November 28th issue of the All Sports Media Northern Review, covering the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference. Includes preview of the football state finals, recap of the boys' and girls' soccer seasons, and an ice hockey preview!
November 28, 2011 Volume-I / Issue-4 www.asmnorth.com 2011 Football Playoff Review Page 3 Boys Soccer Recap: Cougars Rise To The Top Page 4 Football State Championship Race to The Finish Page 6-7 Girls Soccer Recap: Rams Top Crowded Field Page 8 2012 Hockey Preview Page 10 November 28, 2011 Volume-I / Issue-4 2011 Football Playoff Review Page 3 Boys Soccer Recap: Cougars Rise To The Top Page 4 Football State Championship Race to The Finish Page 6-7 Girls Soccer Recap: Rams Top Crowded Field Page 8 2012 Hockey Preview Page 10 November 28, 2011 Volume-I / Issue-4 2011 Football Playoff Review Page 3 Boys Soccer Recap: Cougars Rise To The Top Page 4 Football State Championship Race to The Finish Page 6-7 Girls Soccer Recap: Rams Top Crowded Field Page 8 2012 Hockey Preview Page 10
Transcript
N o v e m b e r 2 8 , 2 0 1 1V o l u m e - I / I s s u e - 4
www.asmnorth.com
2011 Football
Playoff Review
Page 3
Boys Soccer Recap:
Cougars Rise To
The Top
Page 4
Football State
Championship
Race to The Finish
Page 6-7
Girls Soccer Recap:
Rams Top Crowded
Field
Page 8
2012 Hockey Preview
Page 10
N o v e m b e r 2 8 , 2 0 1 1V o l u m e - I / I s s u e - 4
2011 Football
Playoff Review
Page 3
Boys Soccer Recap:
Cougars Rise To
The Top
Page 4
Football State
Championship
Race to The Finish
Page 6-7
Girls Soccer Recap:
Rams Top Crowded
Field
Page 8
2012 Hockey Preview
Page 10
N o v e m b e r 2 8 , 2 0 1 1V o l u m e - I / I s s u e - 4
2011 Football
Playoff Review
Page 3
Boys Soccer Recap:
Cougars Rise To
The Top
Page 4
Football State
Championship
Race to The Finish
Page 6-7
Girls Soccer Recap:
Rams Top Crowded
Field
Page 8
2012 Hockey Preview
Page 10
11-28-11-ASMNR Issue_Layout 1 11/28/11 8:25 AM Page 1
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North 1, Group IFor the first time since the formation of the
NJAC, the league will not be represented in thissectional final. This does come as a bit of asurprise since three NJAC teams were amongthe eight who qualified.
Mountain Lakes, which played in the finaleach of the last three years, saw its season endin a 30-7 loss to an inspired Saddle Brook teamin the first round. The Falcons were motivatedby a serious injury to teammate Tyler Vitiello intheir regular season finale. Saddle Brook wasso impressive in its win over the Herd that manydeclared them the favorite to win the sectionaltitle, but the Falcons came up just short in athree-point loss to top seed Pompton Lakes inthe semifinals.
On the other side of the bracket, Butler heldoff league rival Pequannock in a first-roundgame, winning 17-14 to advance to thesemifinals. There the Bulldogs met Glen Rockin a similar contest that ended with the exactsame score. Unfortunately for Butler, thePanthers came up with the extra three points ona 42-yard field goal on the game’s final play. Itwas a tough loss for the Bulldogs, especiallysince they came up empty on two trips insidethe Glen Rock five-yard line.
North 1, Group IIThree NJAC teams also qualified in this
bracket, but it would have been a surprise hadany reached the finals. None did, and thismarks the third straight year in this section thatNJAC teams will not be represented.
Lenape Valley had the best seeding at #4 andtook care of business in the first round with a31-7 triumph over Pascack Hills. That sent thePatriots to West Essex to play the top-seededKnights. The game did not go well as LenapeValley suffered a 48-8 thumping, continuing thePatriots’ unfortunate recent trend of one-sidedplayoff losses.
