“ I have learned from my mistakes, and I am sure I can repeat them exactly.” – Unknown
OK, it’s time for our 2nd Top 20 Rankings of the Year.
Going forward, we’ll be posting them every two weeks, which I believe gives us a better read on where teams truly stand.
Before we get into the rankings, we may have something new that could impact them: And that is ……The Curse of the 111-Hockey #1 Ranked Team
What makes us say that? The #1 team in our first rankings—Paul VI—started the season 6-0, then lost its first game after being ranked #1, falling to Red Bank Catholic. But that wasn’t all.
As the final buzzer sounded and players were leaving the benches—as they normally do—a skirmish broke out on the ice. From what I’ve been told, three Paul VI players were disqualified from the game. Under NJSIAA rules, a team that accumulates three DQs in a season is ineligible for the state playoffs.
I understand the intent of the rule, but it should apply to three separate incidents in three separate games, not a single incident. Applying it this way makes no sense—especially considering it wasn’t much of a fight. But a lack of common sense is right on brand for the NJSIAA.
For what it’s worth, RBC is also reportedly facing a state playoff ban stemming from the same incident.
We’ll need more evidence before officially declaring a curse, but it’s something we’ll definitely keep an eye on…..LOL
So, here we go.
This week’s #1 ranked team is… Mo Beard.
1 – Mo Beard
MoBeard is 8-0-1. We gave them the top spot over Delbarton because they have more wins, and over Don Bosco because Bosco has one more loss. Hopefully, for MoBeard’s sake, there is no curse—but if something crazy happens this week, to them this week to provide the evidence there is an actual curse…I apologize in advance.
2 – Don Bosco
Bosco is off to an impressive 8-1 start. Their only loss came against an underrated St. Augustine’s team. Since then, they’ve ripped off seven straight wins. They play Delbarton on the 6th, which will be a great measuring-stick game for both teams.
3 – Delbarton
The Green Wave are as steady as they come. They aren’t flashy or loud—they just consistently win.
4 – Bridgewater-Raritan
This one might raise a few eyebrows and have people asking “WTF?”—but I’m confident they’ve earned it. Their only loss came in their first game of the season against a good North Hunterdon team, and they were without their top three players. Since then, they’ve gone 8-0-1 and, more importantly, beaten Westfield and Northern Highlands, unquestionably two of the top public school teams in the state.
The tie against an average Hillsborough team is a slight blemish, but not enough to keep them out of the top five.
5 – St. Joe’s (Montvale)
St. Joe’s is off to a 5-1-1 start. Their only loss is to Bosco, and their tie came against Delbarton. They earn the #5 spot over CBA by virtue of their head-to-head win.
6 – CBA
CBA is much better than I expected. Without the high-end scorers of past seasons, head coach Andy Gojdycz has done a masterful job building a system around the strengths of his roster. Their 6-1-1 start and close loss to St. Joe’s show they’ll be very good this year.
Editor’s Note
The top six were easy to rank. Spots 7-15 are where things get difficult.
Two teams we are certain do not belong in the conversation, yet somehow appear in NJ.com’s top 10, are Seton Hall Prep (2-4) and Princeton Day (1-6). Ranking either of those teams that high is too dumb to waste time discussing.
7 – Westfield
For those who want to claim my bias for Westfield is why they are ranked this high , my response is simple: they’re 6-1. Their only loss was a hard-fought game against #4 Bridgewater-Raritan. They followed that with a win over Mid-North in a frigid outdoor game and then beat a very good Randolph team 3-1 to win the Mike Reynolds King of the Hill Tournament.
Yes, I’m biased toward Westfield—but that had nothing to do with ranking them 7th.
8 – St. Augustine’s
Takes the #8 spot by virtue of their 4-2 record, which includes a win over Don Bosco. Their two losses came against Bosco and Delbarton.
9 – Manasquan
“Squan” has gotten off to a surprising 8-0-1 start. Doing it without one of their studs Alex Mimaud for six games due to the state transfer rule makes it even more impressive. To show how good he is Mimaud has 9-points in the 3-games since returning, Their tie came against a good RBC team, and they beat a very good Toms River squad 7-4 a team that had allowed just seven goals in its other eight games.
10 – Northern Highlands
The 6-3 Highlanders have wins over Ridgewood, Clifton, and Ramapo—all quality teams. Their losses came against Delbarton, Bridgewater-Raritan, and New Canaan (CT) who are all top teams.
11 – Ridgewood
Ridgewood is off to a torrid 9-1 start, including six straight wins. The Losauro brothers have been dominant, combining for 65 points in 10 games. Good luck trying to stop those 2.
12 – Paul VI
After losing to RBC, Paul VI bounced back with wins over Notre Dame and Princeton. They’ve had a relatively easy schedule so far and will need to beat quality opponents to remain ranked this high.
13 – Toms River
After starting 5-0, we were ready to move TR into the top 10. Losses to Marlboro and Manasquan knocked them down a bit, but it hasn’t changed our belief that they’re one of the top public co-op teams in the state and a legitimate title contender. They get overlooked due to how they play. They win by shutting teams down, playing elite-level defense, backed by one of the best goaltenders in the State. They have a clear structure and identity—and execute it at a high level.
14 – Morristown
The Colonials have surprised many with their 7-2 start. I’ll admit I overlooked them in the preseason. They have wins over Randolph and Kinnelon, both state title contenders. Their only losses are to Kinnelon and MoBeard. They’ve earned a top-15 ranking.
15 – Randolph
Yes, you read that right. Randolph is ranked 15th despite a 4-4-1 record—and I have good reasons. No team in the state has played a tougher schedule. Their four losses came against Morristown, Kinnelon, MoBeard, and Westfield—all close games that could’ve gone either way. Their tie was against MoBeard, and all four of their wins came by three or more goals, including an 8-2 rout of a sneaky-good Bergen Catholic team.
The bottom five may have been even harder to sort out than spots 7-15. Several deserving teams were left out, and some will likely prove better than teams currently ranked ahead of them.
16 – Kinnelon (KJS United)
They drop ten spots but remain in the top 20 because they’re simply too good to fall much further. They’ve had a strange season—tying an average Mendham team and losing to a 2-7 Morris Knolls squad—but also beating Randolph, Morristown, and Ramapo. Injuries and unavailable players have played a role. They remain one of the favorites in the public co-op division.
17 – Robbinsville
The 8-2 Ravens are another surprise. Their losses came against Bridgewater-Raritan (2-1) and Ridge, a team better than its 5-5 record suggests.
18 – Brick
The upstarts from Brick are 6-2 after a 5-0 start. They haven’t beaten a top team yet, but they remain ranked based on their talent and depth. With 12 different goal scorers, they may be the deepest team in the state and a legitimate co-op title contender.
19 – Livingston
Livingston is 9-1, with their only loss coming to Westfield. They have enough quality wins to earn a top-20 spot.
20 – Mid-North
Mid-North is 6-3, which looks better when you consider they’ve been without two of their top six forwards—Caden Kirk and Kellen Harris—and top-pair defenseman Ciaran Wilson for the past four games, going 2-2 in that stretch. They likely would have beaten Governor Livingston with those players available.
They earn this spot for two reasons:
1. They’re currently ranked 5th in the Public South in NJSIAA power points.
2. In my opinion, they’re one of the top 20 teams in the state and more deserving than others on the bubble.
They get their players back on January 6th against Toms River—a massive game for both teams in the race for the North Division.
For those of you who feel your team deserved to be in the top 20 over some of the teams listed here—
you’re probably right.
It really is that close.
