Purple Roses come up with character win vs. Bulldogs

By Len Bardsley                                                                                                                                     

St. Rose freshman forward Sean Grant gets set to shoot the puck in a game earlier this week. Grant scored for the Purple Roses in a 2-1 win over Rumson-Fair Haven on Monday.

 

Photo courtesy SARAH LEMONIE

RED BANK — It took some time, but it looks like the St. Rose ice hockey team is starting to get something special going.

The Purple Roses won their third game in a row and played their best game of the season on Monday night at the Red Bank Armory defeating Rumson-Fair Haven 2-1.

Will Lemonie had hit the post for the Purple Roses only moments before Phipps knocked in the loose puck.

St. Rose got an outstanding effort in goal from sophomore Steven Gibilisco who turned away 25 Rumson-Fair Haven shots.

Purple Rose coach Dan Grothues feels his team is starting to play with confidence and is getting that winning feeling after sweeping Marlboro in back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday [See related story].

“I think last weekend we got the taste of winning a little bit,’’ said Grothues. “That game vs. Rumson, was the best game we played all year. They know what they can do now.’’

Grothues feels his team is now playing the right system in the right positions with everyone healthy.

“We have not seen that effort, that discipline and that structural play since we scrimmaged Middletown South back in November,’’ said Grothues. “It is nice to have everyone and have everyone moving, now that we are kind of rolling a bit hopefully we can keep it going.’’  One of the moves Grothues made now that he has a full lineup was putting senior Bryce Grant back to his regular spot as a defenseman.  Grant was playing forward on the first line with Phipps and his younger brother Sean Grant.  Lemonie has taken Bryce Grant’s spot on the top forward line.

Bryce Grant has given the Purple Roses just what they needed on the blue line, a player who can handle quick skating talented forwards and can move the puck up the ice with crisp passes. Bryce Grant showed his experience and poise during the second period killing off a Purple Rose penalty.

A Rumson forward tried to skate around Bryce Grant several times, but the Purple Rose defenseman moved his feet and used his entire body to put himself in perfect position to win the puck.  Bryce Grant then shielded the puck from the Bulldogs, before clearing it out of the zone.

“Bryce knows what to do in situations like that,’’ said Grothues. “He is a natural defenseman and a good, hard worker. If we can keep him back there we are going to try to do that.’’

The play of Bryce Grant against the Bulldogs, along with fellow defenseman Mark Sandomierski, Joe Merlucci, Mike Fullman and Keelan McGovern, had Gibilisco feeling pretty good in the goal.

“The thought of everyone being there and the support has helped me,’’ said Gibilisco. “The defense and team behind me has been playing great.’’  Gibilisco made a glove save on a Bulldogs 2-on-1 in the second period and later stopped a Rumson rebound attempt from close range with a pad save.  “I think we all started to click,’’ said Gibilisco. “We had a few injuries which hurt us. It is three in a row [wins]. The confidence will keep coming and we will keep rolling.’’

The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead on the Purple Roses midway through the first period before St. Rose tied the game with 12:09 left in the second period.  Sean Grant scored off a Lemonie assist to send the game into the third period 1-1.

Grothues was not surprised Phipps came up with the deciding goal, his second game-winning goal in the final minutes in the last three games for the Purple Roses. “Alex is one of the toughest kids you are going to face in front of the net looking for rebounds,’’ said Grothues. “He was in the right place at the right time.’’