Haas Cup Final Preview: #2 Gil St. Bernard’s vs #1 West Morris Central

Morristown, NJ —

Around the office and on the broadcast, we like to call it the Cha-Haas (Chaos) Division, and for good reason. All matchups in the only six-team division in the conference present a chance for whacky, and entertaining hockey, and this Cup Final will be no different. The Wolfpack are coming in looking for the first Haas three-peat since Park Regional did it from 2011-13, while the Knights are bidding for their first ever cup championship. It’s a classic David vs Goliath, with a few twists along the way…let me show you what I mean.

Gil St. Bernard’s (11-3-2, +26 Goal Differential)

Gil St. Bernard’s are one of the surprise teams of the 2023-24 season, with coach Greg DeSilva improving his team’s win total by six since last year, and bringing them back to the Haas playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Knights have perhaps the best talent-density of any team in the conference, with a heavy quality-over-quantity approach when it come to their roster. They win games by grinding down their opponents and below you’ll see just how they do that.

Offense:

Gil’s 3.80 goals per game may not jump off the page, but they have a tremendous blend of experienced and new players that can contribute to their scoring on a nightly basis. Senior Julian Tramontano improved on his solid junior season, posting career highs in assists (17) and points (32), while tying his career mark in goals (15). Freshmen forwards Brandon Whiteley (11 goals, 8 assists), and Michael Tighe (10 goals, 8 assists) also showed immense promise with the former featuring a blistering shot and the latter dazzling with speed beyond his years. Yes the team only rolls out a maximum of about a dozen skaters per game, but despite that, they have plenty of weapons offensively.

Defense:

When it comes to goaltending, the Knights boast one of the best in the entire Garden State. Sophomore Luc Jansson is currently second in the MCSSIHL in both GAA (1.93), and save percentage (.916), with the latter mark being the best among goaltenders in his class (min. 10 games) in all of New Jersey. He’s allowed two or fewer goals in 12 of his team’s 16 games, and during his team’s current 6-0-1 streak, has a 1.14 GAA and .940 save percentage. He’s helped out by 45-minute player Porter Clark, who is a menacing two-way defender, and fellow sophomore Trey Sanford. This unit is the best in the division and their clear strength in this matchup.

X-Factor:

Senior Michael Scarpati has had a curiously quiet 2023-24. After scoring 20+ points in his sophomore and junior seasons, he’s got just 11 this time around. However, he might be playing some of his best hockey in his final season. Scarpati’s speed and facilitating abilities are a serious threat and his off the puck abilities have left plenty of space for the newcomers and Tramontano to operate. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention his leadership, as he and Clark are the only players with four seasons of experience on the squad. It’s easy to key in on the Knights who have put up better numbers, but I’ll leave you with this: when Michael Scarpati records a point this season, Gil St. Bernard’s are 7-0-0.

West Morris Central (16-5-1, +35 Goal Differential)

While West Morris Central are in pursuit of their third Haas title in a row, there’s a serious case to be made that this is their best team during this stretch. Back on January 28th, they became the first team in the Haas division to take down a Mennen division team since 2010, with a 6-5 thriller against Morris Knolls/Hills. Coach Phil Togno has an embarrassment of riches in all aspects of his roster, and with their skill and his leadership they have a chance to win every single night.

Offense:

My goodness where do I even begin? Outside of Randolph, West Morris Central have the best offense in the conference and one of the most lethal units in the entire state. Tommy Togno is having a career season, far-and-away leading the MCSSIHL with 34 assists, en route to 49 total points, while Zach Knopf (18 goals, 24 assists) and Ben Barnhill (29 goals, 12 assists) reaped the benefits of Togno’s masterful dishes. Jake Salamone (8 goals, 25 assists) broke through in a big way this season as well, while freshman Shiva Kutikat (4 goals, 1 assist) showed some serious flashes, and has spent some time playing with the top line. In the first period of their semifinal matchup with Park Regional they kicked the door down by scoring four times within two minutes, and don’t be too surprised if they find a way to do something similar even against a stalwart like Jansson. (P.S. Ben Barnhill has scored 18 of his 29 goals since January 23rd, so yeah, watch out).

Defense:

The big question mark coming into the season for the Wolfpack was in net. After four seasons, 76 games, two cups and 2,105 saves from Phil Togno Jr., they needed someone to carry on the torch. Enter Michael Treiber. With huge shoes to fill, the freshman impressed as a true anchor in net to compliment his team’s unbelievable offense. He tied for the conference lead with a trio of shutouts, and has played particularly well against the Knights, posting a 0.50 GAA and a gaudy .974 save percentage in their two matchups. Out in front of Treiber are upperclassmen Nick Dargel and Karl Alstede, sealing up the blue line among a wealth of top-notch defenders. A lot of attention and praise is given to the Wolfpack’s scoring prowess — and for good reason — just don’t forget about this group, they’re just as dangerous.

X-Factor:

I didn’t mention him earlier because I felt like this player deserved a deeper dive. For those who don’t know, freshman Rhone Armijo has taken the conference by storm in his debut season. In many ways he’s a combination of the two wunderkind players on Gil with the speed and skill of Tighe, and the power of Whiteley…and then some. West Morris Central are 13-1-0 in games where Armijo has picked up at least one of his 29 points and 3-4-1 when he hasn’t. When he’s on, the team’s on, and if he plays in the Cup Finals (he missed the semifinal game), the Wolfpack can feel very good about their shot at a three-peat.

Watch the Haas Cup Finals Live on Wednesday, Feb. 14th right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCsg9JyoZNk

Cover Photo Credit: Mike Cahill