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decided.
But this second game flaunted the PBA’ s prowess in net in the form of Aliseo. A 13-year veteran officer, he has been playing goalie for more than 25 years, and in what was expected to be a much tougher game than the opener, Aliseo made a definitive difference.
Connor scored on the PBA’ s first shot of the game, but the State Police responded with a rush that resulted in a breakaway coming at Aliseo. Now, a cop in his 30s probably should not be able to do the splits wearing gear that weighs about four times more than body armor, but Aliseo split and stopped the shot. The puck did manage to squirt under him and the official ruled it crossed the line for a goal.
Still, the ovation from another full house that raised another $ 5,740 – including a $ 1,000 donation from the State Troopers Non-Commissioned Officers Association – for the Hansen Fund served as praise to Aliseo shutting the door when it mattered most.
“ I feel I made the saves I had to make,” Aliseo consented.“ One lucky bounce can change the momentum of the game, so I was trying to keep doing what I was doing and hoped they didn’ t get that lucky bounce.”
Aliseo bounced the State Police in the second period in preserving a 2-1 PBA lead. The team’ s toughness was tested early in the period when the game turned chippy – hockey parlance for rough – and Margadonna wound up at the bottom of a huge pile of people.
“ I don’ t exactly know what happened, but somebody came up behind me and some punches were thrown,” Margadonna revealed. The hits kept coming, and Aliseo even took one from and gave one to State Police Officer Dan Rodrigo, his teammate on a rec-league team in Bridgewater and high school classmate
at Hudson County Catholic.“ It’ s hockey,” Aliseo offered.“ It doesn’ t matter who is playing. It’ s going to happen.”
The game had all the earmarks of starting a longtime rivalry, and probably will be one, until the first minute of the third period when Broschart sent a pass through the middle of the State Police defensive zone to Margadonna and he rocketed a shot into the net for a 3-1 lead. During the next minute, Connor knocked down State Police goalie Bill Tomasetti with a shot to make it 4-1 and Taco eluded a couple of defenders to make it 5-1.
Completing the third period with seven goals further flexed the PBA hockey muscle and left the impression that nothing can stop this group.
“ As of now, we have two games and 21 goals, so I don’ t know what that says,” Taco surmised following the victory against the State Police.“ We have a lot of offensive firepower and everyone contributes.”
A bit of a blow to the chest came on Jan. 28, when Atlantic City Guns and Hoses defeated the PBA, 4-1. Schulze noted that this team included more than just law enforcement officers and firefighters, and one player, he thought, who was drafted by an NHL team.
Still, the dream will continue Feb. 25 against the Port Authority Police at Red Bank Armory, which will also raise donations for the NJ State PBA Survivor and Welfare Fund. And after a showdown with the Philadelphia Police on March 19, the next brewing rivalry will come against the NJ FMBA on March 25.
Not that this means anything, but the NJ FMBA sent a member to scout the first two PBA games.“ I don’ t know what to expect,” Taco said.
Expect the game, and NJ State PBA Hockey, to be awesome. Truly awesome. d
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www. njcopsmagazine. com ■ FEBRUARY 2017 27