Below we have this week’s in-depth Top 15, percentages on mostly all North Jersey teams’ chances at qualifying for the state tournament as the Feb. 10 cutoff approaches, and at the very bottom, our Player of the Year watch (which was supposed to be in today’s Record, but didn’t make it). Tonight I head to the Ice House Ice Vault for Don Bosco-Bergen Catholic Part III, tomorrow I head to Yankee Stadium for Don Bosco-CBA. What a two-game stretch for the Ironmen (and a quick turnaround, too… 8:45 8:15 start vs. BC tonight, 1:15 p.m. start tomorrow vs. CBA). The Big North Gold race is about to really heat up between Ridgewood and River Dell/Westwood over the next week. What happens to the rankings if Bergen Catholic upsets Don Bosco tonight? Can West Milford, Fair Lawn and Paramus/Lyndhurst stay on their recent hot streaks? A lot of questions are still to be answered over the next few weeks. It’s about to get real fun.
On to this week’s rankings, state tournament probabilities and Player of the Year watch…
1. Don Bosco (9-2-2) — Last week: 1
State tournament probability: 100% (by virtue of playing in Gordon Conference)
The Ironmen remain in the top spot after capturing their third straight Bergen County title last week with a 4-1 win over No. 2 Ramsey, fueled by Chris Moreira’s two goals and Hunter Garlasco’s three assists. Garlasco’s playmaking ability and vision were the difference-makers in that BCT final win, as coach Greg Toskos said the junior forward was making “Division 1-type passes.†Senior defenseman Cody Calcagno, arguably the top defenseman in North Jersey, was named Tournament MVP after anchoring a defensive unit that surrendered just one goal in three tournament games. One night later, it was Garlasco providing one goal and one assist on TK night, honoring the life and memory of former Ironman Thomas E. Kennedy, in a 2-1 win over Suffern. Goalie Jarred Liscio earned his 62th career victory at Don Bosco in that win, becoming the program’s all-time winningest goalie. The Ironmen are now gearing up for an exciting two-game stretch starting tonight when they take on Bergen Catholic at the Ice Vault, followed by their much-anticipated showdown with CBA at Yankee Stadium on Friday. After Delbarton’s recent skid (losing to Bergen Catholic and tying CBA), the Ironmen are very close to being considered the No. 1 team in the state as the state tournament approaches. The Ironmen will meet the Green Wave for the second time this season on Feb. 4.
2. Ramsey (17-2) — Last week: 2
State tournament probability: 100%, currently 15 games over .500
No, the Rams didn’t pull off the upset against Don Bosco in the Bergen County final, but they sure earned the respect of their crosstown rival. Ramsey fell, 4-1, but it was a much closer game than that, with the score knotted at 1 with under eight minutes to go until Chris Moreira’s power play goal opened a three-goal outburst in the final minutes. Bosco players and coach Greg Toskos all said it was the toughest county final they’ve been in — and one of the toughest games they’ve played this season (high praise) — and it seemed like they genuinely meant it. As coach Bob Toy said one night later after a convincing 7-2 win over Wayne Hills (getting four goals from Nick Botta and four assists from Connor DiTomaso), Ramsey took no moral victories from the loss, but thought the Rams represented themselves well in the game that was billed the ‘Battle of Ramsey.’ Other big news out of Ramsey this week came when junior forward Alex Whelan committed to Quinnipiac, currently ranked No. 3 in the country by USA Today, on Monday and received an outpouring of congratulations via Twitter. Not only is Whelan one of the premiere players in North Jersey with 25 goals and 21 assists this year, but he’s so well-respected by his teammates and opponents, and one of the most humble and modest stars I’ve seen. Congratulations to him.
3. Bergen Catholic (8-8) — Last week: 3
State tournament probability: 100% (by virtue of playing in Gordon Conference)
The game I would love to see right now, though impossible, is Bergen Catholic vs. Ramsey. I thought about bumping the Crusaders to the No. 2 spot after they shocked the state last week with their 6-3 win over Delbarton, but for now, they remain in the 3-spot. Still, plenty around New Jersey took notice of what Bergen Catholic did, as it instantly jumped back into the state title conversation. Kyle Marano was outstanding in the Crusaders’ five-goal third period, striking for a hat trick, while Tyler Antonucci, Joe Brown, Zach Larsen and Gennaro Anzevino all played huge roles in the upset win as well. Anzevino in particular, as the senior made 58 saves on 61 shots, following his 55-save performance in BC’s 2-0 county tournament loss to Don Bosco. Now with wins over Delbarton and CBA this season, Bergen Catholic has proven it can play with, and beat, anybody it comes across the rest of the year. It all depends on what Crusaders team shows up though, as they’ve admittedly been working on their consistency all season. They’ve got a huge test tonight when they take on Don Bosco at the Ice House at 8:45. How did this team lose eight games already?
