It’s been an up and down season so far for coach Gary Stoll’s Highlanders. No games have meant more this season than these two recent wins recorded by West Milford.
On May 6, the Highlanders defeated Hawthorne in the first round of the county tournament by a score of 8-3. After the first quarter, the Highlanders held a slim 2-1 lead but wouldn’t waste anymore time pulling ahead. Senior Nick Lombardo and Junior Jake Kelshaw paved the way for a win by scoring twice including three assists from Kelshaw. Juniors Max Gorny and Vincent D’Andrea scored, with D’Andrea also putting up four assists in the game. Freshman Cole Riley scored, as did Sean Hughes, who scored the first goal of his high school career. Star Sophomore goalie Tyler Acanfrio saved 15 of 18 shots in net to seal the deal for the Highlanders, who then went on to face their rivals, the Lakeland Lancers.
In the second round, it was time for the Highlanders to take on a familiar foe–their rivals, the Lakeland Lancers. The two teams had already met this season in a double overtime thriller with Lakeland coming out on top 7-6. This time around, the rout was on as the Highlanders won 11-4. West Milford would go down 1-0 on the first possession, but after that, they never looked back. It was the “Max Gorny show” as he scored three times while also racking up an assist. Jake Kelshaw had two goals and three assists, and Vincent D’Andrea also scored twice with an additional assist as he continues to add on to his amazing junior season. Seniors Nick Lombardo, Nash Appell, and Logan Acanfrio all scored in the rout. Senior Brett Provenzano got in on the action when he found the back of the net as well with three assists to go with it. It was another stellar performance from goalie Tyler Acanfrio who recorded his 500th career save in the win. He’s now on pace to record 1,000 saves in his high school career.
The Highlanders will meet Wayne Valley in the County Championship game on Saturday in Wayne. The two teams have not met yet this season, but Wayne Valley got the best of the Highlanders twice last season. The game is at 12 pm, come out and support the team. It’s time to flip the script.
