When the (4-0) Penguins take the court, all their JCC of Bayonne’s Sr. Division Floor Hockey foes know they’re in for a fast paced contest. For the (0-5) Islanders, the plan was simple, work hard and improve with every shift. Right from the opening whistle, the Islanders swarmed the Penguins’ leading scorer Jake Nowak a move that came at a price as Nowak skillfully zipped passes to Jan Patrick Egan who notched his first two net jets of the season. Down 2-0 the, Islanders’ team co-captain Gabriella Bonilla fought the ball to Natallyah Teixeira who made it 2-1 with her third goal of the season. As both squads hammered shots on net, the Penguins’ all star goalie Matt Doyle saw 23 shots poured his way as the Islanders went all out on offense. At the halfway point, the close contest faded as the “Twin Engines’ struck again with Nowak assisting J. P Egan on his third goal of the game making it 3-1, Penguins. Now the Islanders faced the Penguins all out blitz as Jake Nowak netted three goals in less than six minutes. Assisting on the Penguins’ scoring surge were Malachi Smith (2) and John Bautista. Down 6-1, the Islanders caught a break and cashed in on a power play goal as their co-captains teamed up with Gabriella Bonilla assisting James Bajor on his fifth goal of the season making it 6-2, Penguins. For the next 10 minutes, the Penguins’ offense went into high gear as Nowak tallied two more goals (5 in all) and Malachi Smith added two goals while also picking up 2 assists. Trailing 10-2, the hardnosed Islanders found a new star as Madison Neal Markowski whipped a backhand shot to net making it 10-3, Penguins. Inspite of the score, the Islanders’ Elliott Santana and Meghann Mock showed no signs of backing down as they battled down the stretch. With time running out, the Penguins’ Malachi Smith joined Egan and Nowak in the “Hat Trick” club with his third goal as the Penguins cruised to an 11-3 victory.
Week 4 Jr. Division
Offensive Player of the week – Jake Nowak – Penguins
Defensive Player of the week – Colin Woods – Devils
Teamwork/ Leadership Player of the week – James Bajor – Islanders