This is the 23rd entry of The Morris-Sussex Hockey Report’s 27 teams in 27 days, where each day there will be a team preview of each area team (boys and girls) leading up to Opening Day on December 7.
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MORRISTOWN-BEARD CRIMSON (GIRLS)
Head coach: Bruce Driver, 24th season (341-87-23 career record)
Division: NJIIHL-Librera Division; WIHLMA
NJSIAA Classification: Girls
Last year: Morristown-Beard finished 15-6-3 with a 7-0-3 mark in the Librera division. It won both the inaugural Librera Cup as well as the program’s third-straight NJSIAA state title, besting Pingry by one goal in each of the two title games it played last year.
Key losses: The Crimson graduated last year’s NJ.com Player of the Year Lilli Warnock, who posted 27 goals and 18 assists last season, and finished with 149 career points. She is now playing Division III college hockey at Plymouth State University. It also graduated its starting goalie in Gracie Meyers, who posted a .927 save percentage over her four-year career and backstopped her team to state championships as the starter the last two seasons. She also earned First Team All-State honors last winter, and is playing DIII hockey at Trinity College. Additionally, it lost Carly Greer (4 g., 13 a.), who transferred to Phillips Academy-Andover in Massachusetts for her junior season.
Top returners: Morristown-Beard is full of returning talent in all areas of the ice, starting up front with seniors Jessica Sperling (First Team All-State, 26 g., 15 a.) and Kailin Kane (Second Team All-State, 20 g., 11 a.). Junior Julie Jasaitis, a First Team All-State pick as a defenseman last year, moves up front after posting seven goals and 17 assists as a sophomore. Junior Julie Kirshenbaum (8 a.), sophomore Gabriella DiGeronimo, and sophomore Marilee Vartanian are all returners at the forward position.
Defensively, it will be led by senior Brooklyn Chen, a Second Team All-State pick who had a goal and 14 assists last winter. Senior Kiera Redmond (1 g., 14 a.) was an Honorable Mention All-State pick, while sophomore Reid Snyder is back after scoring two goals with 11 assists. Senior Gia Becchi can also play both forward and defense.
In goal, Morristown-Beard will turn to sophomore Hannah Mortazavi, who played in eight games while backing up Meyers, and had an impressive .924 save percentage. Most notably, she earned an unexpected spot-start in the NJSIAA final due to a skate issue with Meyers, and held the fort down with a scoreless first period before Meyers was able to return to the game.
Potential impact newcomers: Sophomore forward Sylie Sawale is a player Driver expects to have a big role due to her tenacity on the puck and hockey IQ. Freshman defenseman Keira Walsifer will bring smooth skating and overall strong defensive skills right off the bat.
Burning question: Will anyone be able to slow this team down?
Morristown-Beard has long been the dominant girls hockey team in New Jersey, winning the first three NJSIAA state titles since its inception in 2019-20. It’s been so dominant against in-state opponents, that it has only lost one game to a New Jersey team in the last four years. Sure, there were signs last winter that the gap may be closing- one-goal wins over Pingry in the Librera Cup final and state final- were evidence of that, but this team just kept finding a way, as it seemingly always does. There is so much returning talent on the ice here that this program doesn’t appear to be one slowing down anytime soon.
Outlook: Morristown-Beard has five All-State picks returning from last year, two of which were on the first team. There aren’t many programs who can graduate the state Player of the Year, as well as a First Team All-State goalie, and still be in prime shape to continue its dominance. But that’s exactly where Morristown-Beard is as a program. As good as they were last year, with as many skaters as it has back, expect this team to potentially be even better in 2023-24. Until proven otherwise, the Crimson figure to once again be the favorite for the Librera Cup and NJSIAA titles.
E-mail Mike Gurnis at michaelgurnis@gmail.com
Morris-Sussex Hockey Report 