Verona–Glen Ridge high school ice hockey enjoys unbeaten streak; gains No. 1 seed in Kelly Cup

Glen Ridge junior Will Benson skates during the 5-1 win over against Oratory Prep on Nov. 29 at Richard J. Codey Arena in West Orange.

VERONA/GLEN RIDGE, NJ — The Verona–Glen Ridge high school ice hockey team defeated Montclair Kimberley Academy and Cranford to extend its winning streak to five games and unbeaten streak to 10 games to improve to 16-3-3 overall and 10-0-2 in the New Jersey Interscholastic Hockey League’s Kelly Division.

GR junior Rowan Brennan had four goals and GR senior Zach Gold had one goal and one assist in the 5-2 win over Montclair Kimberley Academy on Monday, Jan. 31, in a divisional game. GR junior Will Benson and GR sophomore Pyotr Sysak each had two assists; GR senior Nolan Campbell, GR junior Evan Twitchell and Verona senior Dominick Pandiscia each had one assist. GR junior Eli Gottlieb made 17 saves.

Brennan had two goals, Benson had two goals and three assists, and Sysak had two goals and one assist in the 7-3 divisional win over Cranford on Wednesday, Feb. 2. Verona junior Andrew Eremita had one goal; Twitchell had two assists; Gold, GR freshman Jack Budnick and GR junior Ryan Weissman each had one assist; and Gottlieb made 33 saves.

Glen Ridge senior Zach Gold, right, is chased by an Oratory Prep player during action on Nov. 29 at Richard J. Codey Arena in West Orange.

Verona–Glen Ridge is 8-0-2 in its last 10 games.

Verona–Glen Ridge is the No. 1 seed in the Kelly Cup playoffs. They will play in the semifinals on Monday, Feb. 14, at Codey Arena against the the winner between No. 5 seed Nutley–Columbia–Bloomfield and No. 4 seed Frisch.

Photos Courtesy of Michael Discafani