By Mike Gurnis
Adversity has been a theme all season long for KJS United.
Whether it was overcoming injuries, illnesses, or even something as an unexpected power outage before practice at its home rink the day before the sectional final, the program has been through it all this season.
It suffered another blow when it lost its best defenseman in Jake Prunty during the team’s semifinal win over West Essex-Caldwell to an injury.
But even though the hits keep on coming, KJS United keeps hitting back.
No team has had an answer for this squad- which came in as the eighth-seed- in the sectional tournament, and that continued on Thursday night. Behind a five-goal performance from Braydon Sisco, eighth-seeded KJS United took down 11th-seeded West Milford-Pequannock-Pompton Lakes, 8-3, in the NJSIAA North, Co-Op final at Mennen Arena.
“Handling adversity. Handling adversity since the beginning of the year,” KJS United coach Jeff Myhren said of what got the team to this point. “You know, we started out really well, I think we were 8-1, and then we had some club conflicts, we had some injuries, we had some illness. Even yesterday, the power goes out. We had practice. We were about to get on the bus, and the power goes out at the rink. So it’s like, here’s one more thing we got to handle, as far as planning with adversity, and they just keep stepping up. Without Prunty there…you know, Matty Stack had to step up, and he adjusted quick. After the first shift, he acclimated. The guys just played together. So, real proud of everybody.”
The win booked the team’s spot in Monday’s Public Co-Op final, where it will face South champion Marlboro-Holmdel at 5:30 p.m. at Prudential Center in Newark. It is the first final appearance for Kinnelon since 2009, when it was a solo program. It last won a title in 2008.
Sisco’s five-goal, one-assist performance brought him past 100 points for his career in the biggest game of his career to date.
“Oh, it’s incredible,” Sisco said. “I mean, we were so close last year, we were two games out, and honestly, we lost to a team that won it, so it’s just like we were right there, and feels great to get there.”
KJS United reached the sectional semifinals a year ago as the second-seed, where it lost to eventual champion Morris Knolls-Hills, which was seeded sixth. This time around, KJS played the underdog going into this tournament as the eighth seed.
When not many gave this team a chance going into the tournament, much like Morris Knolls-Hills last year, all it did was outscore its opponents by a combined score of 26-7 in four games.
“It’s just the way we all play together,” Eddy Brown said. “I mean, the locker room is great, we all love each other here. We all want one thing, so that just makes the team great.”
It fell behind early in this one as West Milford’s Timmy Riche scored 49 seconds into the game, and it found itself getting doubled up in shots halfway through the first period.
But an early-game line adjustment saw Michael Pandiscia move up to the top line with Sisco and Brown. After Sisco scored shorthanded with 11:11 to go in the first, that line was involved in six of the team’s next seven goals. Pandiscia took a big hit but fed a pass over to Brown to give the team the lead, before that line combined on a Brown goal with two minutes left in the first to build a commanding 3-1 lead.
The only goal that wasn’t courtesy of that line was a penalty shot goal by Cormac Gibbons early in the second to put KJS ahead 5-1.
“Yesterday, we had practice, and (coach) threw us on a line, and we just got going,” Sisco said. “We were like, we love this line, and we’ve got to keep it going into tomorrow, and definitely going to keep it going into the Prudential Center.”
It came down to match-ups, with West Milford starting the game with its dynamic scorers in Joe Barroquerio, Kyle Gregory, and Timmy Riche all on its top line. After West Milford opted to split them up, KJS United opted to adjust its lines, as well.
Brown had two goals and two assists, while Pandiscia had four assists.
“We thought they were gonna put all their eggs in one basket,” Myhren said. “So then we decided to do that. We initially had Cormac (Gibbons) on that line to start the game, and then they split up. They had two and one. So then we put Michael (Pandiscia) up and put Cormac back…Cormac and (Cody) Sutton are good buddies, and Michael and Eddy (Brown) are real good buddies. So that chemistry, you know, they feed each other and they listen to each other. So that’s kind of why we did that. Then it was working, so we were like, let’s just keep it.”
Brown’s return from injury came at a perfect time. He came back for the team’s semifinal game against West Essex-Caldwell, and has provided a major offensive boost in helping take some pressure off of Sisco, who has 14 goals in four games.
“It was terrible sitting out knowing I can’t help the boys,” Brown said. “But it’s great being back right now, playing with the guys, and finishing the job on Monday.”
Now, KJS United will go to Prudential Center on Monday with its eyes on the program’s first state title since the tri-op was formed in the summer of 2020.
Kinnelon, as a solo program, won the Public B title in 2008 against Jefferson, another member of this tri-op, and then lost in the finals again in 2009. Sparta, on the other hand, has never been to a state final as a solo program.
With the way this team is playing, it knows it has a good chance to leave with more hardware on Monday evening.
“I’m so hyped. It’s gonna be electric,” Sisco said. “The whole place is gonna be electric. The whole day is gonna be electric. Just can’t wait for the experience. I have not (played at Prudential Center before). So it’s the first time, and hopefully some of the team’s first time, so we can make some memories out there. Hopefully we can win and have a great day.”
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“It feels good. In the beginning there, you think you’re gonna go all the time, and then you take a 15 year hiatus, basically, from a trip to the Rock. I think we were in the inaugural, the first one at Prudential Center. It’s been a while, but it feels good. This group of guys have really come together. The past five years, we’ve just been growing…a little better, a little better, a little better, and now we’re here. So, we’re looking forward to the opportunity.”– KJS United coach Jeff Myhren on returning to Prudential Center.
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