NJ HS Hockey Recap
Get all caught up from the first 2 months of the New Jersey High School hockey season with teams to watch, latest stats and our list of players to watch for local scouts.
All statistics and records are as of 12.29.21
Top 5 Public
Middletown South
Morris Knolls
Middletown North
Livingston
Northern Highlands
Outside Looking In
Ridge
Morristown
Hillsborough
Private Top 5
CBA
Don Bosco
Delbarton
Bergen Catholic
St. John Vianney
Outside Looking In
Seton Hall Prep
Pope John
Morristown Beard
Ranked on:
Strength of Schedule
Wins/Losses
Roster talent
Gordon Conference
Don Bosco 7-2 (2-1)
After losing on opening night to Gordon Conference Rival Christian Brothers Academy 3-0, Bosco has taken care of Gordon Conference opponents including a massive 2-1 victory over Delbarton. A pair of Juniors have really stepped up their games this year for Bosco as Forward Kris Krummins has added 8 points and Goaltender Ethan Marich has posted a 93 save percentage. Bosco returns from their holiday break and take on CBA January 5, in what will be a game every one will have eyes on.
Delbarton 6-1-1 (3-1-1)
Delbarton's key to success thus far has been their team defense as they are averaging just under 1 goal against a game. Junior Goaltender Jason Cai is developing into one of the state's best. The young D core is led by Senior Ray Berezniak who has been logging a ton of minutes for his squad. This Delby team has a different look to it than previous Delbarton squads but they are built to make a state title run.
Christian Brothers Academy 6-0-3 (2-0-3)
CBA is finding their grove after struggling out of the gate for their high standards 1-0-3. They are by far the deepest team in the state and loaded with NCAA Division 1 talent. Former New Jersey Player of the year John Donohoe is back for his senior campaign and is off to a solid start with a 91.9 save percentage.
Princeton Day School 3-2-1 (1-1-1)
Still trying to find their identity early on PDS has had a mix bag of results. Senior speedy forward Adam Teryek has done his best to carry the PDS offense this year as he has shown to be one of the better players in the state. Look for PDS to continue to improve as January rolls around as they will find a way to get more wins as their schedule eases up.
Upcoming Games To Watch
1.3.22 - PDS vs Pope John
1.5.22 - CBA vs Bosco
1.12.22 - Delbarton vs CBA
1.19.22 - Delbarton vs Brunswick
1.19.22 - PDS vs Lawrenceville
Skylands Conference
Hillsborough 3-1-2 (3-0-1)
After an opening night 6-2 loss to Verona, Hillsborough bounced back with a huge win over conference rival Ridge 3-2. Hillsborough has not lost since their opening night game and his raced out to an undefeated conference record. As a group Hillsborough is seeing solid play from their Senior Forward group and on the backend Sophomore John Sisti has made his impact every game this year contributing 5 assists.
Hunterdon Central 3-3 (3-1)
Central at times this year has looked like a team that is poised to make a deep run in the state tournament. They beat Ridge in a highly contested affair and lost 3-1 in respectable fashion to a very talented Middletown North team. Central has scheduled one of the tougher schedules for any public school in the state and they will be tested in January vs Hillsborough, Middletown South and Chatham early on in the month.
Watchung Hills 3-4-1 (1-0-1)
Tim Tedesco's group has struggled of late losing 3 in a row with two losses coming outside of conference play in the Essex Holiday Tournament. Watchung is not an overly skilled team but they compete very hard on a nightly basis and make their opponents earn their wins. Coming out of the break Watchung has their hands full as they take on Randolph, Hunterdon Central and Ridge all in a row.
Ridge 4-4 (2-3)
Some would consider Ridges slow start a surprise but Coach Mullin has a lot of talent and is still learning what works with his group. With conference losses to Hillsborough and Hunterdon Central on their resume, Ridge needs to get going. Look for Ridge to go on a monster run in January.
Upcoming Games To Watch
1.7.22 - Hillsborough vs Hunterdon Central
1.14.22 - Hillsborough vs Ridge
CVC
Princeton 7-1 (4-0)
Taking care of CVC foes Notre Dame and Hopewell Valley in convincing fashion should give this team confidence heading into January as the team to beat. To date their only defeat coming from Livingston where the Princeton team played with no goaltender. Overall, Princeton looks like the top team in the CVC and has the ability to make a run this year with Forwards John Zammit and Cooper Zullo leading the way.