Eighth seed Morris Hills played West Essex inthe first round, and trailed by only a pointmidway through the second quarter. But theScarlet Knights couldn’t keep up with the topseed and fell, 34-12. The other NJAC team toplay in this section was Hopatcong, the seventhseed, which fell behind early and never couldmake a game of it in a 35-6 loss to Ramsey.
North 1, Group IIIThe two NJAC squads to qualify in this
difficult section got unfortunate draws, playingthe eventual finalists in the first round. Vernonmade it in as the eighth seed and had to travel toplay Wayne Hills, winner of seven of the lastnine titles in this section. In a gameovershadowed by controversy surrounding theWayne Hills program, the Vikings endured a 48-0 defeat.
While Vernon would have expected to draw atough opponent as the lowest seed, Sparta went9-0 in the regular season and was the #2 seed inthe bracket. But it was the Spartans’ greatmisfortune that Old Tappan claimed the seventhseed. The sectional runner-up last year, OldTappan started this season 1-3. But as superstarquarterback Devin Fuller healed from an injury,the Golden Knights rounded into top form, andhave been unstoppable in recent weeks, asSparta learned in a 40-14 loss.
North 1, Group IVIn a section with just one dominant team this
year, it appeared Roxbury had a chance to makesome noise despite qualifying as the seventhseed. And in fact, the Gaels held a 3-0 halftimelead over Union City in their opening-roundgame. Roxbury couldn’t generate much againstthe tough Soaring Eagles defense, though, andUnion City rallied after intermission for a 20-3victory.
North 2, Group IIMadison spoiled the hopes for the other two
NJAC teams to qualify in this section, endingthe seasons of both Hackettstown and Chatham.In the first round, Madison rolled pastHackettstown 62-28, a very similar result to theteams’ first meeting in September.
Chatham, meantime, rode a tremendousdefensive effort and a dramatic late rally toupset Bernards in the first round, 10-7, winningthe game with a field goal in the final seconds.The Cougars carried over their improveddefensive effort into their semifinal gameagainst Madison, holding the Dodgers to justtwo touchdowns in the first three quarters. ButMadison was even stronger defensively, andeventually wore Chatham down to win 29-0.
North 2, Group IIIOnly five teams achieved the necessary .500
record to qualify for the states in this bracket,including two from the NJAC. While WestMorris sat out a first-round bye, ParsippanyHills had little trouble with Nutley in a 27-0first-round victory.
That result sent the Vikings to face WestMorris in the semifinals, and for most of thefirst half it appeared the top-seeded Wolfpackwere well on their way to the title game. West
Morris built a 21-0 lead with under a minute toplay before the break. But Par Hills tookadvantage of a bad punt snap to score atouchdown, and the momentum seemed to shiftdramatically in the Vikings’ favor. In the secondhalf, Parsippany Hills compiled 200 passingyards while its defense stiffened, and atouchdown with under two minutes to playcompleted the remarkable 25-21 comeback win.
Non-Public Group IIIThe bottom half of this very difficult bracket
ended up as a Northwest Jersey vs. ShoreConference challenge. The two opening-roundgames were routs, but the semifinal was a trueclassic.
In the first round, Delbarton hosted MonsignorDonovan, a middle-of-the-pack Shore team, and
scored a dominant 49-7 victory. Meantime,Pope John had to travel to take on the Shore’sbest squad, Red Bank Catholic, and suffered a42-6 setback to end a challenging season for theLions.
The two winners met in a game that will longbe remembered by fans on both sides. RedBank Catholic, which has minimal history ofsuccess in the states, proved it belonged, andtook a fourth-quarter lead. But Delbartonwasn’t prepared to see its season end, pushingthe game into overtime, and then into a secondextra session. A Jamie White touchdown putDelbarton ahead, and Will Reynolds ended thegame with an interception as the Green Waveprevailed in double overtime, 30-23.
2011 Football Playoff ReviewBy Paul Mencher – ASM Northern Review Managing Editor
11-28-11-ASMNR Issue_Layout 1 11/28/11 8:16 AM Page 3
They attacked up the middle and pushed the ball wide. They
threatened with corner kicks and set pieces. They tried with
muscle and a sense of finesse. But no matter what questions
Delbarton posed, Chatham always seemed to have an answer.
