The first week of ice hockey in the state of New Jersey saw plenty of Top-20 clashes, and some early divisional barn burners. We’re still learning what every team is all about, but here’s how the Big State Sports Hockey Congress views the scene for both boys and girls hockey.
1) Delbarton (1-0-0)
The Green Wave opened up their 2025-26 campaign with a visit to LaSalle in Pennsylvania, leaving with an impressive 5-0 result. Senior Cole Hurst chipped in his first career multi-goal game while Michael Pirot set a career-best with three assists. Paul Insauto pitched a 10 save shutout in his first varsity start. The win extends Bruce Shatel’s squad’s streak to 13 in a row, with their last loss to a team from New Jersey occurring way back on February 28th, 2023.
2) Don Bosco Prep (1-0-0)
#4 St. Joe’s Montvale gave the Ironmen a scare on Thursday, taking a 1-0 lead late in the second period at the Ice Vault. Preston Ferro and Jack Ashton took it from there, answering with a goal apiece while sophomore netminder Alex Annunziato remained Stalwart in net, collecting 17 saves on 18 shots. The win avenged a loss in last year’s Bergen County Tournament Final against the Green Knight’s and the Ironmen loss to St. Joe’s in the Non-Public A Football Finals at MetLife Stadium a week ago.
3) Christian Brothers Academy (1-0-0)
CBA’s opening night score may have only read 4-2 against St. John Vianney, but last year’s Gordon Cup and Non-Public runners-up were as sharp as ever on the road. The Colts outshot the Lancers 59 to 27, with a pair of goals coming from top returning scorer, Anthony Berenton. CBA will continue to lean on him and Michael McCabe with the offseason losses of superstars Nicholas Desiderio and Dominic Szczygiel.
4) St. Joe’s Montvale (0-1-0)
The Green Knights took #2 Don Bosco Prep to the limit on Thursday, before ultimately falling to the Ironmen at the Ice Vault in their season opener. SJR graduated 55% of last year’s scoring output, including Logan Hughes’ 22 goal total, so it’ll be interesting to see who steps up to fill the void. They’ll get two chances to prove themselves this week, visiting Xavier in New York on Thursday before hosting #1 Delbarton on Sunday afternoon.
5) Morristown-Beard (2-0-0)
Scott Greene’s Crimson look as good as ever, building off an impressive 2024-25 campaign where they captured the Mennen Cup and took CBA to the limit in the state tournament. Morris Knolls/Hills were their first victims of the season, dropping 8-1 at Twin Oaks, while Chatham gave more of a challenge in a 3-2 affair. Forwards John Gonnella and Evan Redman already have three goals each, while freshman defenseman Logan Schonwetter is showing promise on the quest to replace Evan Jones on the blue line. Mo-Beard will continue their Mennen Division schedule this week against Mendham and #16 Randolph. (Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@BigStateSports)
6) Princeton Day (1-0-0)
The Panthers began their Gordon Conference schedule against a reloaded Gloucester Catholic, escaping with a 7-5 victory on the road. Senior Filip Kacmarsky notched his third career hat trick along with a trio of assists to power his team. Not to be outdone, Fred Ringblom added six points of his own, including a four in the assist column. Princeton Day will host the #1 ranked Green Wave on Tuesday for their only game this week.
7) Westfield (1-0-0)
After finally capturing a state championship crown back in March, the Blue Devils’ encore began with an 8-0 thrashing of McInnis Division rivals West Essex/Caldwell. Senior Andrew Lisnock potted a hat trick, while superstar goalie Trey Conover stopped all 12 shots sent his way for his sixth varsity shutout in just 22 games. They’ll rematch last year’s McInnis Cup final with a date against #14 Livingston this Wednesday, followed up on Friday with a road contest facing Summit.
8) St. Augustine (0-0-0)
Lying in wait are the Hermits who will face a gauntlet this week, including a trip to Holy Ghost Prep (PA), bookended by a pair of games against #2 Don Bosco Prep. With Liam Slattery graduating, the big question for this team will be which of their three returning netminders will get the lion’s share of time in between the pipes. Senior KJ Williams saw the most time last season with four games, while Junior Robert Rando posted a .911 save percentage to pace the trio.