Robbinsville 6-1 (1-0)
Robbinsville has raced out to a 6-1 record and have been the beneficiaries of an easier schedule to start the season. A recent loss to Jackson should get them refocused for a difficult January as they play Princeton, Chatham, Notre Dame and Paul IV in a 7 day stretch.
Notre Dame 4-1 (0-1)
Against Princeton, their biggest test of the year to date, Notre Dame struggled in a 4-1 defeat. With a long Holiday break it will be interesting to see how they regroup as the first week back features Hopewell Valley, St. Rose and Hun.
Paul IV 4-3 (2-0)
Playing two hard fought games vs a good St. John Vianney team and Notre Dame should give them confidence. They are a team that feels comfortable in their dept as they see scoring from all lines and Sophomore Goaltender Jake Lenox has quietly been one of the better sophomore goaltenders in the state posting a 93.4 save percentage. This group will be a hard out in the CVC this year.
Upcoming Games To Watch
1.3.22 - Princeton vs Robbinsville
1.5.22 - Paul IV vs Robbinsville
1.7.22 - Notre Dame vs Hun
1.11.22 - Princeton vs Notre Dame
Big North
Freedom Division
Northern Highlands 6-2-1 (5-0)
Northern Highlands has taken care of business vs their public opponents. Losses over a Suffern NY team that is expected to make a run in the New York State Playoffs and a good Seton Hall prep team are nothing to be a shamed of. Competing with Pope John earlier in the year to a 2-2 tie shows what this team is capable of this year on the public side. They are a team that is deep with offensive talent, a deep D-core and two very good young sophomore goalies who should not be overwhelmed by what they see later in the year.
Old Tappan 5-4 (1-1)
Three straight losses for Old Tappan are concerning for a team that started the season on a 4 game win streak. In their losing streak they were shut out twice and could only get two past Pascack Valley goaltender Aidan Rybacki in their 6-2 defeat. Coming back from break they have three games that can shape up what type of season they have going forward, Tenalfy, Northern Highlands and Nutley.
Pascack Valley 3-3-1 (1-2)
A slow start for Valley on the year but they had an impressive showing at the Steve Jaskot Memorial Holiday Tournament defeating Old Tappan and tying River Dell. They are not a particularly deep team this year, which was shown in their 7-2 loss to Northern Highlands but they have enough talent and structure to get better as the season moves along. Sophomore Zach Groves is having an outstanding Sophomore campaign notching 5 Goals and 6 Assists early on in the year.
Liberty Stars
Wayne Hills (6-3-2) (3-0)
Wayne Hills has been outstanding in divisional play but has struggled outside of the division to find consistency. There is enough fire power in this line up to contend with some of the top tier teams in the state behind Seniors Luke Hulbert (27pts), Joey Rina (17pts) and sophomore Mike Brogna has contributed 15 goals himself. The main question Wayne Hills will have to answer moving forward is if they are going to get goaltending and defense in tough games as they have struggled to keep the puck out of the net.
Lakeland (7-3) (3-1)
After playing inconsistent hockey to start the season Lakeland has found its grove rattling off four wins in a row. Lakeland is a bit on the younger side with their key contributors being mostly Sophomores and Juniors outside of Senior Vincent Stoffel who has performed well. This Lakeland team is a team to watch moving forward as the group matures.
Liberty Stripes
Ramapo (9-3-1) (8-1)
Quality wins vs Randolph (5-3), Lakeland (3-1) and splitting with Ridgewood help Ramapo's resume. However, Ramapo has more than what they showed at the Ice Vault classic losing convincingly to Seton Hall and slipping up vs St. Joes Mont. Ramapo will need more from its depth players moving forward if they are looking to have long term success. If they click on all cylinders, they can make noise later in the year.
Passaic Tech 6-5-1 (2-2)
Up and down from Tech thus far this season. They are team that relies on their two standout freshman goaltenders Jake Bernice and Mason Katz. Both goaltenders have split duties this season. Offensively and defensively they are both solid units that play hard honest hockey. They have the ability to keep games tight even vs stiff competition which bodes well come playoff time. They are a program to watch moving forward.
Ramsey 5-4-2 (2-2-1)
Ramsey has enough fire power to compete with the top teams in the Big north as Matthew Schwarz (17pts) and Kevin Moster (14pts) have carried much of the load. They are a team that needs their goaltending to step up as they have struggled to find consistency in net this year.
