After a rather disappointing 2014­-2015 season, the John Jay Ice Hockey team is looking to rebound in the standings, reestablish themselves as a dominant Section 1 team, and be a contender for the championship. The John Jay Ice Hockey Team has had a history of success in the last few years; from the 2009-­2010 season to the 2013-­2014 season, John Jay had won at least 15 out of 22 regular season games, and have made at least the quarterfinals of the section championships since the 2005 playoffs. Last year, though, the team barely made the playoffs, with a 4­-17-­1 record. They then lost in the first round of the playoffs to Yorktown.

There were multiple reasons for John Jay’s disappointing season last year. The team’s main disadvantage was the lack of seniority on the team. With only three seniors and an astounding nineteen underclassmen, many of whom had little experience at the varsity level, John Jay was out­muscled and out­raced by most of its opponents. This led to more goals against due to odd man rushes as well as fewer offensive opportunities to score due to faster recovery by opponents in their defensive zone.

On the other hand, the team is built to win this year. After ten practices and two scrimmages, John Jay is looking far stronger than anyone thought they would, most likely due to the fact that all but three players have at least a year of varsity experience under their belts. The chemistry has been greatly enhanced as well amongst the players, with many of them having played on the same spring and fall club hockey teams. The team has also shown that they can hang with even the biggest teams, such as Rye Country Day School, as a result of its drastically increased physicality. Finally, John Jay’s ability to score is much improved. Players such as David Browne, who scored 3 goals in the two scrimmages, Michael Verdeschi, who had 1 goal in his one scrimmage played, and Sean Blaney, who has missed both scrimmages because of injury, will be able to consistently put pucks in the net. John Jay’s centers, Ryan Cavanagh and John McKeon, will be the main playmakers in the offensive zone.

If John Jay can maintain these positive attributes and keep players off of the IR list, then they will definitely be a Section 1 playoff contender and can be expected to make it far into the playoffs. Many of its divisional opponents have lost key seniors to their programs, which will also aid John Jay this year in its efforts to rebound after a rather poor season last year. The John Jay Ice Hockey team plays most of its games at the Brewster Ice Arena, so come and support the hockey team!