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The Coast Star (12/22/16) "Phipps goal in final seconds gives Purple Roses first win"

Phipps goal in final seconds gives Purple Roses first win

By Len Bardsley

 St. Rose senior forward Alex Phipps controls the puck behind the net during the Purple Roses game against Marlboro. Phipps scored on a breakaway with 5.9 seconds left in the game to give St. Rose a 4-3 win on Friday.|Photo courtesy SARAH LEMONIE  Photo courtesy SARAH LEMONIE

St. Rose senior forward Alex Phipps controls the puck behind the net during the Purple Roses game against Marlboro. Phipps scored on a breakaway with 5.9 seconds left in the game to give St. Rose a 4-3 win on Friday.

WALL — It was the kind of goal that the St. Rose ice hockey team hopes to spark the season.

Alex Phipps scored for the Purple Roses on a breakaway with only 5.9 seconds left in the game to give St. Rose a dramatic 4-3 victory over Marlboro at Jersey Shore Arena on Friday.

It was the first win of the season for the Purple Roses.  “It was a big win for us because it was our first,’’ said St. Rose coach Dan Grothues. “We needed it big-time.’’ 
 
Keelan McGovern did a great job getting to the loose puck and lifting it past the blue line where Phipps picked it up and raced in alone on the Mustangs goalie. “Mac [McGovern] won a battle and hit it right to my stick in the middle of the ice and the Red Sea parted and I was right there,’’ said Phipps. “I didn’t know much time was left that was why I was so eager to go.’’
 

Phipps knows it is big to get the first win of the season to start the positive momentum for the Purple Roses. “It feels really, really good to get the monkey off our back and start learning how to win as a team more,’’ said Phipps.

The game went back and forth between Marlboro and St. Rose for the duration of the contest.

The Mustangs took a 1-0 lead, but Phipps came back to tie it for the Purple Roses in the first period.  Marlboro claimed a 2-1 lead at the end of the first, but Will Lemonie responded for St. Rose with 6:37 left in the second period to tie the game again 2-2.

The Mustangs pushed ahead again with 2:55 left in the second period, but a great effort by Phipps sent the game into the third period tied 3-3.  Phipps burst through the Mustangs defense, but his initial attempt was stopped. He continued to hustle after the loose puck and managed to get the puck and slide it across the goal mouth.

Sean Grant was there to knock in the Phipps pass with 2:53 left in the second period to tie the game 3-3.

St. Rose coach Dan Grothues felt his team was ready for a full three-period effort against Marlboro.

“We had a good week of practice,’’ said Grothues. “After last week they needed to wake up. We got a good wake-up call and we need to do a lot of things better. The energy was there tonight and our compete level was there more than it has been. We went down a couple goals, they didn’t give up, they kept playing, we stuck to our game plan and it ended up paying off for us.’’

Grothues felt there was no better player in a clutch situation like a last-second breakaway than Phipps. “If there is any player in a situation where the puck is going to land on his stick, it is Alex,’’ said Grothues. “He has so much experience and he is such a great player, his effort alone is good enough, plus all his skill. He had a great game. That is what we need him to do.’’

The Purple Roses played their second game in a row against Marlboro on Saturday at Jersey Shore Arena in a rare back-to-back game against the same opponent.  St. Rose earned a 2-1 win over the Mustangs, again coming from behind against Marlboro.  The Mustangs scored midway through the second to take a 1-0 lead before Lemonie scored both of the goals for the Purple Roses.  The junior forward scored with 4:37 left in the second period off an assist from Phipps and Joe Merlucci to tie the game 1-1.  Lemonie scored the eventual game-winning goal in the first minute of the third period off a Phipps assist to give St. Rose a 2-1 lead.

Steve Gibilisco had 23 saves for the Purple Roses in goal during the win.

St. Rose will host Freehold Township on Friday at Jersey Shore Arena.

The Purple Roses will play in the Mayors Cup in Toms River after Christmas.  St. Rose will face Toms River North in the first game of the tournament on Monday at Winding River Arena.