Chiropractor in Matawan, NJ

2026 Handchen Cup Final Preview

6-Howell-Matawan (11-9-1) vs. 8-Brick (12-5)

Thursday, Feb. 12, 7:15 PM at Jersey Shore Arena

Championship History

Howell-Matawan

Brick

How They Got Here

Howell-Matawan

Brick

Players To Watch

Howell-Matawan

Brick

What to Expect

Howell-Matawan is back where it wants to be.

This team reached the Handchen Cup final for the first time last year but it fell to Marlboro-Holmdel, 6-4.

It’s been an up-and-down 2025-26 season, but that’s this year’s Shore Conference. Howell-Matawan is 4-1-1 in its last six after that 3-1 win over Toms River on Tuesday.

When scoring three or fewer goals, the team is 2-9-1. It’s 9-0 when scoring at least four.

Howell-Matawan deploys some serious talent with four players recording double-digit goals. Larry Merrill and Hayden Nubile have a combined 36 goals, which is half of the team’s overall production, and 35 assists. Matt Cartigiano is an excellent defenseman and Tyler Opuszynski is hot in goal having stopped 44 of the past 46 shots he’s faced.

If the team wants to make history with its first title, that group will have to steal the show.

This is the first time in 14 years a team from Brick has reached the final and it’s the first time Brick is here as a co-op.

This group has enjoyed quite a run over the past two weeks. The co-op has won three in a row and six of its last eight. A day on the lake before the tournament started has been a secret ingredient to the team’s hot streak.

Defensively, the team has given up more than three goals just once in its last 10 games. Dylan Amato has an .879 save percentage in 16 games this season, but boasts a .907 mark since Jan. 12.

Offensively, the trio of Brody Acropolis, Gavin Majors and Matt Morris help run the show with a combined 45 goals and 44 assists. The goals alone account for 55.7 percent of the team’s output.

These two foes squared off back on Dec. 23 and Howell-Matawan emerged with a 3-2 overtime victory. Brick held a pair of one-goal leads in that game but Howell-Matawan clawed back twice and won it with an overtime tally from Nubile.

This game promises to be just as tight.

Prediction

Handchen Cup History

More Statewide Hockey Coverage

OLD BRIDGE, NJ — The 16-year-old Old Bridge girl who was critically injured in a wrestling match Saturday currently cannot walk because multiple vertebrae in her spinal cord in her neck were displaced, according to Old Bridge High School wrestling head coach John Post.

The teen, pictured here, can only slightly move her arms. She's had two surgeries to try to restore movement, but as of Monday afternoon, she cannot move her legs, said her coach.

The injury occurred during a regular wrestling match, when the Old Bridge teen was pinned by a Perth Amboy High School wrestler, also a teenage girl. The Perth Amboy wrestler pinned her and at the end of the match, the Old Bridge teen said she was unable to move or get off the mat. She reported extreme pain in her neck.

The Perth Amboy wrestler was not issued any penalties, and witnesses say she used all routine wrestling moves during the match.

"At approximately 12:00 p.m. this past Saturday, (the teen/name redacted) competed in the final match of the day," Post wrote Monday in this public Facebook post. "During the match, she was taken down and pinned by an opponent from Perth Amboy. Following the conclusion of the match, (she) did not get up. Our athletic trainer responded immediately to evaluate her condition. (She) reported severe neck pain and indicated that she was unable to move her arms or legs. Emergency Medical Services were contacted immediately."

The injury happened during a girls' quad wrestling match, where girls' teams from four high schools compete against each other in an all-day tournament, held at Old Bridge High School.

The injured girl, a junior at Old Bridge High School, was taken out of the Old Bridge HS gym on a backboard and rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. Since Saturday, she has undergone two surgeries to her spinal cord, with the most recent surgery on Monday.

She has gained limited movement back to her arms, but is unable to move her legs, said her coach.

"Since the incident, (she) has undergone neck surgery," he continued. "Medical evaluation revealed that her spinal cord at the C4, C5 and C6 levels was displaced and compressing the nerves, resulting in loss of movement ... Following surgery, (she) regained some movement in her arms; however, she currently does not have movement in her legs. (She) is scheduled to undergo a second surgery today, February 2nd, to further stabilize her neck and, hopefully, provide additional relief. Doctors remain hopeful that as inflammation decreases over time and with continued treatment, Adriana may regain additional movement in her arms and legs."

The head coach said he and others have been by her side in the hospital since Saturday. Old Bridge school officials also visited the girl in the hospital. All doctors can do right now is hope the swelling and inflammation goes down, said the coach.

Here is the GoFundMe that was created for the injured teen: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sup...

OLD BRIDGE, NJ — A 16-year-old girl from Old Bridge High School suffered a critical injury to her neck in a wrestling match Saturday, according to the school district.

The injury happened during a routine girls' quad wrestling match, where teams from four high schools compete against each other in an all-day tournament. The tournament was held at Old Bridge High School, according to Old Bridge school superintendent Vincent Sasso.

