After four more state championship titles were earned at the Prudential Center last night, three exciting months of on ice action has finally come to a close in the Garden State. 124 teams competed across nine conferences in the boys and girls disciplines, and put on an amazing show for all that followed. Cups were won, memories were made, and to cap it all off, here is our final power rankings for the 2025-26 season of New Jersey High School Ice Hockey as decided by our very own Big State Sports Hockey Congress.
1.) Delbarton (20-1-3)
The kings remain on their throne! There were many moments in the state finals where it looked like the Green Wave’s 41 game in-state unbeaten streak was in jeopardy, but as they always seem to do, they came through when the light’s were brightest, and took home their 16th state championship. Delbarton finished their campaign with the Gordon Conference scoring champion (Aiden Pasic – 46), lowest GAA among conference goaltenders (Paul Insauto – 0.86), as well as yet another Gordon Cup title. Sure they’ll lose an impactful and sizable senior class, but by the looks of things, this dynasty isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
2.) Don Bosco (21-5-1)
The Ironmen and last year’s CBA squad were both unfortunate enough to run into the aforementioned Green Wave four times in the same season, failing to capture a victory in any of the contests. This along with a loss to St. Joe’s Montvale prevented this edition of Greg Toskos’ team from bringing home any hardware. Still, there’s no reason to cast a shadow on a truly special season in Ramsey. Don Bosco finished off the year as finalists in arguably the three best tournaments in the state, put together an impressive 13-5-1 record against ranked opponents, and were the only team to take Delbarton to overtime in multiple games. With a treasure trove of extremely talented sophomores including goalie Alex Annunziato and Gordon Conference goals co-leader Preston Ferro, things might only go up from here.
3.) St. Joe’s Montvale (16-5-1)
This year’s Bergen County Champions end the season in the same ranking they ended last year, finishing proudly as one of the best of the best in New Jersey. The only teams to beat them all year were the pair that finished ahead of them, and even then, the Green Knights played Delbarton to an early-season tie, and vanquished the Ironmen to capture their county title in dramatic fashion. Senior goaltender Gabe Florio will be forced to pass the torch to the next generation due to graduation, capping off a remarkable career featuring 1,258 saves, a 1.68 GAA, a .917 save percentage, and nine shutouts across 63 games. Next year should begin a new era for St. Joe’s, but one that should very well pick up where this one left off.
4.) St. Augustine (12-9-0)
Our rallying cry for this team around the Big State Sports offices is “Underestimate the Hermits at your own peril,” and that once again rang true this hockey season. After a roller coaster 6-6-0 start to the campaign, marred by inconsistency, they finished off the year winners of six of their final nine including a decisive 5-2 victory over then #4 Morristown-Beard in the state quarterfinal round. Star seniors Carmine Laspata and Cameron DeLeo combined for an impressive 57 points, while the latter wrapped up his illustrious career in Richland with 94 total points. The Hermits graduate a relatively small senior class with just eight players with either a save or a point moving on, making it evermore likely that they’ll be able to keep pace with their Gordon Conference foes next season.
5.) Morristown-Beard (18-3-1)
This really felt like the year for the Crimson. And in many ways, it was. Scott Green’s team got off to a remarkable 15-0-1 start to the year, romping through the vaunted Mennen division and taking down a pair of Gordon Conference mainstays along the way. Mo-Beard also captured their second consecutive Mennen Cup title, and sported one of, if not the most terrifying top line in the state featuring John Gonnella (30-44-74), Evan Redman (31-45-76), and Marcus Cassidy (17-25-42), playing in front of Kitchner Rangers’ prospect Mason Hriczov (1.67 GAA, .927 Sv%, 2 SHO). The Crimson’s only kryptonite was the teams ranked ahead of them, dropping to Don Bosco (4-2), St. Joe’s (2-1), and St. Augustine (5-2). Still, a 2-3-0 record against Gordon Conference opponents is nothing to sneeze at, and this season perhaps more than any in the past may have made the best case for Morristown-Beard to be considered for promotion to the top conference in New Jersey Boys Ice Hockey.