All Sports Media’s Boys Soccer Team of the Year is
the Chatham Cougars, by virtue of their 1-0 victory
in the Morris County Tournament championship
game. The Cougars received an early goal by
David Gill and spent the rest of the contest
repelling the furious efforts from a
Delbarton side which was probably a little
tired after their state final loss to Christian
Brothers Academy.
The Cougars learned from an opening day loss to Hanover Park
and went nearly the entire season without another setback before
falling to Scotch Plains in the sectional final. After recovering
from that defeat they were ready to win the title denied to them in
last year’s MCT final loss to Montville in overtime.
“This meant so much,’’ Chatham defender Matt Proto said.
“We were so close last year. We knew about the
atmosphere. We had a lot of guys in that game last
year so it wasn’t different for us. It was our last
game, especially for the seniors it was their
last game together so we wanted to give
it our all. If you know anything about
winning, it doesn’t compare until it
actually happens. You try not to
think about it until it actually
happens.’’
Victory became a reality when Gill scored off a pass from Trip
Burke in the opening minutes of the contest. Gill touched the ball
toward the right side of the net with enough momentum that it
was just beyond the grasp of the Delbarton keeper.
“I knew I hit it pretty well,’’ Gill said. “The wait to watching
that go in was terrible but somehow it found its way in. It’s lucky
but we’ll take it. It was great. It gave us the momentum right off
the bat. We were able to defend from there which was most of our
game plan.
“Trip hit a great ball underneath the defense that slanted diagonal
and I was lucky enough to put it in so it worked out for us.’’
Chatham had some counters but the rest of the game was
basically a defensive battle. The Cougars worked at minimizing
Delbarton’s chances. When all else failed goalie Brian Petrunik,
who was named the Most Outstanding Player for the tournament,
had the answer.
“(Chatham coach Gene Foca) was saying all week that if they
scored on some fantabulous goal, so be it. But don’t let them
score on our mistakes,’’ Petrunik said. “So we focused really hard
on making them make a play versus capitalizing on our mistakes.
“My defense has been great all year. I never played on a
defense this good. They were playing hard and physical and they
gave us a couple of fouls, we fought through them.’’
Petrunik made nine saves on a steady cold rain to earn the
shutout for Chatham and make the finish of their season a wet but
happy one.
“Our strategy really was to play them straight up and see if we
could put one in the net and then play defensively and see if we
could play for counters,’’ Foca said.
“I thought after we scored the goal
we had some other opportunities on
counters that possibly could have
gone in. I think the boys did a
phenomenal job of being
focused and executing a
game plan well and
I’m very proud of
them.’’
Chatham, which
also won the NJAC’s
Independence Division title, finished the
season with a 21-2-1 record.
Player of the YearTyler Raff, Whippany Park
(pictured left)
The Wildcats standout was fourth in the state
in scoring with 31 goals and 20 assists. He
played midfield for Whippany Park for the last two
years and started there again early this season. When
Whippany Park coach Tom Wilson determined
that his team was in desperate need of offense,
he moved Raff up front. The senior never
looked back and had nine goals and six
assists in his next four games. His ability to
create offense helped the
Wildcats upset then state-ranked
Montville, 2-0 to lead his team into the MCT
semifinals where they eventually lost to
Delbarton.
Coach of the YearGene Foca, Chatham
Foca is a Chatham Borough alumnus who played soccer for
Tony Mack and knew the legendary Otto Haas. Foca led the
Cougars to back-to-back MCT Finals with a different ensemble of
players each year. He’s a master tactician who finds a way to get
the most out of his athletes. He is also well prepared and is adept
at giving Chatham the information it needs to win its games.
All Sports MediaBoys SoccerTeam
Forward – Matt Clausen – Delbarton – Jr.
Forward – Trip Burke – Chatham – Sr.
Forward – Chris Robertson -- Mountain Lakes –Sr.
Forward -- Eric Lagg – Pope John – Sr.
Forward -- Steven Churchill – Newton – Sr.
Midfield – Connor Schaible – Delbarton -- Sr.
Midfield – Tyler Raff –Whippany Park – Sr.
