After the Woodbridge Township Hockeys 2022-2023 season, this season was hard to top. Having a rough season as compared to the last one, the boys went into their last game 9-7. The final game of theirs against Gov. Livingston, whom Woodbridge Hockey lost to last year in a nail-biting four-overtime loss. 

First Period 

Like any typical game, senior goalie, Hunter Galgani starts in the net. Right from the start, Gov. Livingston started this game with a bang, although it took them a minute to get a goal, Jackson Benward (senior) scored the first goal of the game, (2:48) with assists from Daltry Ferrigno (senior), and Jordan Baum (senior). It was an automatic realization for Woodbridge and their fans that this game was going to be a challenge for them. Patrick Rennie (senior), says that he knew they had their work cut out for them because Woodbridge was now down 1-0. 

The energy was high for Gov. Livingston and their fans after the first goal of this tense game. Not long after Benwards’ first goal, senior Brady Silverman scored the second goal of the game (:15), with an assist from Jackson Benward. As the first period started to come to an end, the score was now 0-2, and it appeared that Woodbridge had a lot of catching up to do. 

Second Period

Woodbridge Hockey is still looking for a goal at the beginning of the second. Senior Captain Chris Walusz takes his second penalty of the game. Senior goalie Hunter Galgani says there were many chances to score, but only some people could get the puck into the goal that day, and Woodbridge was not one of those people that day. 

Third Period

After a slow second period, the third period started, bringing the action back. Anthony Labis (senior) pulled out the game-final goal (2:27) with assists from Silverman (senior) and Baumn (senior), making the score now 3-0, and giving Woodbridge Hockey about no chance to be able to come back from this with just over two minutes left. Senior Ryan Douglas says how he had so many emotions going through his head because he was unable to help his team because of an illness during his last few games, including this one. Still, he was just happy to be able to be there and cheer on his team from the bench. Galgani did a great job in this game by ending it with 29 saves.

By this point, the disappointment started to cover the boy’s face. Most of these boys who had been playing ice hockey since they were around six years old, had just played their final high school game ever. 

Woodbridge Township Ice Hockey ends this season with a 9-8 record. As compared to last season, they did not make it as far as they would have liked. Since last season, they lost 4 of their high-scoring seniors who helped bring the team to win the GMS and bring them to the state finals. For next season, the program is going to have to build its way up because of the 8 seniors they are losing after this senior. Coach Niski will have to maintain their early morning practices to improve the team for next season and get them as far as they were able to make it during the 2022-2023 season.