9) Pope John (0-0-0)
There’s a lot to be excited about up in Sparta as the Lions kick off their 2025-26 campaign with a pair of games this week. Pope John graduated just four point scorers from last year, while retuning Hunter Parrillo (20-6-26), Nicholas Colatrella (11-10-21), and Mason Giordano (2.23 GAA, .893 save %, 4 SHO), among several other key contributors. Expect to learn a lot about this team when they open Gordon Conference competition against #12 Seton Hall on Wednesday.
10) Northern Highlands (1-0-0)
Perennial Bergen County and Public North contenders, Northern Highlands are back at it again with a young but mighty squad for 2025-26. Junior Ben Baratta (yes another talented Baratta) looks ready to take a big leap this season, putting up six points in the season opener against Clifton United. Sophomore Matthew Khaimov will be the fourth different primary goaltender in four seasons for coach Jason Beswick looking to continue a legacy of sensation net play up north. The Highlanders have a fun week ahead, with games against rinkmates #19 Pascack in Sport-O-Rama, as well as #1 Delbarton, and #11 Ridgewood.
11) Ridgewood (2-0-0)
Oliver Grant entered this season with huge skates to fill following the departure of Ridgewood goaltending legend Jack Scali (1.99 GAA, .934 save %, 11 SHO, 1,960 saves, 71 games career). He’s filled in admirably, holding PCTI and #17 Ramapo to just three goals on 49 shots. Meanwhile, the brothers LoSauro continue to play at a torrid pace combining for five points in a pair of games. Their matchup with #10 Northern Highlands on Sunday will be must-watch at the Ice House in Hackensack.
12) Seton Hall Prep (0-2-0)
The Pirates got an early start to the season, hosting out-of-state powerhouses Holy Ghost Prep (PA), and Chaminade (NY) at West Orange’s Codey Arena and took some lumps along the way. Still, they got some encouraging signs from their young roster, including a pair of goals apiece from Juniors Christian Jaworski and Dylan Mesler. They’ll hit the road to take on Gordon foes Bergen Catholic and #9 Pope John this week.
13) KJS United (1-0-0)
The defending Co-op State Champions hosted #16 Randolph to start the season and finished on the right side of a whirlwind 8-6 affair despite the absence of superstar Junior Brayon Sisco. Fourth-year varsity player Cormac Gibbons led the charge with his first career hat trick, while returning speedster Eddie Brown lit the lamp twice on his own. They’ll meet with upstart Morristown this Friday in what will be a key early season Mennen Division matchup at Skylands Ice World.
14) Livingston (1-0-0)
Senior goaltender Brody Teitelbaum stopped 13 of 15 in the Lancers’ season opening victory against West Essex/Caldwell to kick off what should be a sensational swan song. Livingston will need it, given their graduation of 73.5% of last year’s goals. Still, this defense-heavy program retain the services of Matthew Zocks, Ben Diamond, and Jayden Rogers who expect to take some steps forward in the scoring department. They’ll square off against NJIIHL rivals Governor Livingston/New Providence, #6 Westfield, and Cranford in the next few days.
15) Bridgewater-Raritan (1-1-0)
North Hunterdon/Voorhees got the best of the Panthers in the latter’s first foray of the season, though it’s generally unknown if BR had their full stable of star skaters at their disposal. The reigning Skylands Cup champs bounced back with a 4-1 victory against Watchung Hills to salvage a split in Skylands Conference play. Sophomore Michael Lalor tripled his career goal total with a pair of scores in the win. Next up is a trip to Robbinsville before an early rematch with Watchung Hills.
16) Randolph (0-1-0)
The shocking part of the Rams’ 8-6 loss to #13 KJS Untied wasn’t the result, but the high-scoring nature of the affair. Rich McLaughlin’s teams seldom allow so many goals, but now have let in 6+ in three straight games dating back to their 10-7 State Quarterfinal victory against Livingston on March 3rd. The return of defenseman Logan O’Malley after missing all of last year with injury should help right the ship the more games he gets under his belt, while the offense continues to sparkle. Five different skaters lit the lamp on Friday, including Vinnie Crisafulli’s 100th career point. They’ll play some massive Mennen Division games this week, against Morris Knolls/Hills on Tuesday, and #5 Morristown-Beard on Friday. Both games will be free to view on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@BigStateSports
17) Ramapo (1-1-0)
Raiders hockey returned with a 5-4 win against the vaunted Ramsey/Indian Hills tri-op, thanks in large part to two goals each from Junior Theo Herman and Senior Scott Vivinetto. They then ran into the big Maroon wagon from #11 Ridgewood, keeping things close in a 3-1 loss. Senior goalie Luke L’Heureux looked stellar in that contest, stopping 31 of 34. He’ll be the backbone for a Ramapo team that’ll be Bergen County and Big North contenders all season long.