6.) Bridgewater-Raritan (23-3-1)
It’s been a big year for the Panthers. Fresh off their football team capturing their first sectional title, the ice hockey team decided to do one better. Not only did they down pesky North Hunterdon/Voorhees for another Skyland Cup title, they carried their talent and momentum all the way to the Prudential Center and blanked one of the best offenses in New Jersey for their first statewide title on the ice. The victory over Ridgewood capped of an 11-game winning streak to end the season, and bouyed them to a win total of 23, tops in the the Garden State. BR fans will have plenty to look forward to as well, with sophomore stud Justin Madison returning between the pipes along with rising seniors James Kramer and Finals MVP Stanley Xenakis.
7) Christian Brothers Academy (14-11-0)
Few teams were as decimated by graduation and juniors hockey promotions than CBA, and yet the Colts still found a way to power through one of the tougher schedules in the state. All of CBA’s in-state losses this year were to the top four teams in this ranking, with another coming against Rhode Island’s Lasalle Academy. Apart from that, the Colts went 14-0-0 against all other competition, including key wins against Toms River, Catholic, Middletown North, and pair against Princeton Day. Though they’ll lose another crop of impact players, like much of the Gordon Conference CBA are flushed with young talent (Nick Fiore, Deklan Martin, Matthew Flynn, etc.) who’ll be hungry to prove themselves further next season.
8) Ridgewood (21-5-0)
In what was the final season for AJ LoSouro, and likely the last for his younger brother Will with the team, the Maroons put together another phenomenal, further cementing their reputation as one of the best public school programs in the state. The brothers combined for a staggering 152 points, including 77 of their team’s 136 goals, making them one of the most devastating duos in New Jersey and beyond. Netminder Oliver Grant preformed admirably filling the very large skates of legendary goalie Jack Scali, saving 588 shots to the tune of an .886 save percentage. All-in-all it was a great year for the Maroons, who did everything short of capturing some hardware, losing in the finals of both the Big North Gold Tournament and State Playoffs. Still, this team will leave a legacy as one of the most dazzling on-ice acts we’ve ever seen.
9) Livingston (20-4-0)
David Conklin’s Lancers played like a team on a mission all season long. Quick, opportunistic offense, maddening defense, and stellar netminding. A near-perfect formula that was executed to a T even in a couple of their losses. Skaters up and down the line chart showed massive year-to-year improvements in point totals, preventing the offense from becoming a largely Matthew Zocks vehicle. That depth proved vital in the McInnis Finals against Westfield, a game that snapped a dozen year title drought for the Lancers thanks to goals from Rhys Bernstein & Eli Wheeler, and sensational goaltending from Andrew Downey. Livingston will graduate their top-six point scorers as well as Downey and Brody Teitelbaum, but with a program as well-coached as this one there’s plenty to be optimistic about.
10) KJS United (16-7-2)
The only thing more impressive than winning back-to-back State Championships is doing so in the most chaotic bracket of them all, the Co-op. For whatever reason the public programs in this state that feature teams comprising of student-athletes from multiple schools creates some pretty wild fluctuations and an element of unpredictability. Yet for this team they were anything but those two things. Sure they lost Jake Prunty to the USPHL, graduated their top-two goaltenders, and were a bit uncertain about Braydon Sisco’s availability due to his own juniors hockey status, yet managed to be a stalwart in repeating last season’s success. The health of winger Eddie Brown played a big role, as his puck control and passing ability made his line with Sisco and Delbarton transfer Maximo Rodriguez perhaps the most entertaining trio this writer has seen at the high school level. Beyond that, Jeff Myhren’s team ran three lines deep, multiple stifling defensive pairings, and played well as a cohesive unit, the latter being a challenging feat at this level. KJS will graduate an enormous senior class, but few reload like they do, as they’ll likely be poised to take the state by storm next season.