"It was the last match of the day. She was pinned by a (female) opponent from Perth Amboy High School," said Sasso. "She was unable to get up off the mat."

He said the athletic trainer responded immediately and EMS arrived. The girl was taken out of the gym on a backboard and transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. The girl, a high school junior, has since undergone multiple surgeries.

The wrestler from Perth Amboy was not issued any penalties, in what witnesses described as a routine wrestling move.

Sasso said he cannot reveal more information about her medical condition at this time, as the girl's family asks for privacy and "prayers."

"At this time the entire Old Bridge community is praying for her and her family, and a speedy recovery," said Sasso.

A GoFundMe that was launched for the girl, and the school superintendent said he was authorized to share it with the media: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sup...

The injured girl is described as a "vibrant, athletic and high-energy 16-year-old who pours her heart into everything she does — especially wrestling, a sport she truly loves."

Youth wrestling in New Jersey has exploded in recent years, and there has been an expansion of girls' wrestling. Sasso said girls' wrestling and girls' flag football are now two of the most popular sports in the Old Bridge school district, with interest in both surging.

ABERDEEN, NJ — Last Tuesday evening, Dec. 16, the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District (MARSD) welcomed more than 100 families to the MARSD Cares Winter Wonderland.

Now in its second year, the Winter Wonderland event was hosted by MARSD Cares, the district’s community outreach committee. MARSD Cares provides donations throughout the year to families/staff during times of need. Winter Wonderland is MARSD Care's largest annual event and provides families in need with a holiday feast and special evening filled with gifts, music, fun activities and a special visit from Santa. The Winter Wonderland was held at Matawan-Aberdeen Regional High School.

More than 30 volunteers helped bring the event to life, guiding families through ornament painting, holiday coloring activities and storytime. Guests also enjoyed a student piano performance and Santa made a grand entrance thanks to an escort from the Matawan Fire Department Washington Engine Company #1.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to give back to our MARSD families in a meaningful way during the holidays,” said MARSD superintendent Nelyda Perez. “The highlight of the night was seeing smiles on our students’ faces; it reminds us of the importance of taking care of each other in our communities and connecting, not only during the holidays but all year round."

More than 1,500 gifts were donated for children and adults by the school community, and boxes of non-perishable food items were generously provided by Staffing Synergies of Matawan, helping to ensure that everyone could enjoy a wonderful holiday meal filled with abundance and care.

Rod Stevens, an art teacher in the district, said he and his wife both love volunteering at the event.

“This is our second year, and what makes it so special is that my wife and I have both worked in this district for over 25 years,” Stevens said. “We’ve watched so many of these families grow, and in many ways, our family has grown alongside them. Giving back just feels natural – this community has always been willing to give the shirts off their backs, and we’re proud to do the same.”

While the holiday season is often a time of joy, it can also bring financial or emotional challenges for some families. Last year, MARSD Director of Student Services Jennifer Steffich shared an idea to host a Winter Wonderland holiday feast to support families in need.

The event grew significantly this year and is becoming a beloved tradition and way to support and connect the MARSD community.

Anyone interested in providing a monetary donation to MARSD Cares can contact Darlene Gallagher, Confidential Executive Secretary to the superintendent, at 732-705-4007 or dgallagher@marsd.org.

No Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number is required.​

Dr. Khalid Sawaged, OB/GYN chair at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, one of the cities eligible for participation in the Bridge, Balpreet Grewal-Virk, SVP community health at RWJBarnabas and Suzanna Fritzberg, director of the Bridge. (RWJBarnabas Health)

NEW JERSEY — This week, RWJBarnabas Health announced a $2 million investment in The Bridge Project, a groundbreaking initiative that provides unconditional cash payments to low-income new and expectant mothers, for the first three years of the child's life.

RWJBarnabas Health says it is the only health system in the state to give funding to the program. The $2 million from RWJ was supported by state appropriation funding.

Here's how it works: The program offers a $1,125 prenatal stipend, followed by monthly payments for 36 months to low-income mothers. In New Jersey, eligible participants must be 18 years or older, reside in designated areas (see list below), have an annual household income below $44,000 and be 23 weeks pregnant or less at the time of enrollment. In New Jersey, all applicants must live in Trenton, Paterson or Newark or Gloucester, Salem or Cumberland counties. In total, a mother can receive up to $20,000 for the first three years of her child’s life.

For eligibility criteria in the New Jersey program or to apply, visit www.bridgeproject.org/apply

No Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number is required.

There are similar Bridge programs existing in New York, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Appalachia and Massachusetts. The Bridge Project started as a neighborhood pilot in New York City in 2021, and has grown to eleven states across the U.S. So far, they've given $88 million in direct, unconditional cash support to more than 3,800 moms and babies.

In New Jersey, the program will support 250 women in the state, 100 of whom will be supported by RWJBarnabas Health’s investment.

“Our investment in The Bridge Project is another example of how we are tackling social determinants of health head-on,” said Balpreet Grewal-Virk, PhD, vice president of Community Health at RWJBarnabas Health. “We recognize that the first three years of a child’s life are critical to long-term health and well-being."

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.