The end of the road comes tonight for the Glen Rock High School ice hockey team, when the Panthers play for the New Jersey State Public B championship, taking on upstart Wall in the championship game at Mennen Arena, in Morristown, 7:30 p.m.
Glen Rock, the Big North champion and No. 1 seed in the tournament, is returning to the championship game for the second straight year, after losing in the final to Ramsey, 5-1, at Prudential Center. The Panthers, who are 21-3-4 on the season, are seeking their first state title. They advanced to the final after defeating Jackson Memorial (3-0) in the second round; Summit (3-1) in the quarterfinals, and Middletown North (4-1) in the semifinals.
Wall (18-6-2) is the Shore Conference champion and the No. 10 seed, and is playing in its first state final, having upset No. 3 Middletown South in the semifinals, winning by a score of 7-3. They beat Mahwah – which had upset the No. 2 seed, Northern Highlands in the second round – 1-0, in the quarterfinals.
Wall is the third Shore Conference team Glen Rock will face in the tournament. Wall lost in the regular season to both Middletown North (5-3) and Jackson Memorial (4-3).