Midfield – Jack London – Montville – Jr.
Midfield – Angel Baena – Randolph – Jr.
Midfield – Greg Seifert – Delbarton – Jr.
Midfield – Andy Weber – Newton – Jr.
Defense – Jared Weiner – Montville – Sr.
Defense – Brian Schaefer – Chatham -- Sr.
Defense – Thomas Stephan – Chatham – Sr.
Goalkeeper – Brian Petrunik – Chatham – Sr.
Goalkeeper – Matthew Gilbert – Madison – Sr.
A Look at theTeam:
Matt Clausen was the
leading scorer on the
highly regarded Green
Wave. Chatham senior
Trip Burke is an
exceptional talent and a
three-sport athlete.
Extremely versatile Chris
Robertson took free kicks,
penalty kicks, played
defense and was a terrific
all-around player for
Mountain Lakes. Pope
John standout Eric Lagg
scored 22 goals and is
headed for Seton Hall
University. Newton
forward Steven Churchill
scored 18 goals and is a
relentless and clutch
performer. Delbarton’s
Connor Schaible played nearly all positions and stepped up in
each role. Tyler Raff was a top scorer and a force of nature
for the Wildcats. Jack London triggered the Mustangs
attack. Randolph’s Angel Baena is praised for his
character and his ability to leave everything out on the
field. Greg Seifert has great speed and is good in the
11-28-11-ASMNR Issue_Layout 1 11/28/11 8:17 AM Page 6
think because we don’t have one standout player, we’re
truly a team.”
The Vikings’ opponent is a Cranford squad that rolled
to an impressive 34-7 win over Colonia in the
semifinals. “They’re a very athletic team, a very
physical team, and they have a very good quarterback,”
notes Albano. “They spread you out and run a lot of
zone read.”
The Cougars are led by quarterback Reggie Green,
who is probably a bigger threat running the ball than
throwing. Chris Witwick is Cranford’s top running
back, while linebacker Mike Klimek leads the
defense. This is Cranford’s first trip to a sectional
football final ever.
Several Parsippany Hills players spoke about
playing at the Meadowlands after their semifinal
victory, but the NJSIAA assigned them to play at
Kean. “The kids were probably a little
disappointed, but we’re playing for a
championship,” Albano says. “I don’t care if it’s in
the backyard. Playing at Kean, everything is
normal, besides the time being at 10:00 am.”
Playing in a sectional final is not a normal experience
for Parsippany Hills; this is only the school’s third
appearance in history. But the Vikings are enjoying a
special season, and their first-ever championship is
well within reach.
The Green Wave comes into this game riding
high, after winning an epic semifinal game over
Red Bank Catholic in double overtime.
“It’s definitely in the top couple of games
I’ve ever had the pleasure of coaching,” says
Delbarton head coach Brian Bowers. “It was
a great team victory. It gives us great
confidence now.”
Delbarton will need to ride the momentum
as it takes on one of the real powerhouses of
New Jersey high school football. St. Joe’s is
in the championship nearly every year and has
14 titles to its name.
“They’re always well-coached,” says
Bowers. “They
have really
good skill
kids.”
Leading
the
charge for the
Green
Knights is
wideout
Ricky Jeune, considered one
of the top pass receivers in
New Jersey. Delbarton had
some difficulty defending the
pass against Red Bank
Catholic, but Bowers doesn’t
seem overly worried about his
secondary. “We feel like we have some good kids back
there who are going to compete for the ball,” he says.
“We may have a couple of wrinkles.”
Other key players for St. Joe’s include sophomore
quarterback Spencer Aukamp and running back Jabari
Garvin. The Green Knights are certainly battle-tested,
after a season which included games against Don
Bosco Prep, Bergen Catholic, Wayne Hills, Pascack
Valley, Ramapo and St. Peter’s Prep. Veteran coach
Tony Karcich is widely regarded as one of the top
football mentors in the state.
“I’m sure it’s going to be our biggest challenge,”
Bowers says. “Our kids have done a good job of not
being too intimidated by anything.”
