Ravens rally in opener for tie
By Justin Feil, The Pck
The Robbinsville High School ice hockey team has swung its strength from one side of the ice to the other for this season.
While the Ravens could rely on a plethora of veteran forwards to carry the team while their rookie goaltenders got their feet wet last year, this year it’s the defensive end that will carry Robbinsville, which again also includes players from Allentown High School.
”I think we’re going to be a defense-first kind of team,” said Ravens head coach Dan Bergan. “We’re going to have be a very strong forechecking team and keep the puck down at the other end. “We’ll have a more simplified type offense. We’ll probably run three lines whenever possible only because that hopefully will maintain a certain pace for the game. You can have speed because you have a really fast two lines that can go out and skate, skate, skate. Or you can have three lines and you can keep them fresh and they can go out for 30-40 second bursts and skate hard and keep them fresh that way.”
The Ravens plan paid off in their season opener Monday, a 2-2 tie with Ocean Township that was earned with a late rally. Robbinsville trailed, 2-0, entering the third period but their perseverance and determination were rewarded when Anthony Pluchino cut the deficit in half midway through the final period, and Joe Pontrelli’s first high-school goal on the power play with 1:16 left earned them a tie.
”Despite the fact that we’re reloading, we’ve been to states seven straight years in a row, and that’s our rallying cry that we keep that string going,” Bergan said. “We’re pushing to do everything we can to be a .500 team or better and get into states and see what happens.”
Bergan knows that his team stands to improve plenty over the season as his players settle into roles and the inexperience gets more action on the ice.
”The difficulty is all teams develop,” Bergan said. “We’re hopeful we can develop faster than other teams.
”Everyone works hard during the season. It’s the games you make during the offseason that make the difference.”
Bergan usually oversees the summer opportunities, but he was expecting to retire after going 14-7-1 and winning their first-round state tournament game. But without a suitable candidate to take over, he came back to the program that he’s helped overhaul. He sees the potential for growth with this year’s group.
”We have 13 skaters,” Bergan said. “I think our goaltending will be solid. All three return for us. We have some solid returning defensemen with John Martin and Jimmy Kenna.”
Kenna is a senior captain. Martin is a junior. The Ravens will keep them on the ice a lot. Pluchino already made his presence felt in the season opener and has the versatility to help at both ends of the ice. Freshmen Ryan Van Duren and David Canizares are strong additions.
”Jimmy Kenna and John Martin, those are two top-shelf CVC defensemen,” Bergan said. “Ryan Van Duren, a freshman, is a very promising will get some major minutes. David Canizares looks good too.”
Nick Koch earned the start in goal in the season opener, but Bergan has plenty of options for between the pipes.
”Joey Nolan, who started many of our games, he’s a junior,” Bergan said. “Alex Sherman, who is a junior also, is very competitive with that group. Nicky Koch has advanced. I’ve been impressed with what he’s done. He’s come in in great shape. He graded out as one of our more athletically ready to go guys. He’s looking good in the preseason as well. It’ll be a dogfight between the three of them. We’ll bounce back and forth in the early season and see who comes out and ride them the rest of the season.”
At the other end of the ice is less experience. It’s also opportunity for some less heralded players.
”As far as our offense goes, it’s going to be a lot of new kids,” Bergan said. “A lot of learn to skate kids and freshmen. They don’t get to be elite but can be serviceable and functional, solid and a contributor.
”Some were non-travel players to start with, and we took them on. Lo and behold, our patience and attention is rewarded. They’ll make up the core of this team.”
They will be vital to helping the Ravens rebuild and remain a state tournament qualifier and CVC division contender.
”We do have experienced forwards on board,” Bergan said. “John Francis, he was injured and out all year last year with an injury from the Hopewell game. He’s captain. Shawn Camisa, he was a freshman and was a very solid player last year. They’re two of the guys on the front line. We have a very talented and polished freshman coming in, John Pontrelli. He’ll be asked to step right in and contribute big minutes right off the bat.”
The goal on Monday was a nice start. The Ravens will rely on Dom Rubino and Matt Kalcynski and Ben Solomon for ore support, and Aidan Fredericks shows potential. Freshmen Noah Duggan and Brian Eider are also young prospects. As the forwards gain experience, the Ravens hope to gel more as a team and gear up for a post-season berth.
”We have three solid guys plus a raw freshman that has come in that will take some time to develop,” Bergan said. “We’ll rely on our three solid guys and do what we can. We’re trying early as we get closer to the season to develop a couple swing players. If we do that, you could have someone nicked up and can say, you’re a defenseman now. We’ve started to work on a couple swing players. If we get stuck or have a problem, hopefully they’ll have some experience to jump back and fill the gap.”
More than anything, Robbinsville needs experience. They can be encouraged by battling to the end for a tie in the season opener, and with continued development they hope to be reaching their lofty standards again this year.
”We had a 4-4 preseason tie with West Windsor South,” Bergan said. “That gave us some confidence that we’ll be able to stay with the solid teams out there. The elite teams, the Notre Dame’s, the Hopewell Valley’s, Princeton, these are the teams we’ll possibly struggle against, teams that we’ve been very successful against in the past.”

