Caseys playing well in the early going
RBC squad drops tough one to Rumson-Fair Haven to fall to 5-4
BY DOUG McKENZIE
Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff Above, RBC’s Michael Chilton tries to sneak the puck past Rumson goalie Ben Severance during the Bulldogs’ 1-0 win on Monday at the Red Bank Armory. At left, Severance blocks a shot to maintain his shutout.

Thus far, Ken Carlson has no complaints in his first year at the helm of the Red Bank Catholic ice hockey team.

His Caseys are at 5-4 following a tough 1-0 loss to Rumson-Fair Haven on Monday, and have played well in the early going despite a challenging schedule.

"We’re playing well," Carlson said. "Surprisingly well, really, considering it’s a whole new coaching staff, with a new system, and we didn’t know the players or the history of the team coming in."

The team has looked good in the majority of its games, and appears poised to compete for the Shore A Division title. They have already played the Division’s top team, Christian Brothers Academy, and nearly knocked off the highly regarded Colts before succumbing, 3-2.

"That was our best game so far," Carlson said. "That’s one of the strongest teams in the state and we played them tough."

Early on, the Caseys’ goal-tending has stood out, as senior John Glenn and junior Tony Baptist have been stellar between the pipes.

"Our goaltending has been our strength," Carlson said. "Baptist has stood out and has been really hot, so he’s been getting more games. But I’ve got all the confidence in the world in John, and he will see more time this week."

Baptist is 5-1 in his six starts, while Glenn is 0-3, but has played very well in both losses, according to his coach.

Glenn was in net on Monday and made 19 saves against the Bulldogs, allowing only a Kyle Abbot goal on a power play less than two minutes into the third period. And it was an opportunistic goal at that, as Todd Coggins’ initial shot bounced off a Caseys’ player and caromed right to Abbot, who slipped the puck past Glenn.

The Caseys’ defense has also been solid, which is a relief for the new coaching staff.

"When we first took over we were most concerned with our defense, but they have shown tremendous improvement and skills. I’m feeling very comfortable with the defense now."

Three players return to the defensive unit — senior Andrew Paul and juniors Hank Graebee and Tim Senkewicz. They are joined by juniors Andrew Haas, Ryan Nolan and sophomores Ryan Hence and Matthew Siuzdak.

Thus far, Carlson said, Siuzdak and Senkewicz have been his most consistent defensive players, though he praised the work of all the players.

Offensively, the Caseys have struggled a bit more than the coach would like — a trend which continued on Monday.

"I think we’re a better offensive team than we’ve shown early on," Carlson said. "There is definitely more potential for improvement in the offensive zone."

So far, the Caseys have been led by junior Michael Montague and sophomore Ryan Peterson, while senior Michael Chiton, junior Nick Staggard and senior Pat Lynch have also scored multiple times.

The other forwards are juniors Dalton Johnson, Mike Nill and Michael Vaccaro, senior Tom Pielli, and sophomores Ryan Colwell, Michael Pickett and James Pielle.

One of the team’s strengths this year is its depth, which is allowing Carlson to try different lines, depending on the opponent.

"What’s a real pleasure is that we’re going out there with four lines, and I’m not afraid to put anyone on the ice at any time," he said. "A lot of teams are relying on two lines, with one dominant line, so if we can shut that line down, we can be successful with some of our other lines."

The Caseys will certainly be tested the rest of the way, starting with four games against two of the top teams in the state, St. Augustine Prep and Bishop Eustace.

"The first games against those two were canceled, and they will be big tests for us," Carlson said. "Our goal is to make the state tournament. We’re there (above the .500 mark) now, but with four games against those two teams, we need to stockpile our wins. Those games will be good barometers for us."

The first Bishop Eustace game is set for Jan. 28, while the Caseys will see St. Augustine on Jan. 30. Before that, RBC has games with Toms River North, Brick Memorial and South Brunswick — all quality teams.

"So far we’ve played very well against the strong teams, whereas against the weaker teams we’ve kind of dropped down to their level," Carlson said. "We need to establish a bit of a killer instinct."

The Caseys will be back in action today when they host Monsignor Donovan at the Red Bank Armory at
5:45 p.m.