The result shakes up the Handchen Cup – the top flight of the Shore Conference championship tournament – with the exit of No. 1 Toms River at the hands of the bottom seed in the field of eight teams.
“Toms River thought they were going to come in here and have a cakewalk,” Gato said. “That just didn’t happen.”
The junior ensured it wouldn’t. Gato withstood a barrage of 50 shots from Toms River over 60 minutes of hockey, three periods and overtime. He allowed one goal on a power play in the second period as Toms River and Middletown North were tied at 1-1 through the end of regulation and the additional overtime period.
“The last seven or eight games, he’s been — if not our best player, one of our top two players every night. He’s keeping us in the game,” said Middletown North coach Don Wood. “It’s phenomenal. And that’s what we need from him.”
Gato’s performance more broadly epitomized the journey of Midd North this season. The results were certainly not perfect as the Lions played a tough schedule and narrowly made the Handchen Cup cut. Gato went through his own growing pains in his first full year as the starter, posting and .862 save percentage with no shutouts although his 392 total saves foreshadowed his brilliance.
However imperfect the path, Midd North was nearly immaculate Thursday night. Two years removed from a state title win, it was proof that the perennial contender still looms as a force to be reckoned with. And the Lions weren’t even at full strength.
“Tonight, we dressed 18. We have some guys out…one of our captains, Lucas Laranjeiro,” said Wood. “We’ve just kind of stressed that even if we’re playing shorthanded, it’s not an excuse. Doesn’t matter.”
There was only one road to victory, and the Lions had the right tread on the tires to traverse it.
“We were coming into this as the eighth seed, we were slept on,” said junior Dom Marnauza. “We woke up in the morning, came to school with a great attitude. Everyone dressed well. Everyone spent time together as team. And just sticking together as a family, that’s what got us through it.”
Marnauza, the team’s leading goal-scorer, powered through his own challenges through the 60 minutes of exhausting competition to deliver the deciding goal in the shootout. But he knew as well as anyone that it took all 18 players to produce this result, highlighted by an outsized contribution from the last line of defense.
“It was a team effort. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without the guys we have,” said Marnauza. “It really just took banging bodies, getting pucks on net and forcing a shootout. Which is where our goalie, Gato, came in clutch. Greatest performance I’ve ever seen.”
But it was clear in the opening minutes that Middletown North was not going to be an ordinary challenger. The Lions’ benefitted from an early power play just 30 seconds into the game, but it was actually how they performed against a subsequent Toms River advantage that stood out
Midd North’s penalty kill deployed an impressive forecheck that stifled Toms River and provided an early boon of confidence to the younger underdog on the road, but there was a reality check later in the first as a second Toms River power play came within inches of scoring.
After a scoreless first period, that Toms River power play broke through early in the second. Jake Letts delivered a terrific pass to Joey Taliercio in the left circle, and the senior drilled a shot for the game’s first goal with 10:27 left in the second. But Midd North answered later in the period on a gritty goal by sophomore Tyler Cummings.
The Lions would not allow another power play opportunity for Toms River for the remainder of the game. It appeared several times that Taliercio, Brady Verdon or Nick Salzano would break through in the third period as Toms River kept up the pressure, but promising shots went narrowly awry and those looks were at minimum thanks to the astute play of Gato.
The momentum swings became more pronounced as the stakes were raised in sudden-death overtime, and it appeared that Midd North would break through with a power play opportunity four minutes into the period. That mirage swung the other way when Toms River swiftly stifled it. But the ensuing stalemate led to a shootout finish, a rule specific to the Shore Conference tournament.
After Middletown North got out to a 2-0 advantage, Salzano kept hope alive for Toms River with a score. But the resilience of Gato was the key to victory, and he delivered an appropriate finish with his game-winning save.
For Middletown North, the victory brings its record to 10-9 heading into the semifinals of the Handchen Cup. The Lions will face Howell, which beat Manalapan 3-2 on Thursday night. Midd North could continue to improve with the potential return of Laranjeiro and Sam Noone from injury.
