Monmouth tops Ocean, 6-2, in all-star game

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer

Brick native Jim Dowd could not be more pleased with how his ninth annual Monmouth-Ocean High School All-Star hockey game went at a packed Red Bank Armory on Sunday night.

Monmouth won the game, 6-2, to take a 6-3 lead in the series.

Dowd, a former New Jersey Devil who played last season with the Chicago Blackhawks and then was picked up by the Colorado Avalanche for the playoffs, said that more than $2,000 was collected from ticket sales at the door, a 50/50 and a raffle of hockey memorabilia to benefit Dottie's House.

Dowd, who is chairman of the Shoot for the Stars Foundation, also donated $10,000 of his own money for the charity, which is a transitional housing shelter for women and children who have survived domestic violence.

Center Vin LaRosa, defenseman Anthony Zipfel, of Brick Township, and defenseman Ryan Granquist, of Brick Memorial, played in the game. Although the game consisted primarily of seniors, LaRosa and Zipfel were selected because there were no seniors on Brick Township's team, and they earned the praises of Dowd, who excelled in his high school playing days for the Green Dragons.

"Both played well in the game and it means a bright future for Brick," said Dowd. "You can see that Vin works hard and Anthony played well. Overall, it was a great game."

Monmouth ended the first period with a slim 1-0 lead and built it to 3-0 in the second period before Ocean cut it back to 3-2 by the end of the period. Monmouth put in two quick goals midway through the third period and an empty-netter at the end for its fifth straight victory and a 36-11 scoring margin in that span.

Dowd, meanwhile, still is looking to hook up with a team as a free agent with 13 years of NHL experience. He played for eight teams while scoring 63 goals and assisting 158 in 573 games, and had a strong post-season for the Avalanche before it was swept by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.