WEST MORRIS WOLFPACK
Head coach: Phil Togno
Division: Haas
Last year: West Morris went through a breakout season, going 14-7-1 and defeating Mount Olive-Hopatcong-Hackettstown 2-1 for the Haas Cup title. It fell, 6-2, to Summit in the first round of the Public B state tournament.
Key losses: Max Michalski, F (13 g., 19 a.); Benjamin Wilmott, F (travel hockey, 26 g., 18 a. as freshman).
Top returning players: Ben Barnhill, F, So. (15 g., 11 a.); Tommy Togno, F, Jr. (9 g., 16 a.); Zach Knopf, F, Jr. (7 g., 10 a.); Jimmy Thompson, D, Sr.; Nick Dargel, D, Jr. (1 g., 7 a.); Jake Salamone, D, Jr.; Phil Togno, G, Sr. (.900 sv%).
Potential incoming impact players: Tyler Hill, F, Fr.
Burning question: How will West Morris fare without Michalski and Wilmott?
This is a team that has a good amount of players returning outside of those two, but those are big losses which account for nearly half of the Wolfpack’s goal output from last year. Players like Barnhill, Togno, and Knopf will have to step up to offset the loss of two of the team’s stop scorers from last year.
Outlook: West Morris has a really solid group returning with the above-mentioned forwards, as well as defensemen in Thompson, Dargel, and Salamone in front of goalie Phil Togno, who is a four-year starter for this team.
This will be an interesting team to follow throughout the year as it looks to recapture the Haas Cup. Whether or not it is able to is one thing, but it certainly has a group that is capable of staying in the conversation throughout the year.
E-mail Mike Gurnis at michaelgurnis@gmail.com
Donate to the Morris-Sussex Hockey Report’s GoFundMe
The Morris-Sussex Hockey Report 