11) Westfield (18-4-0)
The follow-up act to the Blue Devils’ first State Championship fell short only due to lofty expectations from the season prior. Aside from those, they had a campaign that’d be the envy of many programs throughout New Jersey, littered with wins against top programs Randolph, Middletown North, Livingston (2x), and Northern Highlands. Rematches on big stages proved to be this team’s downfall though, with a McInnis Cup Finals loss to Livingston, and an early exit from the state playoffs thanks to Middletown North. It only takes a quick glance to deduce that Westfield isn’t going away anytime soon though, with Liam Reed, Chris Smok, Liam Duffy, and Rob Petrarca set to hit the ice for one last go around next year, to defend their Union County Championship title and beyond.
12) Middletown North (15-7-2)
2025-26 was very much a return to form for Don Wood’s Lions. Three years removed from their State Championship win against Chatham, Middletown North seemed to regain a lot of that mojo that was absent after taking victory laps around the Prudential Center. Their winning formula was depth, putting up 111 goals despite a roster absent of a single 20+ goal scorer. That relentless attack led the Lions to an impressive 6-1-1 Shore-North record, a Mayor’s Cup victory, and a trip to the sectional finals. Though top scorers Dominiks Marnauza, Lucas Laranjeiro, Brendan Costello, and Landon Hopwood won’t return, along with netminder John Gato, this public powerhouse has more than enough left in the tank to build off of everything they accomplished this year.
13) North Hunterdon/Voorhees (19-7-1)
The rise of Paul Martori’s Skyland Conference Co-op needs to be studied. After a 3-13-4 inaugural campaign just two years ago, NHV has risen to prominence as one of the best in the state. Stud juniors Dylan Swon and Dominic Moushon combined for 102 points and have been the offensive backbone of the team since the beginning. Them, along with an excellent supporting cast ran roughshod through the Skyland, winning the conference regular season while taking down eventual Public State Champion Bridgewater-Raritan twice. After losing the Skyland Cup in an overtime thriller in round three against BR, NHV went on one of the more memorable postseason runs in recent vintage, shutting out four straight opponents on their way to a title bid at The Rock. Though they eventually fell to KJS United, Logan Konstaid’s postseason line of a 4-1-0 record, 1.00 GAA, .962 save percentage, four shutouts, and a 13 period shutout streak is something we may never see again. They may not have come out on top this year, but with a bevy of returners following the damage they’ve done this season, the rest of the state should be on notice. NHV is coming.
14) Northern Highlands (14-10-1)
Most high school teams would do anything to accomplish what the Highlanders did in a “down” season by their standards. The now reigning BIg North Gold Cup champions not only took home their conference’s ultimate prize, they also reached the semifinals in both the Bergen County Tournament and the State Sectional Playoffs, losing only to top-flight teams in St. Joe’s (Mont.) and Ridgewood respectively. Like most recent iterations of Northern Highlands hockey, they featured a Beswick (Carter) and a Baratta (Ben), yet this season the scoring leader was neither. Junior Davin Freidman took the reigns with an impressive 56 points, who along with freshman Connor Cusato had breakout seasons. Matthew Khaimov also provided some first-class goaltending, as the fourth primary netminder in as many seasons for the Highlanders as well, offering further proof that this team always has plenty waiting in the pipeline. It’ll be interesting to see how the pieces on this team evolve after another solid campaign.
15) Ramapo (15-11-0)
Not much was flashy about Michael McLachlan’s Raiders this season, but when you get results such as theirs, you don’t have to be. It may have been tough at first for them to find their footing, but once they did, Ramapo became a team that no one wanted to see on their schedule. The Raiders’ style of hockey was much akin to the soccer strategy known as “total football” in which each player was capable of taking on any role that was needed on the ice. This plug-and-play approach resulted in 10 players reaching double-digit point totals, with three others ending the season with exactly nine. That depth, combined with Luke L’Heureux’s outstanding goaltending provided the blueprint for wins over powerhouse offenses in West Morris, Randolph, and Livingston in the state playoffs, allowing just four total goals in those contests. Good systems and coaching are often graduation-proof so expect even a step forward from this team come next season.