4. Glen Rock (16-2) — Last week: 4
State tournament probability: 100%, currently 14 games over .500
Like No. 3 Bergen Catholic, Glen Rock also pulled off a huge upset last week, defeating Randolph, 5-2, behind a pair of clutch goals in the third from leading scorer Matt Roy to break a 2-2 tie. I talked to Roy yesterday (for this story) and he said Glen Rock has to stay out of the box and play disciplined hockey… and if it does that, it has a shot to beat anyone it will see the rest of the year. Against Ramsey in the BCT semifinals — a 3-0 loss — Glen Rock racked up eight penalties (over a period’s worth of penalties) and, consequently, surrendered two power play goals. And if you remember, the first goal came on that wild Alex Whelan goal (non-power play goal) — an unreal play by Whelan, but somewhat of an unlucky bounce for ‘Rock. Glen Rock feels it is right there with Ramsey and thinks it has enough talent to contend for a Public B state title. The firepower is there for a team that’s averaging over six goals per game, led by Roy with a team-best 24 goals and 23 assists, Michael Buckel (18 G, 15 A), Matt Jorgensen (10 G, 22 A), freshman Jake Kinney (11 G, 17 A), Peter Tatigian (11 G, 11 A) and Brendan Rosario (7 G, 11 A). This is definitely a team to keep an eye on over the next few weeks.
5. Kinnelon (7-8-2) — Last week: 5
State tournament probability: 80%, currently 1 game under .500 with 4 to go before cutoff
Remaining schedule before cutoff:Â Hunterdon Central on Jan. 31, Morristown on Feb. 1, Hillsborough on Feb. 7, Park Regional on Feb. 8
The Colts have some work left to do to earn an automatic bid, though they’re probably one of the teams that could earn one of the three possible Public B at-large bids assuming they stay within four games of .500 at the cutoff. Kinnelon has quality wins over Morristown-Beard, Randolph, Madison and Brick this season, which should be enough to get them in. Hunter Ledwith continues to lead the Colts in scoring with 10 goals and nine assists, while Matt Civil (7 G, 4 A), Aaron Segnollo (4 G, 6 A) and Dan Whritenour (2 G, 8 A) all have notched double-digit points so far. Remember, this is a team that reached the Public B semifinals last year, before falling to Morristown, 2-1, in overtime. If they get in, they’ll be a tough out.
6. Ridgewood (11-5) — Last week: 8
State tournament probability: 100%, currently 6 games over .500 with 5 to go before cutoff
After being bounced from the Bergen County tournament unexpectedly by 11th-seeded Tenafly in the first round, Ridgewood responded with a big 4-2 win over Paramus Catholic to stay in control of the Big North Gold regular season title. Though the Maroons are atop the standings at 9-0 in division play, they still have work to do to clinch the title with both meetings against second place River Dell/Westwood, who is 7-0-3 and one point behind, coming up on Feb. 1 and Feb. 7. Goalie Mickey Legg continues having a great year anchoring the back line, allowing just 1.87 goals per game while stopping 90.9 percent of the shots he sees. Offensively, it’s Alex Linton leading the charge with 12 goals and eight assists and Andrew Seiter right behind with seven goals and five assists. Sophomore Harry Bahrenburg leads ‘Wood in assists with 11.
7. Paramus Catholic (11-4-2) — Last week: 9
State tournament probability: 100%, currently 7 games over .500 with 3 to go before cutoff
The Paladins likely won’t be repeating as Big North Gold regular season champions (when they went 15-0 last year), but they’re still dangerous once Gold Cup time comes around. Since December 28 though, Paramus Catholic is 4-4-1, exactly the kind of inconsistency coach Keith Bland has been trying to work on with a young team. In the past week, PC beat a good St. Joseph team, 1-0, then followed that with a tough 4-2 division loss to Ridgewood. Sophomore John Pitera is emerging (or maybe has emerged already) as one of the top young goaltenders in North Jersey and is only going to improve, though already boasts a 1.33 goals against average and 92.4 save percentage. Senior Brian D’Erario has taken over the team lead in points with 13 goals and 18 assists, with classmate Matt Lepinski right behind with a team-best 20 goals and eight assists.