Patriot
River Dell 6-0-2 (3-0-1)
An unbelievable start to the year for River Dell as they have not only handled their conference opponents but have shown well in their out of conference games including a 6-4 win over a solid Ocean Township team. What is most impressive is that River Dell, is a younger team and will continue to improve as the year goes on. Skilled forward Roman Kirilytchev has been super impressive early on and has added much needed high-end skill to River Dell's lineup.
MCSSIHL
Mennen
Morris Knolls 7-1-1 (4-0-1)
Knolls was cruising a long in their season until they ran into a Middletown South team that maybe the best public school in the state, in which they were handed a 7-0 loss. They are team that relies on team defense and timely scoring, which they have shown repeatedly throughout the year. Knolls is a team that is built for a long run and look for them to get refocused after their tough defeat.
Morristown Beard 5-3 (2-1)
This team has some high-end talent on their roster and when they are all together, they can put a significant run together. On Defense they are deep led by Seniors Billy Moloney and Noah Jones who are arguably two of the better defenders in the state. Beard has a few stiff test's early in January vs some good public schools, keep an eye on Beard moving forward.
Randolph 3-4-1 (2-2-1)
Coach McLaughlin's team is on the younger side this year and they are clearly going through some growing pains. They have been playing a very tough schedule and have lost too teams that are currently more experienced. Look for Randolph to turn it up a notch come January behind some talented Freshman.
Halvorsen
Morristown 6-2-2 (2-0)
Morristown is finding ways to win behind Senior goaltender Dylan Peck who is arguably the best goaltender in the state. They have a forward group that features a loaded senior class of 8 players. Recently they gave Middletown North a good sweat and at the Ice Vault Classic and took care of business vs Passaic Tech. Morristown is a team to keep an eye on in Morris County throughout January.
Mendham 4-2-1 (1-1)
Early season competitive losses to Morristown and Morristown Beard set up a good second half run in December including wins over Randolph and Chatham. Seniors Tristan Aikenhead and Griffin Jozefek have had an outstanding senior campaign thus far. Overall, Mendham is an older team with tons of experience. Once Freshman goalie Gavin Thrun gets accumulated to high school play they will be piling on more wins.
Mount Lakes 3-4 (2-1)
Lakes has enough veteran leadership to stick in games in the Halvorsen but are lacking depth at certain position groups. Seniors Jimmy Holda, Caz Kotsen and Aiden Reidly have produced most of the scoring this year. Senior goalie Cullen Fagan has been under constant pressure this year but has stood tall. A mid-December four game losing streak has been their only hiccup this year.
Haas
West Morris 7-2 (2-2)
Despite losing two conference games already this year West Morris has handled their non conference schedule with ease going 5-0. Freshman standout Benjamin Willmott has come onto the scene this year in full service scoring 9 goals and recording 8 assists. West Morris has big tests when they get back from Holiday break when they take on Roxbury and Vernon.
Mount Olive 4-2 (3-0)
Juniors, Mount Olive has a mess load and they can all produce. Success is starting in net with Juniors Zach Bahammou and Nick Gagiulo who both have save percentages of 92 or higher this season. Team offense they have shown they can be consistent as they have only failed too score more than 2 goas twice this year. A big early part of January will show the state if they are a real contender this year or a year away.
Shore
Central
Wall 5-3 (4-0)
Inconsistent performances but handling the teams they are expected to beat. A 11-3 loss to Middletown North and a 5-3 loss in the opening round of the Toms River Tournament is not how Wall envisioned it going. Senior Defensemen Liam Bettie has recorded 3 Goals and 8 Assists while Senior forward Jaxon Hook has been leading the way up front with 15 pts of his own. Wall simply needs to get their underclassmen performing for them to have success.
Southern 5-2 (3-1)
Senior Chris Laureigh has stepped up for his team consistently as he has been a constant producer this year. Southern is a good team not a great team at this current moment but they do have potential moving forward if they can find secondary scoring.
North
SJV 5-0-1 (3-0-1)
In a tight North Division race, SJV has taken care of business racing out to an undefeated December. Their schedule picks up in January with Westfield and CBA in the first two weeks of January. SJV has a good balanced line up that can give the public school fits, but the real question is can they do it vs the privates regularly?
Middletown South 5-0-3 (3-0-2)
Midd South has a lot to like about their team as Coach Andrew Rosenbloom has his team playing very well. A big-time opening night win over town rival Middletown North set the tone for the season and they recently beat a Morris Knolls team that many considered to be the top public-school program in the state 7-0. Their D-Core is scary good this season.
