’19-’20 Bantam AA Ducks win NJYHL Championship
Wayne, NJ:
The Protec Ducks Bantam Major National has been at the head of the class all season in NJYHL Bantam AA; outscoring opponents 166-19 in league play. Entering the NJYHL playoffs the Ducks were the team to beat. On Saturday, the Protec Ducks faced off against the North Jersey Avalanche and took a 2-0 lead with goals by Elian Estulin only to see it slip away at the end of regulation into a 2-2 deadlock. In overtime, the Ducks controlled the play and found a few openings, but were denied by the Avalanche goaltender. Finally, Defenseman John Eager put home a backhand to end the game and earn a spot in the NJYHL Final.
In the championship game, the Ducks faced the Montclair Blues, a familiar opponent. The Ducks got on the board in the second period with two goals from Zachary Alvin with the game winning assists coming from Jamie Zimmerman and Michael Agathis. Joe Auletti stood tall in net as Montclair peppered him with shots in the final stages of the game. Head Coach Barry Lupovich added, “I’ve been very pleased with the team defense, because every game going forward will be low scoring. Auletti really stood tall today and was a major reason for our championship.” With the 2-0 win, the Protec Ducks move on to districts in a few weeks and will play the Union Thunder in a best of three series with the winner advancing to USA Hockey Nationals in Kalamazoo, MI.
Team Effort Leads Ducks To Championship:
