Red Devils Down Bridgewater, Move on To Skyland Cup Semifinals

The Ridge Red Devils varsity hockey team won their Skyland Conference Ice Hockey Cup quarterfinal match on Monday afternoon against the Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers, 3-1. The team will advance the to semifinals to face Pingry, the No. 1 seed. Ridge is seeded No. 4, and Bridgewater was seeded No. 5.

"This might have been our last game, so it felt good to know we have another one," said Ridge goalkeeper Alec Wells.

Bridgewater controlled the game for the first period, taking 11 shots to Ridge's five. This was at least partly due to three Bridgewater power-plays during the first period, although Ridge seemed to be playing better defense short-handed than they were even.

The only goal of the first period came with a shot during even play from Matt Liebers of Bridgewater, which ricocheted off a Ridge defender's skate and into the net to bring the Panthers up 1-0 going into the second period.

"It was quiet in the locker room after the first period," said Eric Von der Linde, one of Ridge's leading scorers. "But the first shift back, our line got it done."

Momentum swung to the Red Devils' favor early in the second period on an unassisted goal from Von der Linde, hitting in the rebound of a previous shot to tie the game. Ridge's stellar short-handed play continued in the second period as well, with the go-ahead goal for the Red Devils scored by Eric Menard during a Bridgewater power play.

"My partner Jake Hotz and I, we always know where the other will be, so when we are out there we can just dominate," said Menard.

The Red Devils out-shot Bridgewater throughout the second period, 13 to 11. Going into the third period of play, Ridge held a 2-1 lead.

Neither team scored for most of the third period, with the only goal coming on an open net shot with less than 30 seconds remaining from Von der Linde, with an assist from Nigel Wardrop.

"The last shot was a flurry shot," said Von der Linde.

Wells' seven saves in the third quarter would have been enough to hold onto the win without Von der Linde's last goal. At one point, in the middle of the third period, Bridgewater was taking shot after shot with Wells sprawled out across the front of the net, but none of the shots got past him.

"I was just hoping that nothing would go in," said Wells.

Ridge will face Pingry on Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 4 p.m. for the semifinal round of the Skyland Conference Cup.

Pingry is 18-2-1 this season and are coming off of a 12-1 victory over Mountain Lakes. The Red Devils last faced Pingry on February 6. Ridge briefly held a lead during that game, but ultimately lost, 7-3. In their first meeting this season, Pingry beat Ridge 6-1.