Central, Mendham to Skate for Shot at Halverson Cup Title

Any time West Morris Central and Mendham High Schools meet up in a sporting event, it’s one to remember.

Especially when a spot in championship history is on the line.

That’s what will happen Thursday afternoon at Mennen Arena when both school’s ice hockey teams square off in the Halverson Cup semifinals. A trip to the division title game on Saturday is on the line.

The matchup comes after Central, seeded No. 4 in the division tournament, took down No. 5 Mountain Lakes Tuesday night thanks to a three-goal outburst in the second period, according to nj.com. Adam Richards scored twice and Ryan Muscatella netted a goal all in less than seven minutes, the report said.

Net minder Tim Polglase made 20 saves, allowing just two goals.

Mendham’s road to the semifinals has been a quiet one, since it received a first-round bye as the No. 1 seed. The Minutemen are the defending Halverson Cup champions, having beaten Roxbury in the final last February.

The winner of Thursday 4:15 p.m. game will go on to play for the Cup on Saturday night at Mennen Arena at 6:30 p.m. against the winner of Roxbury vs. Pequannock.

A Halverson Cup title would be Mendham’s third championship in the last six years. It would be Central’s first Halverson Cup championship, but not its first division title. The team won back-to-back Haas Cup championships in 2010 and 2011 when it was part of that division.