2012 All-New Jersey ice hockey team

2012 MSG Varsity New Jersey All-State Ice Hockey First Team

Goaltender - Colton Phinney, Sr., Delbarton: Labeled the best goaltender in the entire northeast by his head coach Bruce Shatel, Phinney capped off his career at Delbarton with a goals against average of less than one and another Private state title. The Princeton-bound net minder gave up just 19 goals all year, posted ten shutouts, and turned in a save percentage of better than .940.

Defense - Tommy Muratore, Sr., Delbarton: Muratore is a Divison I bound defenseman who was a key cog at both ends of the ice for the Green Wave. The senior blue-liner tallied three goals and 33 assists, the latter good enough for second on the team. Muratorewas was equally adept at keeping the opposing team’s top scorers off the board.

Defense - Tyler Heineman, Sr. Randolph: Heineman was a stabilizing force on the blue line for the Public A state champions Randolph. He recorded 19 points for the Rams, but his biggest contributions came in his own end of the rink. The senior was a premier shut down defenseman for a squad that rarely gave up more than two goals in a game and he was at his best in the state tournament, shutting down the likes of Ridgewood’s Peter McGinley, Middletown South’s Chris Connor and Morristown’s Zach Mourad and Jordan Klotz.

Forward - John Baiocco, Jr., Delbarton - Player of the Year: Baiocco inherited the role of the go-to goal-scorer for Delbarton, following in the footsteps of players such as Kenny Agostino and Peter McMullen. The Yale-bound left wing will be easily the most feared forward returning for his senior season in 2012-13.

Forward - Billy Nichols, Sr., Morris Knolls: The MSG Varsity cover athlete for the winter season, Nichols was Captain Clutch for the Golden Eagles, making the play or scoring the goal when his team needed it the most. Nichols posted 28 goals on the year, none bigger than his game-winning goal in the Mennen Cup finals against Randolph. Nichols also had an outstanding state tournament including a five-goal performance against Bridgewater-Raritan in the quarterfinal round of the Public A tournament.

Forward - David Monahan, Sr., Bridgewater-Raritan: There may not have been a player that meant more to his team this season than Monahan meant to Bridgewater-Raritan. The senior forward recorded 41 goals and 20 assists on his way to leading the Panthers to a 19-7-1, their best record in the past six seasons, and an appearance in the Public A quarterfinals. For his career, Monahan racked up 121 goals and 181 points, both of which are school records.

Coach of the Year: Bruce Shatel, Delbarton: Shatel is the architect behind Delbarton’s unprecedented run of five straight Private state championships. For that, he is our clear cur choice for MSG Varsity New Jersey ice hockey Coach of the Year. Shatel now owns an impressive record of 265-29-23 over his 11 years as the Green Wave head coach and has helped develop some of the top high school talent in New Jersey over that span.

Second Team

Goalie - Sean Scannell, Sr., Mahwah: The offensive struggles of the Thunderbirds were well-documented throughout the season, but Scannell was one of the best goalies in New Jersey and had an outstanding year that saw him steal many games for his team. He saved his best performance for the Big North Green Cup finals in which he posted a 30-save shutout to defeat Ramsey, 1-0.

Defense - Nick Picnic, Jr., Montclair Kimberley: Picnic had a breakout year as a sophomore for the Cougars, emerging as a top-flight shut down defenseman and showing off his AAA-level talent. This year, as a junior, Picnic added another dimension to his game, racking up 43 points for Montclair Kimberley to become one of the best all-around defensemen the Garden State has to offer. He announced his arrival this year with a three-goal, four-assist performance in a 10-0 demolition of West Essex.

Defense - R.J. Steer, Jr., Christian Brothers: Steer emerged as the Colts top defenseman over the course of the season becoming a force at both ends of the rink. He began the year as a shut-down blue-liner, patrolling his own end, but his offensive game came together nicely as the season wore on and he scored one of the biggest goals in CBA’s 2011-2012 campaign, netting the game-winner in the Colts 4-1 win over St. Peter’s Prep to advance them to the Private finals.

Forward - Drew Melanson, Jr., Delbarton: The right winger on Delbarton’s top line, Melanson showcased his outstanding speed and playmaking ability, racking up 19 goals and 40 assists as a big part of Delbarton’s dominant offensive unit. A broken wrist ended his season before the semifinal round of the Non-Public tournament, but the RPI-bound winger still has his senior season at Delbarton in front of him.

Forward - Pat Lackey, Sr., Pingry: Lackey took the offensive reigns from the graduated Matt Beattie and posted the best offensive year of his varsity career. The senior wing recorded 37 goals as the heart and soul of the Big Blue offense, leading the top forward unit along with Nick Branchina and Mac Hugin. Lackey played the hero on several occasions for Pingry, most notably his hat trick performance in the Skyland Cup finals and his overtime winner in the Prep B tournament which knocked off defending champion, Princeton Day.

Forward - J.J. Piccinich, Soph. Paramus: Rumor has it that Piccinich is headed for prep school next year, and if that’s the case, he will walk away from Paramus with a brief, but brilliant, career. Head coach Marc Gregory split Piccinich from senior Mark Apidopolous and the sophomore pivot responded with 38 goals and 27 assists, leading the Spartans to a Big North Silver crown. Saving his best performance for one of his last, Piccinich racked up four goals and two assists in a Big North Silver final win against St. Joe’s.

Honorable Mention

Sr. G Jon Winawer, Tenafly
Sr. D Tommy Davis, Delbarton
Sr. D Mike Nyitray, Summit
Sr. F Jeff Garinger, Montgomery
Sr. F Jordan Klotz, Sr. Morristown
Sr. F Chris Connor, Middletown South

John Quirk and Mark Krulish cover ice hockey for MSG Varsity.

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