8. Wayne Hills (9-5-1) — Last week: 7
State tournament probability: 98%, currently 4 games over .500 with 5 games to go before cutoff
Remaining schedule before cutoff: Lakeland on Jan. 30, Wayne Valley on Jan. 31, DePaul on Feb. 2, Ramapo on Feb. 7, Indian Hills on Feb. 9
Barring a complete meltdown in the final five regular season games before the cutoff, Wayne Hills will be in the state tournament, as it needs just one more win to secure an automatic bid. Getting in won’t be the problem, but the way the Patriots have been playing has to be a concern for coach Angelo Serse. Since their hot 6-1 start, the Pats are 3-4-1 in their last eight games and 1-3 in their last four — including being upset as the top seed by West Milford in the Passaic County tournament semifinals. Their next time out, with a chance to earn some respect back in a tough matchup with Ramsey, they didn’t show much in a 7-2 loss, prompting this tweet from @hillshockey, which I believe is run by Serse: “Embarrassing efforts by all, loss to Ramsey 7-2 got to be better in the d-zone and have to step up the scoring. Period. #keeptheheadsup.†The trio of Danny Reidel (18 G, 15 A), Peter Beckwermert (17 G, 14 A) and Sean Coleman (9 G, 14 A) continue to produce, but the defense is surrendering 4.25 goals per game in their last four.
And my sincerest condolences to the entire Wayne Hills family regarding the death of Jon Goldstein. I didn’t know him very well, but I had met and spoke to him on the sidelines last fall at a few soccer games and he couldn’t have come across as a nicer guy. A very sad story indeed, but the outpouring of love he’s receiving on Twitter from student-athletes is amazing to see. It’s obvious he had a positive impact on anyone he crossed paths with during his tenure at Wayne Hills. The Patriots ice hockey team is asking all fans to wear black this Friday against Wayne Valley in honor of “Goldie.â€
9. St. Joseph (10-6-1) — Last week: 6
State tournament probability: 100%, currently 4 games over .500 with 4 to go before cutoff
The Green Knights went 1-1 last week, with a somewhat disappointing 1-0 loss to Paramus Catholic and a hard-fought 4-3 win over Tenafly, getting third-period goals from Dominick Posta and Steven Schapiro. Over the next week, St. Joseph has some winnable games against Old Tappan, Tenafly and Paramus before its showdown with Glen Rock on Feb. 9. The top two teams in the Big North Silver haven’t played since Dec. 8 (‘Rock won, 4-1) and it could be a preview of the Silver Cup final later this season. Sophomore Ryan Grieco is the team’s leader in points with 17 (7 G, 10 A), while senior Zach Teats has 8 goals and 5 assists, junior Matt McNamara has 3 goals and 10 assists, senior Nick Haubner has 6 goals and 6 assists and sophomore Matt Cocciadiferro has 8 goals and 2 assists. With an offense that struggles at times, goalie Phil Babb has kept the Green Knights in a lot of games with his 1.48 goals against average and 93% save percentage.
10. River Dell/Westwood (10-3-4) — Last week: 11
State tournament probability: 100%, currently 7 games over .500 with 3 to go
It wasn’t a dominant week, but it was another unbeaten week for the CardinalHawks, after tying Hackensack, 4-4, and beating Clifton, 2-1. They’ll need to step up their level of play in their next two games — both against Ridgewood — with the Big North Gold regular season title up for grabs. At 7-0-3 in division play, River Dell/Westwood is certainly within striking distance of the Maroons (9-0). They’ve already proven to be one of the upper-echelon teams in the Gold, but the next two games will decide whether they’ll capture a rather unexpected division title. With 10 goals, Greg Rassam is River Dell/Westwood’s leading goal scorer, while Jason Conroy and Brett Connon have combined for 18 goals and 21 assists this season. Jack Schaefer has added 11 assists and goalie Chris DeTitta is stopping 90.1% of the shots he sees.
11. West Milford (9-7-2) — Last week: 12
State tournament probability: 95%, currently 2 games over .500 with 4 games to go before cutoff
Remaining schedule before cutoff: Ramapo on Feb. 1, Mahwah on Feb. 2, Jefferson on Jan. 4, DePaul on Feb. 7
The Highlanders continue to be one of the best stories of the second half of the season and now find themselves one win shy of earning an automatic bid into the state tournament. This past week they took care of Lakeland, 4-3, rallying from a 3-1 deficit with three unanswered goals, getting some big goals from Mark Crevina and Paul Roth (and the usual suspects, Chris Dressler and Joey Fenui) and then dominated Wayne Valley, 9-0. West Milford is now 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, which of course includes a three-game championship run during the Passaic County Tournament, and junior Joey Fenui and freshman Chris Dressler are big reasons why. Fenui has 25 goals and 13 assists, despite missing significant time while out with a concussion earlier this year, and Dressler is right behind him with 17 goals and 15 assists. I wrote this a few weeks ago, but with a roster with just three seniors, this could be just the start of something big in West Milford. I’m really interested to see if they can make a run in the Green Cup, because right now, they’re playing like the second-best team in that league, behind only Ramsey.
