Sisco powers KJS United to playoff win over Hoboken tri-op

By Mike Gurnis

It was a tale of two halves to the season for KJS United.

The first month saw it introduce itself to the Mennen Division with authority, going 8-1-1 in its first 10 games. With impressive wins over Mennen foes Chatham (twice), Morris Knolls-Hills, and a tie with eventual Mennen Cup champion Morristown-Beard, it appeared to be on its way to a high seed in the Public Co-op state tournament.

Then, it came to a grinding halt. Injuries, illnesses, and club commitments saw the team playing with inconsistent personnel lineups, and the team went on a five-game losing streak. It ultimately went 2-7-1 in its final 10 games, and a team which had been ranked in NJ.com’s statewide Top 20 early on, found itself seeded eighth in the North, Public Co-op tournament.

But the state tournament provides an opportunity for teams to reset. If Monday night’s performance is any indication, it came at a perfect time for KJS United.

Behind a four-goal performance from Braydon Sisco, eighth-seeded KJS United looked like the early-season team headed for a top seed, as it rolled to a dominant 7-1 win over ninth-seeded Hoboken-Weehawken-Secaucus in the first round of the North, Public Co-Op state tournament at Skylands Ice World in Stockholm.

“We’ve had a few injuries, and some funky games where nobody was really on their best,” Sisco said. “But I think now we’re starting to get to our best hockey, we’re starting to feel good again and I think we can go pretty far in states.”

Sisco, who earned Mennen Division MVP honors as a sophomore this season, has been the driving force behind KJS all season long with 37 goals and 18 assists. Like he’s done all season, he set the tone for his team, scoring a power play goal 2:31 into the game. Then, with his team up 2-0 in the second after a goal from Cormac Gibbons, he helped put the game out of reach with two goals in 19 seconds.

“It’s great. For our team, we need to get on the board early,” Sisco said. “Every single game we need to get on the board early, otherwise it’s hard for us to build momentum as periods go on. But I think we did a pretty good job of it today.”

Myhren said of Sisco’s skillset, “His hockey IQ and finding space. He’s just a goal scorer’s goal scorer. He’ll find those areas. He’ll disappear and reappear and guys lose track of him. He can pick spots. He’s like playing hide-and-seek out there- he gets away from guys, finds space, and capitalizes. He’s just so smart for a 15-year old kid. He knows exactly what to do, where to be, when to kill the clock, when to take it back. He’s very smart that way.”

Cormac Gibbons scored twice, while Jake Prunty also had a goal. While contributing offensively, Prunty had a big role in the game in helping shut down Hoboken’s top forward in Aiden Stamm.

Prunty was matched up on Stamm for the majority of the game, and held him to just one assist- which came on a goal in the third period when KJS was up 5-0.

KJS out-shot Hoboken 44-28 in the game, and allowed very few quality looks. When a rare breakdown occurred, goaltender Brian Sisti was there to shut the door.

“We just had to shut down that one player, number 23, had a really great shot and speed,” Sisti said. “Just had to keep him outside and not let him drive the middle. Be physical and make them scared to come into the zone. They did an amazing job. They made sure (Hoboken) went outside the zone, and just played hard.”

Now, KJS United will move on to Thursday’s quarterfinals, where it will take on the winner of top-seeded Pascack Valley-Hills and 16th-seeded River Dell-Westwood-Emerson.

It has been a tournament full of upsets already, with several double digit seeds in this bracket pulling upsets in the first round. The field appears to be wide-open, and KJS is confident that it can play at the level it played at early in the season and make a deep run in the state tournament.

What adds to that confidence is the fact that it has been battle-tested all season in the Mennen Division, with the likes of top teams in the state such as Morristown-Beard and Randolph.

“When we have everybody together, we’re a tough team to beat,” Myhren said. “Our mojo kind of faded a little bit come the new year. Not playing together, not trusting one another, but when we do, you see what we can do. I think playing in the Mennen Division helps prepare us for stuff like this. It’s a battle day-in and day-out playing the best of the best. We’re battle-tested for postseason.”

Sisco added, “We’re always confident. But we’re going to try to stay a little humble and not get too high on ourselves, because if we do, we can get pounded by the one-seed if we don’t try.”

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On playing in the Mennen Division:
“It’s like playoff hockey all year long. That’s really what it is. If you look historically at the people who advance in the state tournament- Morris Knolls, Randolph…there’s been years where Morristown-Beard’s been in, Morristown’s been in, and Chatham. Three teams winning three brackets, so it’s a playoff every day and we’re prepared for that. You’re in situations that just get us ready for the postseason, and these guys know when to step up. We were a little worried before the game, are we going to step up, what team is going to show up? Is it the team that beat up Chatham, or is it the team that struggled towards the end? The boys really came out, they had a good vibe in the locker room before the game and they were pumped up. They took it to the ice and they just kept it going. One of the best games we’ve played so far.” — KJS United coach Jeff Myhren

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