I recently sat down with the Mendham Ice Hockey captains to discuss the winter season. Captains and seniors Zach Naval, Freddy Nunan, and Andrew Osso all played important roles last season and look forward to contributing this year.
The Minutemen come onto the ice after a 10-9-2 season with a key win over Madison and a 2-2 tie with a Top 15 ranked team in the state, Morris Knolls. A consistent theme when talking to the captains was an emphasis on underclassmen stepping up to fill roles left by ‘23 graduates, a group led last year by Ian Tamboowalla, Blake Stevens, Mac Goggin, and others, which, combined, made up 70% of Mendham’s goals last year.
A few players who are looking to expand on good seasons last year are Juniors Ian Aitkenhead and Jake Fox. Aitkenhead finished last season with 12 points while Fox racked up 8 to finish their sophomore years. Two talented goalies compete for the net this year: Sophomore Brendon Eigner and Junior Gavin Thrun. Both have significant Varsity experience as Thrun won a Halverson Division Championship as a Freshman in 2022. Eigner racked up 263 saves as a rookie last season. Team camaraderie may be most important in a sport like ice hockey, where the puck is sent around without constant chatter but with constant communication.
The captains feel the relationship they have with each other and the fact that the majority of the rest of the team has been playing together for a couple years now will positively affect their play on ice. When asked to highlight a few games on the schedule, all the captains pointed to the December 16 battle with Mount Olive-Hopatcong-Hacketstown (MO-HO-HA), a tri-high school combination ice hockey team. Zach Naval said, “They put us out last year in the playoffs; it is going to be an emotional game for sure,” referring to a 3-0 shutout loss in the Halverson Cup playoffs on February 10, 2023. As for the goals Mendham hockey wants to achieve this year, Freddy Nunan asserted, “It has to be the Halverson Cup. We won it as Sophomores so we got a taste of it; I want it back for this group of guys.”
The student presence at Mennen Arena has been prevalent over the last few seasons, especially in big playoff or rivalry games. When asked what kind of impact the students have on the game, Andrew Osso noted, “I love it when kids come out to the games, celebrating after goals and wins; it’s what it’s all about.” Mendham ice hockey has been one of the most successful teams in recent years and is exciting to watch. Mendham plays home games at Mennen Arena in Morristown and ends regular season play February 9, with the Halverson Cup and state tournament to follow shortly after.