12. Tenafly (9-6-2) — Last week: 13
State tournament probability: 100%, currently 3 games over .500 with 3 games to go
Tenafly is 5-3 in its last eight games, suffering losses only to Don Bosco, St. Joseph and Verona/Glen Ridge. Currently sitting at three games over .500 with just three games to go before the Feb. 10 cutoff, the Tigers will be in the state tournament, but there’s still plenty to play for, as a good end to the regular season can help with their seed. A pair of juniors — Eric L’Heureux and Jake Bernstein — lead Tenafly in scoring, as L’Heureux has 11 goals and 14 assists, while Jake Bernstein has added 11 goals and 12 assists. And a pair of seniors are right behind them, as Jason Vanderlinden has provided a team-high 13 goals and nine assists, while Will Torsiglieri has added seven goals and 12 assists. Freshman goalie Kyle Picinic, who was brilliant in Tenafly’s 3-1 upset over Ridgewood in the BCT, appears to be well on his way to becoming one of better goalies in North Jersey over the next few years.
13. Ramapo (7-7-1) — Last week: 15
State tournament probability: 50%, currently at .500 with 4 games to go before cutoff
Remaining schedule: Ramsey on Jan. 31, West Milford on Feb. 1, Wayne Hills on Feb. 7, DePaul on Feb. 9
A four-game losing streak a few weeks ago cost Ramapo entry into the county tournament, but the Raiders are 2-1 since and have the chance to play themselves into the state tournament with two more wins (or one win and two ties). It won’t come easy, with Ramsey, West Milford and Wayne Hills coming up, but coach Lee Barber has them believing, evident by this tweet after coming from behind to beat rival Indian Hills, 3-2, last week: “People get ready there is a train a comin you don’t need no luggage you just get on board all you need is faith – PoPuck Nation make noise.†Sean Soderlund delivered his second game-winner against Indian Hills this season in the third period, capping the Raiders’ comeback and giving him 12 goals on the year. Jason Ruggiero remains the team’s leading scorer with 15 goals and 11 assists and Sean Johnson has provided a team-best 13 assists. A pair of sophomores — Stephen Schwab (6 G, 7 A) and Alex Pazos (1 G, 10 A) — have combined for seven goals and 17 assists this year.
14. Indian Hills (7-6-4) — Last week: 10
State tournament probability: 45%, currently 1 game over .500 with 4 games to go before cutoff
Remaining schedule: Randolph on Jan. 31, DePaul on Feb. 1, Ramsey on Feb. 7, Wayne Hills on Feb. 9
Don’t be surprised if Indian Hills’ state tournament hopes come down to that Feb. 9 matchup with Wayne Hills. With tough games against Randolph and Ramsey upcoming, the Braves could be entering their contest with the Patriots at 8-8-4 and facing another win-and-in scenario. The last time that happened — just a few weeks ago — Indian Hills beat Lakeland, 4-2, to qualify for the Bergen County tournament. After jumping out to a quick two-goal lead against Ramapo last week, Indian Hills surrendered three unanswered goals in the loss. Two nights later, the Braves got back on track with a 5-3 win over Mahwah, getting two goals and two assists from leading scorer Alex Linquito (18 G, 7 A). Indian Hills is still 6-2-3 in its last 11 games, but it has defeated just one opponent currently with a winning record, and that’s Lakeland, who is 9-8 (though Mahwah and Mount Olive are both currently at .500).
15. Fair Lawn (9-7-1) — Last week: NR
State tournament probability: 100%, currently 2 games over .500 with 2 games to go before cutoff
Welcome to the Top 15, Fair Lawn… you guys earned it. Not only has the Cutters’ recent hot streak gotten them into the Top 15, it has also gotten them into the state tournament, as they’re two games over .500 with just two games to go before Feb. 10. Since the new year, Fair Lawn hasn’t lost, going 7-0-1 in the month of January, including a 2-2 tie against Paramus Catholic on Jan. 10. Biggest reasons for the turnaround? I can’t say for sure because I haven’t seen the Cutters play in weeks, but it looks like Mark Williams and Justin Ritter have been carrying the offense. Williams, a junior, has a team-best 25 goals and team-high 18 assists, while Ritter, a senior, is right behind him in both categories with 23 goals and 14 assists. Fair Lawn will take on Ridgewood on Feb. 3 — a great measuring stick for Fair Lawn, with the Gold Cup and state tournament on the horizon.
