Trio of Brick hockey greats get HOF nods

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI Staff Writer

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer

When Alex DePalma of the Brick Hockey Club went to the USA Hockey Hall of Fame induction, he was bursting with pride.

Two of the five inductees – Lou Manzione and Jim Plunkett – served as presidents of the Brick Hockey Club and were contributors to USA Hockey.

“It was great. You don’t see two inductees from the same town like that,” said DePalma, who has been ace coaching director for the Atlantic District for USA Hockey for the past year. USA Hockey appoints a dozen deserving people to that position in districts around the country.

Manzione was inducted posthumously in what was an emotional moment for many people in the township. Manzione was an integral part of the Brick Hockey Club throughout the 1990s and collapsed from a heart attack while walking on Ocean Ice Palace and died three years ago. He was a prominent figure in hockey throughout the county and his loss was felt deeply by many. In his memory, a scholarship was started in his name and is given to two players in the Atlantic District each year.

Jerry Malanga, a Brick resident who starred at Monsignor Donovan High School and is moving on to a college career at the University of Scranton, was also one of the recipients this year. A member of the Brick Hockey Club since he played on the Pee Wee level, Malanga was captain and a center on the Midget Green AA Minor team, which finished fifth in the nation in Richmond, Va., a year ago, losing a 4-1 quarterfinal game to the Darian Huskies of Chicago.

It marked only the second time that a Brick Hockey Club team advanced to the national tournament and won a game in pool play.

Two years ago, former Brick Memorial standout Joe Giles was a Manzione scholarship winner.

Manzione started coaching in the early 1970s, coaching a New Jersey State Police team, and his wife, Sue, played on a women’s team. He started coaching in the Brick Hockey Club in 1992 and became president the following year until the year 2000. He coached three children who played in the club, Travis, Lacey and Codey, and continued to coach even after they had finished playing in the club for another seven years.

On three different occasions, Manzione coached two Midget teams at the same time. He served as Brick Hockey Club coaching director for five years.

Manzione also was an assistant coach at Hudson Catholic High School and coached for a while at Toms River East High School.

As for Plunkett, he was USA Hockey director from 1990-1995. He began his experience with the organization as a USA Hockey coach as well as referee and referee supervisor from 1972-1987. Plunkett was USA Hockey Atlantic District Coaching Program director from 1982-86. He served as Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association executive vice president from 1982-1990 and served as president of that group from 1990-1995.