Delbarton features a slew of talented players as
well, led by speedy junior running back Jamie White
and senior quarterback John Shaffer, who has
completed well over 60% of his passes. On defense,
Dennis Bencsko leads an opportunistic unit that
creates numerous big plays.
As for playing at Kean, Bowers takes a similar
attitude as the other NJAC coaches. “It makes no
difference,” he says. “I’m actually happy about it.
It’s more like a high school field.”
The Green Wave has enjoyed tremendous fan
support this season, and Bowers expects that
continue in the finals. “There’s a lot of
excitement for this team,” he says. “I’ve
received many e-mails from alumni and former
players. It’s a very big deal for our
community.”
Of course, it would be an even bigger deal
if the Green Wave walks off the Kean
football field holding the state
championship trophy.
Delbarton’s RB Jamie White
Delbarton’s QB John Shaffer
P h o t o s b y :
P au l Sw ens onwww.photosbyswens.zenfol io.com
R obe rt H ar r i swww.robertharris.smugmug.com
Jo hn M ac k ie
Delbarton vs. St. Joseph (Montvale)
Non-Public Group III final,
Saturday, Dec. 3, 1 :00pm
www.asmnorth.com ASMNorthern Review / 7
11-28-11-ASMNR Issue_Layout 1 11/28/11 8:18 AM Page 7
When the Randolph girls soccer team traveled to nearby
Roxbury to play in the Morris County Tournament final
they brought a little piece of home with them. In a little
container was genuine Randolph field dirt. They would
smudge some on their cheeks or rub it under their
eyes. It reminded them of the many hours of
training and hard work in all kinds of weather in
order to be successful. And most of the time
they are.
The Rams were certainly one of the
most consistent this year. In a season
where many teams gained success, All Sports Media’s
Girls Soccer Team of the Year nudged out the rest by
virtue of their Morris County Tournament title.
Goals by Taylor Lusardi and Alexa Roemer provided
the difference in a 2-0 triumph over Kinnelon to help the
Rams capture their 12th overall title and first county title
outright since 2000.
“The interesting thing about this team is that the more time
they spent together, the more they enjoyed each other,’’ Randolph
coach Colleen Suflay said. “It’s almost like that extra week really
helped us peak as far as emotionally and spiritually with each
other, so it was to our benefit.’’
After they were eliminated from state tournament play in a
tough shootout loss against Clifton, the Rams worked to
improve themselves with a week of practices, sometimes in
bad weather, to stay sharp for the tournament final which was
delayed because of the October 29th snowstorm and scheduling
clashes with the state tournament. They emerged as a team
hungry and focused to end their 13-4-3 season with a victory.
“We didn’t take one day off,’’ Roemer said. “It was cold. It was
raining. We come to play and we work so hard all season. No
matter what weather, we were outdoors practicing. Kinnelon was
a good team and we needed to be prepared for them. It’s very
rewarding to go out like that.’’
Lusardi, who earned MVP honors, scored the eventual game
winner when she took a feed, turned and ripped a hard, tight shot
that slipped under the Kinnelon crossbar with 24:58 left in
regulation. Roemer, who scored an overtime game-winning goal
in the MCT semifinal against Mendham, added an insurance goal.
It was more than enough for the Randolph defenders.
The Rams defense, which includes Samantha Brener, Caroline
Matos, Megan Olsakowski, Shannon Kiss and goalie Mel Durbin,
did not allow a single score in MCT play.
“One of the strongest parts of our entire game is our defense,’’
Suflay said. “Its ability to close out and be proactive in breaking
down plays has improved. At the end of the season they began to
develop the confidence within the unit and a quick transition to
the attack. They have done a really admirable job for us.’’
Player of the YearCatherine Zimmerman, Madison(pictured left)
Zimmerman proved to be the true MVP of herteam. The Dodgers senior midfielder dideverything expected of her and more. Her
efforts helped the team capture its first statesectional title since 1987 as well as their
first NJAC Independence Division title.
Zimmerman finished with 22goals and proved to be a prime
time player who scored goalsin big games. She tallied sixtimes in four state
tournament contests withgame-winning goals against Rutherford,Caldwell and Parsippany. She triggered theDodgers offense and was comfortable as aplaymaker as well as a finisher. She will
continue her soccer career atProvidence College.
