1/23-- The Preview

Written by Andrew Jones

Howell Rebels (9-2-4) at Paramus Catholic Paladins (4-9)

Meet the Opponent: Paramus Catholic, coached by Keith Bland, has struggled to put the puck in the net this year. Through 13 games so far, they have only scored 23 goals, averaging less than 2 goals a game (1.77). Their goaltending, however, has been stellar in their 4 wins allowing 4 goals in those games combined. Ranked 98th in the state (25th private), upsetting Howell is something that would be the highlight of their season.

Keys to the Game-Howell: Any time a heavy favorite takes on an underdog, it is important for the favorite to get an early lead trying to crush any idea's the underdog has of winning. That's the type of situation Howell will be in tomorrow afternoon. Whether they grab an early lead or not is up to them. After two huge wins over Wall and Toms River South, the Rebs must not overlook Paramus Catholic or look too far down the road with the 1/30 showdown at Middletown South.

Keys to the game-Paramus Catholic: Bearing some sort of incredible run where the Paladins win out, the Paladins probably aren't going to make the playoffs. Beating a team like Howell would be the highlight of their year, something they can build around for next year. In order to win they are going to have to play 'the perfect' game. Very tight defense will be needed to limit the Rebels chances and Paramus must capitalize on all of theirs. That's something I don't see happening. Prediction: 6-1 Rebels