Scrappy McCarthy leads Red Radiers to best start

Ice hockey

By: Jim Green
   When The Pennington School’s ice hockey team began training for the 2002-03 season, Red Raiders coach Tom Horsley had senior captain Brian McCarthy penciled in for his attacking first line.
   But the chemistry simply wasn’t there, so Horsley switched McCarthy to the Red Raiders’ defensive-minded second line, alongside senior Tommy McGann and sophomore Brendan Douglass.
   Many players might have considered the move a demotion. McCarthy, though, was willing to do whatever his coach needed in order to end years of losing.
   With McCarthy’s line shutting down opponents’ scoring lines, Pennington is off to its best start in the seven-year history of its program. The Red Raiders are 9-1, having surrendered four goals during a current four-game winning streak.
   "Everything he (McCarthy) does on the ice is exactly what I want him to do," Horsley said. "He’s not out there when we’re scoring goals. He doesn’t get the glory.
   "He’s a grind-it-out player. He’s never complained about the move."
   Not that Horsley would expect anything else from McCarthy, a Pennington resident in his fourth year with the Red Raiders. Despite suffering through three losing seasons, McCarthy maintained a team-first attitude that earned him co-captain honors last year as a junior.
   "It doesn’t matter if we’re playing Lawrence or Lawrenceville," Horsley said. "He (McCarthy) will put 110 percent into every shift.
   "He leads by example. He’s not a very vocal person."
   That example is set with physical play that belies McCarthy’s size. Despite standing 5-foot-7 and weighing 135 pounds, McCarthy is more than happy to throw his body around against much larger players.
   "I think it (physical play) is fun," McCarthy said. "Sometimes, because you’re a smaller player, people underestimate what you can do physically. You can surprise them."
   McCarthy, who shares co-captain duties with junior forward Chris Kehrer, believes younger Red Raiders might learn from watching his own aggressive play.
   "We have some other small kids on the team," he said. "I guess I can set a little bit of an example for them."
   McCarthy felt veteran players failed to set positive examples for freshmen and sophomores during his early years at Pennington. McCarthy works to avoid repeating his predecessors’ mistakes.
   "I think it (a good attitude) is really important," McCarthy said. "This team feels like everybody’s in it for the same reason. We’re out there because we want to be out there.
   "Our heads are all in the right places. That helps us keep momentum."
   So does the strong play of McCarthy’s checking line. That isn’t to say McCarthy, who has three goals on the season, considers himself strictly a defensive player.
   "I try to do what I can with both (offense and defense)," he said. "You can’t be one-sided with your play. I don’t consider myself one or the other."
   With the Red Raiders’ scoring line struggling against Lawrence last Thursday, McCarthy’s line stepped up. Douglass tallied a hat trick as Pennington prevailed 4-1.
   "He (McCarthy) is such a courageous leader of the team," Horsley said. "This (against Lawrence) was the first time they (the McCarthy line) came out trying to score. I admire them very much."
   Horsley particularly admires McCarthy.
   "He (McCarthy) is one of the finest young men I’ve taught," Horsley said. "He’s had a couple of rough years with the program. He’s worked hard for the success."
   McCarthy, who plans to major in elementary education, has yet to choose a college to attend next fall. He is currently looking at Boston College, Villanova University, Vermont University and Providence College, among others.
   McCarthy is sure the Red Raiders will continue to flourish in the years to come.
   "It’s neat to see what a base we have for the future," he said. "When my class came in to the team, there wasn’t much of a foundation."