By Rich Chrampanis
MIDDLETOWN – Standing room only has become synonymous with one of New Jersey’s great hockey rivalries. The tradition continued as Middletown South and Middletown North opened the season at Middletown Sports Arena with the crowd spilling over into the aisles and around the boards for an electric atmosphere.
Middletown South raised eyebrows with a 5-2 win on the first night of the season over their archrival. Middletown North won the Mayor’s Cup last season in a convincing 5-1 win, but as with any rivalry game, anything can happen and the Eagles were able to make a resounding opening statement.
“They kind of took it to us last year in Mayor’s Cup,” South head coach Andy Rosenbloom said. “There’s no way you’re not getting up for this game. You walk out and you see a crowd like this. You know it’s your crosstown rival. A lot of these guys have played together for years. Everyone was ready to go.”
South got on the board first after Brendan Cavendish redirected Noah Schactman’s shot from the point. Middletown North would take a 2-1 lead at the end of one period after back-to-back goals from senior defenseman Aiden Thede.
The Eagles would control the second period. Senior Thomas Villano floated a backhand to tie the game at two and then Brandon Gronau avoided a check on the right wing and threaded the needle to Villano for his second straight goal. That gave South a 3-2 lead heading into a dramatic third period.
The final 15 minutes had the intensity of a Stanley Cup playoff game. Middletown North applied immense pressure, looking to tie the game, but Zander Baquero made 25 stops in his first varsity game.
In the final minute, North pulled the goalie and Cavendish sealed the win with an empty net goal. Just 19 seconds later, Gronau delivered quite an exclamation point with a breakaway goal to close out the scoring.
This isn’t your typical first game: Middletown South took pictures on the ice with the student section knowing they took part in something that is a lifelong memory. There will be plenty of big games for both teams throughout the season, but nothing compares to the atmosphere of this special rivalry.
“The atmosphere with the fans, just being able to play for someone besides your team and actually having someone to look at and cheer you on, there’s nothing like it,” Villano said.
The next part of the tradition comes at the end of the regular season when Middletown North will have a chance to retain the Mayor’s Cup. Like opening night, you better get there early if you want to get a seat.
“The fans set the tone. We set the tone,” Gronau said. “We got shots on net. We buried some. It just felt great.”
The article originally appeared in the December 15 – 21, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