18) Middletown North (1-0-0)
The Lions are showing flashes of their 2022-23 State Title winning squad here in December thanks to a 7-0 explosion against Manalapan to get things going. Mid North graduated just a single point-scoring senior and return four double-digit goal scorers from last year’s 13-11 squad, and additionally retain the services of goalie John Gato. Coach Don Wood seems to be feeling good about this team as well, scheduling the likes of #10 Northern Highlands, #6 Westfield, #20 Toms River, #14 Livingston, and #3 CBA down the line. This week they’ll try and stay hot against Rumson-Fair Haven, Cranford, and Red Bank Catholic.
19) Pascack (1-0-0)
Pascack’s tri-op found themselves as the #1 seed in last season’s Co-Op North playoff field, and will look to earn that honor again. Though they lost starting netminder Yulianna Krol to graduation, and star forward Austin Groves to transfer, Pascack still return a great deal, including 51 point scorer Jack Sheehan, and 42 point scorer Owen Dargan. They’ve got #10 Northern Highalnds this week in what we be a good test to see where both team’s are at.
20) Toms River (2-0-0)
The Toms River tri-op continues to impress, moving to 23-3-1 all together in the past season and change. Third-year starter, and Junior David Gawalis followed up last year’s .949 save percentage campaign with a pair of solid performances against Rumson-Fair Haven and Old Bridge. Last season, this squad ripped off 18 straight games without a defeat to start the year, and it’s not unreasonable to expect something similar out of them this time around.
Next Seven: Ridge, Governor Livingston/New Providence, Chatham, South Brunswick/North Brunswick/Monroe, PCTI, Marlboro/Holmdel, Morristown.
Girls Top Five
1) Princeton Day (0-0-0)
The defending state champions won’t start their season until December 15th, but will remain the Queens of New Jersey Hockey until dethroned. The Panthers return a treasure trove of talent, including borh Brynn & Samantha Dandy, Della Gilligan, Layla Sosner, and stud goalie Kelly Stevens. They’ll begin their quest to be the first girls program in the state to win back-to-back state titles with a rematch of March’s Prudential Center meeting against Immaculate Heart Academy.
2) Morristown-Beard (3-0-0)
Hungry is probably the best word to describe Bruce Driver’s Crimson as not only have they failed to capture a state championship in the past two seasons, they’ve not even made it to the Prudential Center as the girls game continues to grown around them in the state of New Jersey. Mo-Beard have already ripped off three consecutive victories this season, surrendering just a single score, thanks to a sensational defense that’s only allowed 18 shots. Defenders Reid Snyder and Kallen Peterson are joined by forward Emma Fuchs in scoring four goals, while 11 different skaters have scored to start the campaign. This is already looking like a revenge tour for the Crimson, and the rest of the league should be on notice.
3) Trinity Hall (4-0-0)
The Monarchs have yet to blink in 2025-26 despite the huge blow in the form of Sienna DeAngelis’s transfer. Picking up the scoring slack have been Chiara Donohue (2-9-11), Fiona McAllister (3-2-5), Mackenzie Miller (3-2-5), and Rosie Spiropoulos (3-0-3), while superstar goalie Katie Cisar has yet to allow a goal in 103 shots. They’ll look to keep rolling against Cohen Division rivals Westfield and Oak Knoll this week.
4) Immaculate Heart Academy (1-0-0)
IHA shut out a very good Cohen squad in Chatham/Millburn/Livingston 8-0 including 5 goals combined from freshmen Taylor Ahrens and Julia Bussanich. If they can play at even a percentage of that pace, that could mean trouble for the rest of the league as they made it to the state final despite a modest 54 goal output last season. Sophomore netminder Madison Graves and company will get a good challenge this week with #5 Kent Place coming to town on Friday.
5) Kent Place (1-0-0)
Dragons are very real when it comes to New Jersey Girls ice hockey, perhaps none more fearsome than Molly Brozowski who netted five goals in Kent Place’s season debut. Scoring goals is what this team does best, leading the state with a staggering six goals per game average last season, and they show no signs of slowing down, with a total of 10 in just one game. Keeping up in a stacked Librera Division will be a challenge, and the Dragons will get their first shot of proving themselves this Friday against #4 Immaculate Heart Academy.