16) Randolph (15-7-2)
Another year, another excellent season from the Rams. Though missing the Mennen Cup Finals, and advancing just one round in states would be considered below the bar for this program, there were a lot of bright spots for one of the blue bloods of New Jersey ice hockey. For starters, the Rams knocked down a pair of Gordon Conference foes in Bergen Catholic and Seton Hall Prep in addition to a 7-3-2 record in the gauntlet that is the Mennen division. They also got career-best campaigns out of the Melly twins, with Shane and Keegan posting 67 and 37 points respectively, with forwards Ryan Thomas and Vinny Crisafulli rounding out a dynamic offense. This team graduates a staggering 10 seniors who registered a point, but with the way this town churns out hockey players, there’s little cause for concern moving forward.
17) Robbinsville/Allentown (21-6-0)
The lone Colonial Valley Conference member on this list raised a lot of eyebrows throughout the state. Winners of eight of their first nine, with the only loss coming to Bridgewater-Raritan, the Ravens set the tone for their best season in well over a decade. Senior Jake LaChance put on a performance perfectly suited to his family name, leading the state with 52 goals, and 85 points to finish his career just three points shy of 200. The Co-op’s powerful offense helped them cruise to a CVC regular season title as well as a cup championship, and led them down an impressive postseason run, ended only by the defensive forces of North Hunterdon/Voorhees. While non of the Ravens’ three 50+ point scorers will be reprising their roles next winter, a season as strong as this along with solid retuning talent oftentimes is enough to galvanize a formidable follow-up.
18) Seton Hall Prep (10-12-0)
Head Coach Brian Monteverdi loves to challenge his team, evidenced by the gauntlet of a schedule the Pirates played this season. In addition to a Gordon Conference schedule, SHP lined up dates with five out-of-state opponents, as well as Mennen division powerhouses Morristown-Beard and Randolph. Though finishing below .500 is certainly never something a program aspires towards, one look at the team’s calendar makes escaping with 10 wins look like an impressive feat, especially given the abundance of youth on the roster. Dylan Mesler (17-14-31), Christian Jaworski (12-17-29), and Cayden Hoyler (3.35 GAA, .894 save percentage) all return next year to form a core that’ll cause some major issues for their opponents next season.
19) Toms River (17-8-1)
The second year of the union between all three Toms River Public schools has further solidified this program’s reputation as a force in the Shore Conference and beyond. Once again, the tri-op surrendered the fewest goals in the conference (50) thanks to goalie David Gawalis, and played extremely well against tough opponents. Though they didn’t come out on top, falling to CBA and Bridgewater-Raritan 3-1 and 2-0 is certainly nothing to sneeze at, as well as taking Co-op South Champs North Hunterdon/Voorhees to the limit with a 1-0 loss late in the state playoffs after beating them 2-1 earlier in the year. Loads of success in one of the state’s best conferences and a pair of deep playoff runs seem like just the beginning for an impressive resume being built in Ocean County.
20) Pope John (11-7-4)
Ryan Brown’s Lions led by the three-headed monster of Hunter Parrrillo, Cam Guerra, and Nick Colatrlla put together a representative season in a schedule flushed with top-flight talent. Though they missed out on winning the Gordon-National division by one point, Pope John managed to take down the victors Seton Hall Prep in both of their meetings. The Lions also enacted revenge on pesky Bergen Catholic, shutting out the Crusaders 4-0 in the first round of the state playoffs to avenge an early season loss and a tie. Capping everything off was yet another Egan Cup Championship, this time against 17-win Paul VI who sported one of the best seasons in their program’s history. Though results against some of the teams in the state’s top tier were certainly mixed, the Lions accomplished more than enough to be considered one of the top 20 in New Jersey this season
Next Seven: Brick, MoHoHa, Morris Knolls/Hills, Princeton Day, Ridge, Scotch Plains-Fanwood, St. Joe’s Metuchen.
