Coachable Raiders skated to new heights

Team got hot at right time

By: John Beisser
   
   In re-capping the 2006-07 Hillsborough High ice hockey season, it’s impossible to mention all of the superlatives and all of the names of the people who made it happen. But rest assured, it did happen.
   What happened was the Raiders, under the direction of first-year head coach Pat Verney, sent a loud and resounding message that Hillsborough is destined to be a player at the highest level of New Jersey ice hockey for years to come.
   It’s been well-chronicled how the Raiders were 4-4 after their first eight games with all four defeats coming by one goal. After 12 games, Hillsborough was a pedestrian 7-5. In most of those games, the Raiders dominated but the breaks were not going their way.
   Who knew that, following a 2-0 loss to Montgomery on Jan. 16, it would be 49 days before the Raiders would lose another game? Hillsborough went 10-0-3 over its next 13 games and won eight straight in advancing to the quarterfinals of the NJSIAA/Devils Public School Tournament where the team dropped a 3-1 decision to Bridgewater-Raritan.
   Hillsborough finished with a final record of 17-6-3 and all season long Verney would use the same word in describing this special Raider team – coachable. With the sticks, pucks and pads now stored away, we finally asked Verney what he means by that word.
   "You want your kids to want to grasp the subtleties of the game," Verney explained. "It’s not an attitude on their part that says ‘Coach wants me in this spot so I better get there.’ It’s an attitude that says they’re buying into the systems, understanding why the systems are in place. By grasping them and believing in them, they’re saying ‘we’re going to do it’ and they know why they’re being asked to do it. That’s a pretty cool dynamic. When your kids play it the right way, and they think ‘hey, the systems do work,’ then you’ve got something. That’s what I mean by being coachable. And the kids did that all year."
   Hillsborough was led by a group of gritty seniors who each brought something different and meaningful to the table. Senior forward Matt Janos was simply one of the top talents in the state. The team leader in goals (30) and points (54), Janos, who was named in February as the New Jersey Devils State Player of the Month, was second on the team in assists with 24.
   "A special one," Verney said. "He excelled in all three zones. Matt is the complete package. You knew he had a ton of talent. What you didn’t know, and what you love about him, is his dedication to the program and his teammates."
   Senior forward Alex Merry (19 points on 10 goals, 9 assists) was a jack of all trades.
   "I call him Mr. Versatility. A completely unselfish player," Verney said.
   Sean Burke (8 points on 5 goals, 3 assists) was a fiery, emotional defensive leader while Eric Psihoules (7 points on 2 goals, 5 assists) battled through a series of injuries and was a key cog in the Raiders’ defensive machine down the stretch. Senior forward James Nobilio (15 points on 7 goals, 8 assists) made his share of plays on the season as well.
   Next season, the torch will be passed and Verney is fortunate the Raiders return a quintet of juniors who are sure to strike fear into opponents as seniors.
   The 2007-08 Raiders will rely on the toughness, size and aggressiveness of two-way forwards Trevor Bierwith (26 points on 10 goals, 16 assists) and Joe Kubrak (31 points on 16 goals,15 assists), the steady play of forward Matt Daugherty (10 points on 3 goals, 7 assists) and the talents of multi-skilled forward Corey DeFranco, a true playmaker who was second on the team in goals (21) and the team leader in assists (31). His 52 points were only two behind Janos’ team-best 54.
   "Corey doesn’t get a lot of credit and but he’s an unselfish kid and he’s going to be an All-State player next season," Verney said. "He doesn’t really look for notoriety but he will be counted on heavily next year."
   Of course, none of the systems Verney and his staff put in place can work without the brilliantly consistent goaltending of Eric Visnovsky, a quiet leader who will enter his senior season as a household name in New Jersey ice hockey circles. How good was Visnovsky? Of the 628 shots he faced, he saved 587 for a sterling save percentage of 93.5. In addition, he logged a 1.64 goals against average and posted six shutouts.
   "Eric had absolutely a tremendous year," Verney said. "He’s a great goaltender and he gives the whole team a safe feeling. Eric just has an outstanding mindset for the position."
   A trio of sophomores in Chris MacPhee (4 assists), Dan Curry (2 goals, 1 assist) and John Cohn (2 goals, 3 assists) made important contributions as did freshman Chris Korenczuk (2 assists).
   The Raiders demonstrated tremendous resiliency throughout the season and continued to battle, even in the face of adversity.
   "I remember for the longest time we weren’t getting rewarded," Verney said. "We’d dominate teams and come away with a tie or a loss. I kept encouraging them to keep working hard. I’d tell them ‘keep working hard and we’re going to get bounces, trust me.’ The key was that lucky goal vs. Watchung Hills."
   On Feb. 7, the Raiders were coming off a 2-2 tie to Jefferson and were out-shooting a talented Watchung Hills team 12-1. And the scoreboard read Watchung Hills 1, Hillsborough 0. Then, all of the sudden, a pass hit Bierwirth’s skate and bounded into the goal.
   "I turned to my assistant, Phil Shambach, and said ‘Coach, we are going to win this game easily.’ Well, we ended up beating them 6-1 and we were on our way," Verney said.
   That win was the first of eight straight for the Raiders, a stretch that carried them to the state public schools quarterfinal round. It’s what can happen with a group of coachable kids.