Middletown North 7-1 (4-1)
With their only loss coming to Midd South, north has been firing on all cylinders. Their high-octane offense is probably the most explosive in the state for public school hockey and they currently lead the entire Shore conference in scoring. Senior Colin Delanzo leads the team with 12 goals and Junior Forward Andrew Gross has produced 21 points. Sophomores Joey Wall, Ryan Cook and Jack Turner round out their depth with big time AAA experience.
South
Ocean 3-3 (2-0)
Coach Mike Ryans group has had some early season success. Senior goaltender Tony Macaluso has been a huge reason why his team has had that success as he has back stopped his team to victories. A huge early season 5-1 win over Brick has Ocean sitting in first, Macaluso made 34 saves in the big-time victory.
Brick 4-1-1 (4-1-1)
Brick is back, the merger of both schools hockey programs into one BRICK team has with the program's depth. Their only was to Ocean in a game that controlled most of the play. The team is seeing contributions from multiple lines but the team is led by Senior Shane O'Neil on the back end and Nick Barroquiero is a big-time power play threat.
Upcoming Games To Watch
1.4.22 - Howell vs Brick
1.10.22 - SJV vs CBA
1.11.22 - Middletown South vs Hunterdon
NJIIHL
Kelly
Verona 8-3-1 (5-0)
After a tough opening night loss to Livingston, they responded with a big 6-2 win vs Hillsborough and a 4-2 win over Chatham. With some big losses not in terms of the team caliber they played but scores Mendham 7-3 and West Essex 11-1 there are some questions on consistency. They will need to clean up their team defense as a whole if they want to be successful long term as they have given up the third most goals in the NJIIHL (40).
Montclair Kimberly 4-0-1 (3-0-1)
MKA has taken care of business vs the weaker part of their schedule. MKA has seen some massive contributions from underclassmen Sam Rotella 17pts and Jack Macevoy 18pts. Anthony Zhang has provided stability on the MKA blue line this year.
Mccinnis
Livingston 9-1 (4-0)
They have been clicking on all cylinders have defeated some talented public school programs along the way. A defeat to St Joes Montvale at the Ice Vault Classic is obviously disappoint for Livingston, however it may provide a refocus for the month of January. They are good strong team that is deep and experienced.
Westfield 6-2 (5-1)
Back to back 1 goal losses to Livingston and Ridge in the middle of December prove they can compete with anyone on the public side. With 6 seniors and 5 Juniors Westfield has one of the most experience teams in the Mccinnis. They play fast and hard, they have a huge test when they come back from break vs Saint John Vianney on January 5.
Gov. Livingston 5-1 (1-1)
Behind Senior goalie Shane Cook who has posted a 92.9 save percentage Gov. Livingston has raced out to a 5-1 record. For Gov. Livingston to have success moving forward they will need to continue to receive timely scoring and goaltending. Junior Brian Kramer is off to a slow start but look for him to get heated up in January as he approaches 100 career points.
Upcoming Games To Watch
1.2.22 - Summit vs Gov. Livingston
1.5.22 - Westfield vs SJV
1.8.22 - Summit vs Livingston
1.10.22 - MKA vs Cranford
GMC
Colonia 7-0 (5-0)
In a very weak GMC this season Colonia has proven to be the top contender coming out of the conference. Their two closest games thus far were vs Monroe 7-4 and 8-4. All other games they have played saw double digit scoring. With their remaining schedule there is not much standing in their way of a potential undefeated season, they should challenge them and schedule a few non-league opponents. Junior Forward Hubert Polchlopek has recorded 41pts this season including an 8 point performance vs Monroe. Sophomore Ryan Lukko has accumulated 43 pints and a 11 point performance vs Nutley.
St Joes Metuchen 5-5 (1-0)
Coach Ryan Carters group has gone out of conference and scheduled some tough publics including Morristown Beard, SJV and Pope John all of which were hard fought games. Outside of their defeat to Ridge 5-2 they have beaten all the public school programs they have faced. They currently sit with a 3 game win streaking including 2 wins at the Ice Vault Classic.
Upcoming Games To Watch
1.12.22 - Colonia vs Cranford
For the Scouts
Patrick Reilly - Junior Defenseman - CBA
Commit : Princeton
Playing in all situations Reilly has proven to be one of the top defenders in the state as a junior. He has the ability to rush the puck, distribute the puck and play a hard nose style of defense.
