BY VIN RAPOLLA
Staff Writer
The Red Bank Regional hockey team has started its inaugural season in the Southern Blue division on a positive note.
In its first test of the season, Red Bank tied Wall at Wall, something that head coach Mike McCabe was very happy with, especially with the loss of five seniors from last year, three of whom were captains.
“We’re a developing program. We’ve lost five seniors, including three captains, one of which was a huge offensive threat,” said McCabe. “We’re trying to rebuild, and we have a lot of young talented players.”
Leading the team for the season is four-year returning senior and captain Mike Dailey. Dailey has his hands full this season, with the bulk of the team being underclassmen.
“We’re banking on him this year to step up offensively,” said McCabe.
Also returning to the team for the season is senior Ryan Devaney and junior Monday Matech. Devaney is an experienced veteran, whom the team looks to for positive leadership. Matech is a multi-talented threat who has been taking on duties on both offense and defense.
“Devaney has been with the team for a while, he always knows where to be, and we’re banking on him to do some good things,” said the coach.
“And Monday has been stepping up. He’s multi-talented and is a real asset to the team.”
This year’s team also includes a strong returning sophomore core. Goalie Chris Califano, defensemen Michael McKenna and Dan Geltzeiler, and center Matt Keane all look to step up and play bigger than their years.
“Chris is an excellent goalie, and he’s only getting better as time goes on,” said McCabe. “Michael and Dan were forced to grow up quickly, but they play a solid game and have grown in size and ability.
“We’re also looking for Matt Keane to do some good things for the team.”
This year’s Bucs have also seen the addition of a pair of upcoming freshmen. Left wing Rob Ferrone and Jon Gonzalez have both stepped in and done a nice job filling in for the loss of many of the team’s top players, according to the coach.
“Ferrone has good size and ability, and Jon is quick on his skates. They’re both going to be good players,” said McCabe.
Coming off the best season in team history, Coach McCabe knows he will have his work cut out for him in ’05. He is happy and excited to be part of the Southern Blue division and looks forward to the opportunity to play in an actual division.
“Playing within a bracket should be very exciting, and being in a bracket like this will only benefit the team,” said McCabe.
With the season in full stride, McCabe and the team look to work on the positives with this young and developing program. The team looks to stay competitive and get better as the season progresses.
“I was really impressed with the guys in the first [few] games. They’re developing a good chemistry,” said the coach. “We just want to remain competitive, play solid games and give 110 percent each game.”