“She loves the game,’’Madison coach Kevin
Lynott said. “It’s just inher nature. She
doesn’t holdanything back.… She hasthat passion,
that desire.It’s great just to have her on the
team.’’
Coach of the YearKen Rossi, West Morris
The Wolfpack coach may be better known in wrestlingcircles, but he has also made West Morris into a consistentwinner on the soccer field. Rossi challenges his players to getin superior condition and also emphasizes pre-visualization inorder to prepare his athletes for success.
This year’s 12-7-3 team caught fire in state play with homewins against Parsippany Hills and Chatham and a thrilling roadvictory against Scotch Plains for the North 2, Group III statetitle. It was the first state title for the girls’ soccer programsince 1995.
All Sports Media Girls’Soccer Team
Forward – Victoria Portesy – Mount Olive – Jr.
Forward – Tiffany Kelly – Parsippany – Jr.
Forward – Lina Proska – Chatham – Jr.
Forward – Julia Esposito – Villa Walsh – Sr.
Forward – Azra Buljko – Hackettstown – Jr.
Midfielder – Jamie Hofstetter – Mendham – Sr.
Midfielder – Catherine Zimmerman – Madison – Sr.
Midfielder – Taylor Lusardi – Randolph – Sr.
Midfielder – Tara Sobierajski – Morris Catholic – Jr.
Midfielder – Kristen DeRiggi – Morris Knolls – Sr.
Defense – Amanda Berntsen – Chatham – Sr.
Defense – Aine Schanche – Kinnelon – Sr.
Defense – Sam Brener – Randolph – Jr.
Defense – Jamie Christensen – High Point – Sr.
Goalkeeper – Faith Sugerman – Mendham – Sr.
Goalkeeper – Mel Durbin – Randolph – Jr.
About the Team
Victoria Portesy was one of the top scorers in Morris Countywith 23 goals for Mount Olive. Randolph’s Taylor Lusardi scoredthe winning goal in the title game and was Most Valuable Playerof the Morris County Tournament. Tiffany Kelly led Parsippanyto one of its most successful seasons in the history of the girls’soccer program. Julia Esposito was the motor that made Villa
Walsh’s offense run. Junior striker Azra Buljkoknocked in 17 goals for the Tigers. JamieHofstetter was one of the most consistentplayers on the talented Minutemen.Catherine Zimmerman is hands down
Morris County’s Player of the Year. LinaProska registered an astounding 25 assists
for Chatham. Only lateseason injuries couldcurtail the talent of Morris
Catholic’s Tara Sobierajski.Skillful Golden Eagle
Kristen DeRiggi, a four-yearstarter, will play for American
University next. Amanda Berntsen’sbig kicks helped keep the ball out of
the Chatham net. Aine Schanche is afierce and dependable Kinnelon defender.Randolph’s Sam Brener can cover anyplayer 1-v-1. High Point’s JamieChristensen is the Player of the Year inSussex County. Faith Sugerman is oneof a long line of top notchMinutemen keepers. She is headed toUSC. Mel Durbin had double-digitshutouts for the defense-mindedRams who were not scored upon inMCT play.
Girls' Soccer Recap: Rams Top Crowded FieldB y M a r k K i t c h i n – S t a f f W r i t e r By Paul
Randolph F Alexa Roemer
C. Zimmerman P h o t o b y :
T o m Sa lva sw w w . M a d i s o n . P a t c h . c o m
11-28-11-ASMNR Issue_Layout 1 11/28/11 8:18 AM Page 8
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They don’t give trophies for teams based on how good they
look on paper. If they did, the Delbarton ice hockey team
would have a spot cleared off on its mantle already.
However, the Green Wave has to earn it. Delbarton will
aim for a third straight Non-Public state title as the season
opens on December 1. Morris County teams won all three
state titles last year, and Randolph, Morris Knolls and
Morristown-Beard are also expected to be strong again in
2011-12.
However, all eyes are looking towards Delbarton with
good reason. The Green Wave is expected to field a
dominating team with plenty of expectations for the
upcoming year. Of the 25 players returning on this year’s
team, 19 have extensive varsity experience.
