When a prep hockey team loses by the score of 11-2, its traditional for every player on the losing roster to come in for plenty of criticism. That wasn’t the case for Rockaway (N.J.) Morris Hills, who had one remarkable standout performer. Ironically, the game’s star was also the man most directly responsible for letting in all those goals.
As noted by the Newark Star-Ledger, Morris Hills goalie Adam Katz made an unbelievable 74 saves against Parsippany (N.J.) High. Of course, those saves came in the process of letting in 11 goals, but the junior's stops still stood out as a remarkable feat.
The 74 saves pushed Katz’s season-long total to 178 saves, good only for sixth overall in the state of New Jersey in 2012. Still, there is reason to believe that Katz will have plenty more saves coming after he finished his sophomore campaign with 563 stops, the most in the state of New Jersey. You can see Katz in action from his sophomore campaign courtesy of Dawn J. Benko Photography.
"Andy stood on his head tonight," Morris Hills hockey coach Sam DeMarco told the Star-Ledger "He's a solid goaltender day in and day out for us. He's a baseball player, so he's got a quick glove and he knows how to control the puck. He doesn't give up a lot of rebounds."
In fact, Katz has been so solid in front of goal that he has helped Morris Hills earn two ties in the team’s first four games of the 2012-13 season. Considering the fact that the Scarlet Knights have given up 11 goals in other games, that is quite an accomplishment.
Still, earning a tie pales in comparison to recording 74 saves in a single game. As a team player, it’s likely that Katz would trade his standout game for a win or even another tie. Regardless, he’ll never forget it.
Want more on the best stories in high school sports? Visit RivalsHigh or connect with Prep Rally on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.