Zachary Wagnon - Senior Forward - CBA
Commit : Yale
A dynamic skater Wagnon is very hard to contain for his opponents. He has speed to the edge and the creativity to distribute the puck off the rush. He has developed the ability to play in the dirty parts of the ice which has rounded out his offensive game.
Nick Faccone - Junior Forward - Delbarton
Faccone is a 200 foot player that has been asked to play in every situation for his team this year. He has the offensive ability to contribute to the score sheet which he has shown early on scoring 7 goals. His speed on the forecheck makes him a pest to play against and he has shown touch around the net.
Bryceon Lago - Senior Defenseman - Bergen Catholic
Commit : Brown
The smooth skating defensemen has the ability to defend against any of the top skaters in the state. He is extremely smart with the puck on his stick and without the puck, he does it all for BC.
John Mustard - Sophomore Forward - Bergen Catholic
Mustard has really done well for himself this year not just with Bergen Catholic but with the 15u North Jersey Avalanche team as well. For BC Mustard as accumulated 6 goals to go along with 6 assists. He has shown the ability to create in many different ways and he has a nice goal scorers touch on his puck.
Nathan Meola - Junior Forward - Pope John
As a Junior Meola has really stepped up his game as he has developed the ability to combine all his raw tools into a nice-looking player. He has shown the ability to regularly put the puck in the net but his play making and creativity has really grown this year.
Ryan Lukko - Sophomore Forward / Defenseman - Colonia
43 points in 7 games is very eye opening for a Sophomore. Those who have followed Ryan in the AAA circuit know he is a smooth skating defenseman that can do what he wants with the puck on his stick. His biggest question mark is can he do it against bigger strong players which he will not see at Colonia till the state tournament.
Austin Vecchio - Senior Forward - Livingston
A smooth skating 6'2 forward Vecchio has the ability to take over a game at the high school level. That has been evident this season as he has recorded goals in every game besides two. He has some junior hockey intrigue if he continues to play in the dirty areas of the ice and score goal scorers goals.
Colin Reis - Junior Forward - Oratory Prep
Reis has quietly put together a solid campaign thus far as he is relied upon heavily for his OP team. He is a 200-foot player who plays the game the right way. He has the potential to move onto junior hockey and eventually college.
Matteo Mancheno - Junior Forward - Westfield
Mancheno plays the game with a tremendous amount of pace and energy which fits the Westfield system perfectly. He disrupts the play on the forecheck and finishes his hits regularly. His production although low for his skillset, will most likely increase as the season moves on.
Patrick Haines - Junior Defenseman - SJV
The smooth skating defensemen has the ability to match up vs any opponents top line. He uses his smooth skating to neutralize his opponents and his reach allows him to get to every puck. His confidence with the puck has been impressive and has really developed from last season.
Andrew Gross - Junior Forward - Middletown North
A big power forward, Gross has learned how to use his body extremely well at the high school level. His detail in his game has slowly improved away from the puck and this year from Middletown North he has risen his compete level. He is an intriguing prospect moving forward.
Louis Mancuso - Sophomore Goaltender - Toms River North
Posting a 92 save percentage this season Mancuso has performed well for his TRN team. He has been under pressure all season getting hammered with shots but has competed every step of the way. His foot speed is improving as well as his compete level in the crease.
Zachary Alvin - Junior Defenseman - Ridge
Alvin's game has really progressed in his Junior year as he has rounded out his game and has gain much more confidence. He provides a heavy accurate shot from the point and on the defensive side of the puck he can match up against any top line in the state.
Egor Barbarov - Sophomore Forward - Ridge
The skilled forward has shown the ability to use his speed and deception to have early season success. His ability to finish the puck has been impressive as he has contributed regularly to his Ridge team recording 7 goals. Look for Egor to continue to find the back of the net as he is scoring goal scorers goals.
Preston Baker - Sophomore Goaltender - Bridgewater Raritan
Bridgewater has taken a major step back in recent years, but the second-year goaltender has been up to the task all season. At 6'2 he imposing to look at in the net and his athletic ability makes him an intriguing talent. He has had an exceptional season with the New Jersey Titans 15u AAA team as well.
Jason Loricco - Senior Goaltender - Hillsborough
Since his opening night loss to Verona where he struggled, Loricco has been lights out for Hillsborough. In all of his appearances since he has had a 91 save percentage or higher. He is very technical and uses his positioning to his advantage. He should be a player local tier 3 junior teams look at and local Colleges.