The Shore Conference Dowd Cup certainly isn’t the Stanley Cup. It simply doesn’t have the mystique or tradition of that prestigious piece of hardware. However, the Southern Regional ice hockey team celebrated its acquisition as if it did.

“It’s amazing,” said junior goaltender McLein Barenbaum, who made 24 saves behind a solid defensive effort as the Rams knocked off Toms River East, 5-1, to capture the Dowd Cup for the first time since 2016 – the only other time Southern had won the title.