By: Ken Weingartner
Time is the great healer. At least that’s what South Brunswick High ice hockey coach Mark Kmiec is hoping.
The Vikings had their game Sunday against Middletown South postponed until Wednesday. South Brunswick’s previous outing was Dec. 22, a 5-2 win over non-league foe Chatham that halted a three-game skid, and its next match following the rescheduled Middletown South contest will be at the end of next week.
All of which is fine with Kmiec. His Vikings have been hit hard by injuries and illness this December, but have managed to skate through with a 3-4 overall record, 2-4 in the Southern Conference Red Division. Kmiec said Joe Bertucci, Pete Saragnese, Dan Blaine, Mike Bowser, Matt Ruffalo, and Richie Stewart have all either missed time or been hampered by injury or flu. Bertucci, one of the team’s top returnees, has yet to see any action this year because of a bum shoulder.
"It’s just been one of those seasons so far," Kmiec said. "This will give us a chance to get over some of our injuries and relax."
South Brunswick will take advantage of the schedule to get healthy, hopefully, and to focus on system fundamentals. The Vikings had two one-goal losses (5-4 to Toms River East and 3-2 to Brick Memorial) during their three-match slide, and Kmiec said they "were definitely games we could have won."
"The season is going all right," Kmiec said. "It’s been what I thought it would be like, we’ve been every game. But we’ve yet to play a full 45 minutes. We’ve put some good periods together, but not a complete game. The kids are working hard. We were down by a goal against Toms River North and came back to win, and we were down by four goals to Toms River East and lost by a goal. The kids aren’t afraid to keep driving. That’s pretty positive."
South Brunswick doesn’t have to look far to find an example of the type of hockey Kmiec would like to see played. St. Augustine Prep, the defending Red Division champ who is 7-0 and defeated the Vikings 3-1 earlier this month, is as solid a team SB will face during the regular season.
"They’re a real good team," Kmiec said. "We went in there shorthanded, but we gave them a good game. They’re a talented team. The play a smart, controlled game, with good puck possession. They have a lot of support around the puck at all times. We talked about that after the game. That’s how high school hockey teams win games control the puck and work as a five-man unit. We have the ability to do that. It’s just a matter of getting our heads and bodies working together at the same time and sticking with the systems."
One of the areas of concern entering the season was the Vikings’ defense. Kmiec said the team has made strides in improving, thanks in part to the play of Stewart, a freshman who has been slowed by a knee injury.
"He’s shown a lot," Kmiec said. "He’s stepped right in and plays the game well. He knows what he’s doing out there. From the beginning of the season to this point, we’ve gotten better in the defensive zone. The kids have listened to what we’ve been talking about."
After facing Middletown South this week, the Vikings will meet Brick Memorial on Jan. 7.
