 13 at the Ice Vault in Wayne.
The title is the first for West Milford since it won the Big North Bronze Cup in 2022.
West Milford (10-12-1) entered the tournament five games under .500, but head coach Christopher Scarpa knew his team had the talent to win the tournament.
“Their morale was low, but I let them know that they had a coach that believes in them,” said Scarpa, now in his fourth season at the helm. “We were micro-focused on one major goal this season: To win the cup and it was entirely in their hands to do it.”
The game was knotted, 2-2, after two periods, but Riche scored 1:16 into the third and Barroquiero found the back of the net just 23 seconds later to provide the Highlanders with a 4-2 lead its first two-goal advantage of the night to that point.
Later in the period, Barroquerio and Gregory each responded to Lakeland goals to once again push the Highlanders’ lead to two goals, with Gregory’s coming with 32 seconds remaining.
West Milford and Lakeland (9-14-1) have met four times this season. The Highlanders hold a 2-1-1 edge.
West Milford won, 7-6, in its season-opener Dec. 6 before the teams tied, 4-4, on Dec. 20. Lakeland then pulled out a 7-6 win in the quarterfinal round of the Passaic County Tournament (PCT) on Jan. 15.
“This is why you play sports,” Scarpa said. “It’s a great rivalry and the night of the final it was just so loud and electric in the arena. To win this was just so cool; the kids are through the moon.”
West Milford will turn its attention to the state tournament, which will be seeded later this month.
“We’re going to enjoy the heck out of this now,” the coach said. “And I think we’re peaking at the right time and can do some damage once the state tournament starts.”
Here’s how other West Milford teams fared last week:
Boys basketball
Ognjen Ljusic scored a team-high 13 points, but fifth-seeded West Milford bowed to fourth-seeded Wayne Hills, 63-39, in the PCT quarterfinal round Saturday, Feb. 15 in Wayne.
West Milford (12-10) will close out its regular season schedule by playing at Fair Lawn at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20 and traveling to Sussex County to play at Vernon at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22.
Girls basketball
Sarah Benowitz scored a game-high 18 points; Adison Arciniega had 14 points, three steals and two rebounds; Laurel Space added nine points, nine rebounds and four steals; and Amanda O’Brien had a point and eight rebounds as second-seeded West Milford was defeated by seventh-seeded Passaic Tech, 56-48, in the PCT quarterfinal round at home Feb. 15.
The Highlanders then defeated Wayne Hills, 43-34, on Monday afternoon, Feb. 17 led by Benowitz (11 points), Arciniega (10 points) and O’Brien (eight points).
West Milford (16-4) will play host to Fair Lawn at 7 p.m. Feb. 20.
Wrestling
The sixth-seeded Highlanders bowed to third-seeded Pascack Hills, 51-27, in the first round of the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 tournament Monday, Feb. 10 at Pascack Valley High School.
A.J. DeFede (120 pounds), Nick Triverio (157), Owen Menier (175) and Jeffrey Papienuk (215) all won by fall for West Milford.
West Milford will compete in the NJSIAA District 3 Tournament beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22 along with Bergen Catholic, DePaul, Kittatinny, Newton, North Warren, Sparta, Vernon and Wallkill Valley at Kittatinny.