By Jeff Appelblatt
Woodbridge High School’s ice hockey team should be secure on the defensive end of the ice with goaltenders Adam Godfrey and Lucas Hrabkovsky back this season.
The junior/sophomore duo stopped 466 shots from getting into the net last season, with each playing a crucial role in getting the Barrons to tie a program record with 16 victories.
However, a tremendous part of the 16-win team is gone — 93 of 123 goals scored, to be exact. Last year’s seniors — Hunter Spearnock, Kyle Mortensen, Mike Parfitt and Nick Kuchie — had those 93 goals, and no one set the puck up better than any of the four. In addition to the scoring, they combined for 116 assists.
As dominant as the goalies may end up, they’ll expect their teammates to combine for more than 30 goals. Fortunately for them, one of the team’s top scorers from last year is back: T.J. Evans. The junior helped out on the scoring end last year when he netted 12 goals and dished out nine helpers.
A few of the current seniors will be relied on, starting with Darren Sopp and Dylan Weidele. The two chipped in last season with 13 goals and 20 assists.
The Barrons could only hope that the October invite for Sopp and Weidele to the Prudential Center has the pair motivated to take over the role as Woodbridge’s captains. For the last 11 years, the New Jersey Devils professional hockey team has held a “Captain’s Night” for high school hockey players. The latest event included 234 student-athletes from 93 schools gathering on the team’s ice.
Only time could tell how the seniors — along with the rest of the Barrons — will stand without their top goal suppliers from last season.
The first test for Woodbridge was Nov. 29, when the team traveled to Marlboro High School for an 8:15 p.m. matchup. Last January, the team’s tied, 3-3, before the Mustangs handed the Barrons their third loss of the season the first week of February.
Last year wasn’t the only time the Barrons reached a team-best 16 wins. The 2012-13 club won 16 games, too. Recent graduates Mortensen and Spearnock combined for 24 goals and 21 assists that year.