Eight teams continued their season, and by the end of Friday, eight teams had returned home.
As a result, the men's public quarterfinal round was canceled, and one women's match was also held.
Let's take a look at some of the biggest takeaways, upsets and statement wins from Friday's action.
The Immaculate Heart will outlast the summit.
Summit struck first, and the response of the Immaculate Heart was impressive. Immaculate Heart led 3-1 after the first inning as Julie Foria scored twice and Gabriela Shadek added a goal 2:55 apart within six minutes of Charlotte Zahn's score. Bridget Glennon and Abby Zahn then scored 64 seconds apart in the first two minutes of the second period. The Blue Eagles responded quickly once again thanks to Claire Chanfrau. Abby Zahn and Schanfrau traded goals late in the period to give Immaculate Heart a 5-4 lead heading into the third. That was all the points. Nothing hit the net after a five-goal second period, and the Immaculate Hearts won 5-4. Folia and Chamfrau combined for four goals and seven points.
Tenafly Cresskill Blank Wayne
Lucas Egan and Dmitri Jefferson played in the game. Scoring started with Cho Won-hee's power-play goal 26 seconds into the second period, and Troy Knaus added another point in the second half to extend the lead. Jefferson took care of everything from there, posting a 30-save shutout in the 2-0 win. Egan made 35 saves himself. This is the first time since 2012 that Tenafly has won two games in the state tournament.
Scali and Rosauro shine again at Ridgewood
A formula that continues to produce great results. AJ Rosauro led the attack and Jack Scali closed the door in goal. Rosauro. He scored one goal and two assists, scoring one point in each period, in the team's 3-0 win over Ramapo. Scali played flawlessly, stopping all 42 shots thrown at him. This is the most saves he has had this season with three shutouts.
Gresko and Brundle advance Howell-Matawan to semifinals
Tony Brundle shocked Howell Matawan 24 seconds into the game and Matt Gresko led 2-0 as the first period ended. Brundle scored again to make it 3-0, but Brick wouldn't sit still. One minute and 10 seconds after Brundle's second goal, Peter Morris scored a short-handed goal to complete the comeback. Morris scored his second goal in the third period, tying the game after Jake Toye had led by one with 4:44 remaining. Despite not having much momentum, Gresko scored the winning goal 16 seconds into overtime, giving Howell-Matawan a 4-3 victory. This is the program's first trip to the state quarterfinals since 2020, with the section semifinals effectively becoming the state quarterfinals, but it is the first time since 2015 that it has won two tournament games.
Manasquan Point Beach hangs on against HV-M.
Manasquan Point Pleasant Beach faced some adversity against Hopewell Valley-Montgomery, but was relieved to be able to hang on for a 3-2 victory. Whenever the team had momentum, Hopewell Valley Montgomery responded. Jack Buonato gave his team a 2-1 lead with 1:51 left in the second period, but Matthew Greenspoon tied it 23 seconds later. He scored a goal to make it 4-2 in the third period. Blake Echtanakt stopped more than 30 shots between the second and third periods alone. Still, the team persevered. Dylan Vouteras broke a 2-2 tie in the third inning, making it the winner. He scored the first goal 57 seconds into the game.
Leonardi helps upset Ocean Twp vs. Shore Monmouth
Ocean Township Shore Monmouth had to make the long walk to Mercer County Park for their quarterfinal game against Robbinsville-Allentown, but it was a fun way home thanks in part to Roman Leonardi was. Leonardi and RA's Xander Wylie engaged in a battle between goaltenders until the third period, but Liam Forster broke through with 10:44 left in regulation. That was enough for Leonardi, who posted a 48-save shutout in a thrilling 1-0 victory. Even in the loss, Wiley stopped 25 shots himself. This is the first time since 2014 that the program has won back-to-back playoff games.
Randolph, Monroe march
Randolph and Monroe scored seven goals in quarterfinal wins over Livingston and Wall, respectively. Randolph won 7-0 as Shane Merry had three goals and two assists, and Ryan Thomas and Jace Zangara each added one goal and two assists. John Krynicki made 18 saves in the shutout. Monroe increased its lead to 4-0 in the second period when Michael Hall brought in Wall. The Falcons resumed their attack and scored three goals the rest of the game to win 7-1. Nicholas Izzo had four goals and five points. Cameron Schwartz also matched him in points with one goal and four assists. Aiden Grinspan had four assists of his own.
Brian Bobal can be contacted at: bbobal@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @Brian Bobal.
The NJ High School Sports newsletter is currently in the mailbox five days a week. Sign up now!
Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (old Twitter)