“We have plenty of skill up front,’’ Delbarton coach Bruce
Shatel says. “We have a lot of guys that can make plays.’’
That list can start with John Baiocco, a dynamic junior forward who is already looking forward to
playing collegiate hockey at Yale. He had 17
goals and 21 assists last year. Or maybe RPI-
bound Drew Melanson, who Shatel believes
is the fastest skater that he’s ever coached.
Junior Josh Melnick is another college
prospect that will find ice time along with
senior forward Connor Bilby and the
Agostino twins, Davis and Trevor. Those
players will be pushed by sophomore Chad
Otterman, a 6-3,195-pound forward, along
with junior Alex Hagerty. The Green Wave
has great depth. Tommy Fowler, Chad Heal,
Ken Delaney, Ryan Maguire and Kevin Lewis
will be ready to step up, too.
The defense is also solid. Senior Tommy
Davis has already committed to Princeton.
Tommy Muratore is extremely versatile and
also sees time on the man down and power
play squads. Seniors Jordan Lederman, Chase
Newman and Bretty Brophy figure
prominently in the mix. Juniors Trevor Incledon and Michael Pesce will play a role as well.
They will defend an exceptional goalie. Colton Phinney (6-foot-1, 170-pounds) is who you want
as your last line of defense. He allowed only 38 goals and had a goals against average of 1.31 for the
Green Wave last season.
“He’s got it all,’’ Shatel said. “He can really handle the pressure. The environment never fazes
him. He’s a complete goalie: he handles the puck well, he
can control the rebounds. He does everything you need him
to do.’’
Delbarton will once again play a challenging schedule far
beyond what any other New Jersey high school team
attempts. In addition to its Gordon Conference slate, the
Green Wave has eight out-of-state games scheduled, seven
on the road. That includes a two-game trip to
Massachusetts and jaunts to Connecticut, Pennsylvania and
New York.
The Green Wave will have plenty of confidence but
Shatel is hoping that they develop a work ethic and
intensity that allows their talent to flourish. If it does,
Delbarton will be able to handle those lofty expectations.
“We have to develop our attitude,’’ Shatel said. “We need
to learn to play with a hunger on a daily basis in order to be
successful.’’
other teams to watch
Randolph has a good defensive nucleus back fromlast year’s Public A state championship squad. TylerHeineman will lead the way on the back line, alongwith Brad Lindquist and Andrew Tucker. Mike Pollio,a senior who saw limited action last year, will be ingoal. Connor Ryan and Nick Holowko are among thekey offensive players for the Rams, but most of theirgoal-scorers have graduated. “We’re going to havetrouble scoring goals,” says coach Rich McLaughlin,who says this will be his most inexperienced team inmany years.
Morristown-Beard captured its third straight MennenCup last season, but will also be inexperienced headinginto its third year under former New Jersey DevilRandy Velischek. Tom DePoalo is the key returningoffensive player for the Crimson. Luke Moser,Andrew Callahan and Donnie Shauger are other keyreturning forwards. Morristown-Beard will be extremely inexperienced on defense, withmostly sophomores and freshmen. “It’s a work in progress,” says Velischek. As for a fourthstraight Mennen Cup? “That’s the ultimate goal, but how realistic it is I can’t really say.”
Another traditionally strong program dealing with the loss of significant players is Morris Knolls.The Golden Eagles graduated 12 seniors from their roster, but starting goaltender Trevor Tironi isback. Also returning are forwards Billy Nichols, Nick Hussey and Jack Monahan, along withdefensemen James Toolen and Dillon Baruti.
Chatham is young this year but they have found their keeper for the next three seasons in JordanBoles who put together an extraordinary freshman campaign last year (71 goals allowed, 2.54 goalsagainst average) which helped the Cougars to the Public B state title. Trip Burke (16 goals) alsoreturns as well as a defense anchored by seniors Geoff Gill, Matt Walsh and Jason Pitonyak.
West Morris, last year’s Haas Division champs, make the big move to the Halvorsen Division thisyear. They will do it with an experienced goalie tandem. Jamie DeIturrando and Jack Harper areback for their senior seasons with the Wolfpack.