New Jersey Girls Top Five
1) Immaculate Heart Academy (11-4-0)
After back-to-back trips to the Prudential Center bore no fruit for the Bergen County power, their third time indeed proved to be the charm as IHA took the bus out of Newark champions of New Jersey Girls Ice Hockey. Like the teams of year’s past, the Blue Eagles were built on defense, meticulously drilled into them by head coach and former German Men’s National Team goaltender Jochen Reimer. The difference this time around was the offense. Newcomers Julia Bussanich and Taylor Ahrens combined for 44 points, aiding veteran Delaney Cozine to provide a much quicker and more lethal scoring unit than IHA’s shown in the past. That extra boost, combined with stellar goaltending from Madison Graves pushed them past Morristown-Beard not once, but twice, including on the biggest stage. If any team in the state deserves to kick back and relish their championship a little longer, it’s the Blue Eagles.
2) Morristown-Beard (19-2-0)
As the season went on, it seemed like the Crimson had everything. Offense (5.1 goals per game), goaltending (1.19 goals allowed per game), youth (six freshman with 10+ points), etc. And quite frankly, this is about as close to a weakness-free team as we’ll see. Mo-Beard often didn’t just win games, they dominated from start to finish, and even in their two losses to IHA, they were never out of it. Though they didn’t end their two now three season state title drought, the Crimson did bring the Librera Cup back to Whippany Road for the first time since 2024. This year also capped off an outstanding career for defender Reid Snyder, a four-year starter who closes this chapter of her hockey playing days with 117 points. It was also the end of the line for Hannah Mortazavi posting cumulative numbers of 1,260 saves, a 1.54 GAA, .929 save percentage, and 15 shutouts in 63 contests. Though some of this team’s brand names will be moving on, there’s plenty to be excited about in Morristown, a dominant squad hungry for more.
3) Princeton Day (12-4-0)
The Panthers actually managed to have more success against IHA than the Crimson, though dropped to the team ranked directly above them in all three meetings. This resulted in PD putting together a 5-4-0 record against ranked teams, the second-best mark in the state. Leading the way yet again was sister duo Brynn and Sammy Dandy, joined by star Della Gilligan. They also got a ton of help from emerging studs Layla Sosner, Alexis Moslin, and Layla Kalpak, providing 71 points. Kelly Stevens also did her thing in net sporting a 1.44 GAA, .938 save percentage and five shutouts. There was never a game this season where the Panthers looked out of sorts, and they were always able to skate stride-for-stride with their peers in the state’s top tier. Much like the two teams ahead of them, Princeton Day have the young talent to stay on top next season.
4) Kent Place (10-8-0)
The headlines for Dragons hockey this season largely revolved around senior Molly Brozowski, and for good reason. Her race with Chatham/Millburn/Livingston’s Alex Donoghue to break the state’s all-time goals record was akin to the Mickey Mantle/Roger Maris race to 61 home runs in New Jersey Hockey circles. While Donoghue was the first to set a new mark, Brozowski ultimately claimed the crown ending her career with 147 goals. Outside of the race, Kent Place was clicking as a team, winning at least 10 games for the fourth season in a row, and advancing to the semifinals in both the Librera Cup and State Tournament. They also enacted revenge on Trinity Hall in the State Quarterfinals getting them back after the Monarchs beat them in last year’s Cohen Cup. All-in-all the newest Librera division team showed the state that they intend to stick around in the top division.
5) Trinity Hall (17-6-0)
It’s impossible to talk about the 2025-26 season without highlighting the ridiculous season put forth by Katie Cisar. The senior goalie led all netminders in games played (22), shots faced (745), saves (715), save percentage (.960) and shutouts (9). The Stevenson commit will ride off into the sunset with 2,652 career saves and will be remembered as one of the best to ever do it. Right behind Cisar in terms of impressiveness was the reinvention of Trinity Hall’s offense. Losing their top scorers in nj.com’s 2024-25 player of the year Sienna DeAngelis (58 points) and Lucy Mallgrave (28 points) on paper seemed like a death blow to the Monarchs’ scoring prowess, but coach Frankie Francese had other ideas. Enter newcomers junior Chiara Donohue (50 points) and freshman Mackenzie Miller (22 points), as well as the emergence of Rosie Spiropoulos, and steady guidance of captain Sydney Sun. With all that firepower, Trinity Hall were able to spread the puck around more, causing matchup nightmares for opponents all season. They closed out the campaign with their second-straight Cohen Cup title, and another solid run in states.
