BY ANGEL CHIARAVALLO
The hockey team finished the season with a 12-9-1 record, showing great improvement and earning their first winning season since 2019.
Every player on the team, including four seniors who played varsity for all four years of high school, experienced playing on a winning varsity team for the first time. “It feels amazing to finally be finding success,” stated junior goalie Logan Schroeder, who accrued a total of 1,210 saves so far his high school career with.
The hockey team went 8-3-1 in their last 12 games to finish the season strong. “[It] feels great, obviously. The team put in a lot of work this season compared to the others and really dug deep to pull this out, and I think our record can prove that,” stated junior Kenneth Doctors, whom Nj.com selected as a GMC All-Conference Honorable Mention.
The season had many highlights for each player, such as the six-game win streak near the end of the season. “[The highlight of the season was] our recent stretch of games, probably. A lot of exciting ones, very high tempo. It helped us to a winning season,” said senior Anthony Fattorusso.
The senior captains Michael Pellicciotta and Patrick Apgar helped lead the team to the most successful season the program has seen in years. “The key to our team’s success this year stems from a mix of the coaches and the players,” stated sophomore Nicholas Gallo who had 24 goals this season, earning him a GMC All-Conference Honorable Mention selection. “Their leadership has influenced the team down the right direction.”
“We’ve really melded as a team this year, creating some chemistry, bringing us to the next level,” said junior Griffin DeGirarde. Seven players on the team racked up double digit assists this year, helping the team increase their scoring by over 30% from the previous season.
Throughout the season, players worked to achieve personal goals they knew would help the team. “Scoring more often and helping contribute offensively was something I wanted to do this year, and I did, so I’m happy about that,” said Fattorusso.
However, according to the players, more than winning matters to the team. “I think the highlight of the season so far is coming to the rink every day and being able to play with your friends. It’s such an amazing experience to play the sport you love and continue to have fun,” stated sophomore Chase Lynch.
This season marked the Knights as a program on the rise. With the underclassmen responsible for 73 of the team’s 124 goals returning next winter, fans can expect more victories in the coming years.
Posted on 3/18/24
Photos by Katelyn Buchalter
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