By BREANA TAN, ’16

As another memorable season wound to a close, the boys’ hockey team celebrated their accomplishments and reflected upon the events of this past season at their annual banquet. In spite of a road of struggles and a 2-13-1 record, individual accomplishments were recognized. Along with being one of the team captains, junior Adam Sklar was voted the team’s MVP with a total of six goals and six assists this season. Trailing close behind was senior captain Alex Wallerstein, with six goals and five assists. Alex remarked, “JP didn’t always have a hockey team. We were lucky enough to have attended JP at a time when the hockey program exists.” Fellow senior captain Dushan Kolesar, too, will miss the unbreakable camaraderie established among the squad members. “Since we are a close knit family, it’s going to be hard to go to college without them.”

This year was one of the toughest years in JP Stevens hockey history. There were many players who had just picked up skates for the first time, making it difficult to play against other teams who had athletes that had been playing hockey their entire lives. Dushan’s young brother, junior Joseph Kolesar, pointed out that despite the results, effort and improvement were never an issue. “We improved with every game and practice. As the year progressed, every player on the team realized that he had to step his game up. We came into the middle of the season as a new team. We left our hearts on our sleeves and then left them on the ice each game.”

Although the season is over, the countless memories and hard-earned victories will continue to be remembered and serve as an inspiration for returning players to pick up the intensity during the offseason. Freshman Nick Bova, who enjoyed his first experience with the JP ice hockey family, said, “Next season, we will start from where we left off this year and build from there.”