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On the brink…
16. Lakeland (9-8)
State tournament probability: 95%, currently 1 game over .500 with 5 games to go before cutoff
Remaining schedule before cutoff: Wayne Hills on Jan. 30, Mahwah on Jan. 31, Wayne Valley on Feb. 2, Wayne Valley on Feb. 7, Mahwah on Feb. 8
At 9-8, two more wins will get Lakeland into the state tournament… and the Lancers have two games against winless Wayne Valley still to go. Nick Brown remains Lakeland’s leading scorer with 16 goals and 15 assists, while Danny Mullin — only a sophomore — has dished out a team-best 18 assists.
17. Mahwah (7-7-4)
State tournament probability: 40%, currently at .500 with 3 games to go before cutoff
Remaining schedule before cutoff: Lakeland on Jan. 31, West Milford on Feb. 2, Lakeland on Feb. 8
Mahwah hasn’t won since Jan. 11 (over Ramapo), going 0-3-1 in its last four. The T-Birds will need to win two of their last three (or win one, tie one) to earn the automatic bid.
18. Pequannock (9-7-2)
State tournament probability: 100%, currently 2 games over .500 with 2 games to go before cutoff
The Panthers will be in the state tournament and have two prolific scorers leading the way, with Jake Tengi (27 goals, 26 assists) and Rocky Rovero (25 goals, 21 assists). Both are only juniors, too.
19. DePaul (6-11-1)
State tournament probability: 3%, currently 5 games under .500 with 5 games to go before cutoff
Remaining schedule before cutoff: Indian Hills on Feb. 1, Wayne Hills on Feb. 2, Paramus Catholic on Feb. 6, West Milford on Feb. 7, Ramapo on Feb. 9
The Spartans’ state tournament hopes look bleak, needing to win out to get back to the necessary .500 mark — all against higher-ranked teams. Kyle Scancerella remains DePaul’s leading scorer with 28 goals and 20 assists.
20. Paramus/Lyndhurst (7-9)
State tournament probability: 50%, currently two games under .500 with 4 games to go before cutoff
Remaining schedule before cutoff: Dumont on Jan. 31, Pascack Valley on Feb. 1, Old Tappan on Feb. 4, St. Joseph on Feb. 8
Is it too little too late for the co-op program? Paramus/Lyndhurst is playing well as of late, going 5-1 in its last six (after a 2-8 start), but will need three wins in their four games before Jan. 10 to qualify for the state tournament. They do have a favorable schedule though.
Still possible…
Northern Highlands (4-6-2)
State tournament probability: 15%, currently 2 games under .500 with 6 to go
Highlands needs to go 4-2 in its final six to be at .500 at the Feb. 10 cutoff.
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Player of the Year Watch
This was supposed to appear in Thursday’s Record, but sometimes space is limited. So here it is…
Gennaro Anzevino, Bergen Catholic, sr.: Anzevino was brilliant in the Crusaders’ 6-3 upset win over Delbarton last week, making 58 saves on 61 shots, just a few nights after making 55 saves in a 2-0 loss to Don Bosco in the BCT semis. He owns a 93.8 save percentage while allowing 2.20 goals per game.
Cody Calcagno, Don Bosco, sr.: Arguably the top defenseman in North Jersey, Calcagno was named BCT MVP after anchoring a back line that allowed just one goal in three tournament games. He’s also involved offensively, adding four goals and seven assists for the Ironmen.
Matt Roy, Glen Rock, sr.: The prolific goal scorer struck twice in the third period of Glen Rock’s big 5-2 win over Randolph last week, turning a 2-all tie into a 4-2 lead. He is the team’s leading scorer with 24 goals and 23 assists.
Hunter Garlasco, Don Bosco, jr.: Garlasco was the difference-maker in the Ironmen’s BCT final win over Ramsey, providing three assists in the 4-1 win. He now has a team-best 13 assists on the year to go along with his six goals — tied for most on Don Bosco.
Alex Whelan, Ramsey, jr.: Whelan is the Bergen County leader in goals scored with 25 and has added another 21 assists, including one in the Rams’ 4-1 BCT final loss to Don Bosco. He recently committed to Quinnipiac, the No. 3 ranked team in the country by USA Today.