In what has become a January tradition, CBA Hockey hosted the annual outdoor game on January 20 in perhaps the coldest temperatures the Navesink Country Club game has been played in.
Hosting the La Salle Academy Rams (RI), the Colts emerged victorious, 5-1, on a chilly day that felt like 12 degrees on the banks of the Navesink River.
Christian Brothers has won five consecutive games against La Salle, including the last four outdoor games at Navesink.
It was clear that it took a period for the players to adjust to the outdoor conditions because the first period ended scoreless after a CBA goal was disallowed with the clock running down in the period.
“The weather plays a role in a game with the wind and the sun in your eyes,” said junior Nicholas Desiderio. “It took everyone on the ice some time to adjust to the temperature and the sun's glare.”
In the second period, CBA came out fast after senior Logan Kenney scored CBA’s first goal of the game five minutes into the period. Toward the end of the period, Desiderio sniped one in the top left corner on a power play with two minutes left in the period.
In the third period, CBA scored three more goals, two of which came from shorthanded goals by Senior Dominic Szczygiel and another by Kenney. La Salle got one goal back towards the end of the period on a power play of their own.
The celebratory contest against a fellow Lasallian school serves as a nice way to reset before the stretch run of the regular season.
To wrap up the Gordon Conference regular season, CBA will host Don Bosco Prep on January 27 and Delbarton on January 29 at Jersey Shore Arena. These two games will be crucial for the Gordon Cup standings, as Delbarton is currently first and Don Bosco is third. The Colts are currently second with a 5-2 conference record as of January 23.
“We must focus on the next game against Rumson Fair Haven before Don Bosco and Delbarton. We need to dominate that game to keep the momentum going in our direction,” Desiderio said. “We are looking forward to these matchups in the Gordon Cup next week and hope we can get the job done again.”
