Verona/Glen Ridge hockey team notches successful campaign

By Steve Carfagna
Staff Writer
Stephen Ruggiero might not have liked the way this past season ended. But the Verona/Glen Ridge high school varsity ice hockey head coach knows this was still a successful season despite the early postseason exit.
“I didn’t think we played our best game against Wall (in the State Public B tournament) as we seemed a bit slow to start and they took advantage of many opportunities early on and opened a quick, 2-0 lead,” said the coach of the 6-2 first-round loss. “We cut it to 2-1, but then they scored twice in the second and were ahead 4-1. We cut it to 4-2 in the third but that is as close as we came as they added their fifth goal and the sixth an empty-net goal in the last minute of the game.”
In retrospect, Ruggiero said there were several factors that played a role in the team’s defeat.
“I think Wall wanted the game a little more and the one-hour-and-15-minute bus ride didn’t help either. We had a set game plan going in, but didn’t execute it well enough,” said the coach. “We would like another shot at them but that would have to wait until next year. I feel we had a solid game plan but didn’t execute it. They battled for the loose pucks and beat us to the pucks.”
Putting that game aside, the Hillbilly/Ridger coach said he was proud of his team’s achievements.
“Overall, I feel we played well this season. With the graduation of eight seniors last year, coming in we knew it would be a rebuilding year in some ways,” he said. “The coaches were very pleased with our third-place finish in the NJIHL-Central Conference and our 13-10-3 overall record. We qualified for the State tournament again and knew if we played well, we had a chance to go far.”
In particular, the V/GR coach said he was especially pleased with the way his squad improved throughout the season.
“I feel that the team certainly improved with each and every game,” he said. “We made tremendous strides during the course of the season and now know what we have to do in the offseason to go further next year.”
Looking ahead, Ruggiero was truly optimistic on the program’s future. “With 35 players on the roster and only two seniors in the lineup on a regular basis, I feel the future is bright. We have a solid core of players returning next year that will certainly be stronger and more experienced and we are excited about what is ahead,” he said. “Hard work and determination led by a solid group of returning juniors will lead to exciting things for next year. They have the offseason to think about many things, but I feel this will be a motivating factor for us and we will come back even stronger next season.”
In addition, the coach said the creation of two feeder programs will help the team’s future.
“We have started two feeder programs, one at the squirt level for grades two through four, and another at the pee-wee level for grades five through seven, and this will allow for the development of the players at an earlier age, especially with having the program in both Verona and Glen Ridge,” he said.
While the future might be bright, Ruggiero made sure to thank those seniors who competed for this year’s group.
“Our two senior captains, Eric Thiele and Nikos Polis, both of Glen Ridge, have been a big part of this program for four years and I certainly felt for them after the loss to Wall while the other seniors that were part of the program played very well for us at both levels,” he noted. “All of them, in different ways, played and contributed to the team.” Alekos Polis and Nick Martell, both of Glen Ridge, each have reached the 100-point plateau as juniors for the team.