On March 9, Ridgewood Ice Hockey lost its second straight state championship to Bridgewater-Raritan at “The Rock”.
To rub salt on the wound, they also lost their all-time scoring leader, AJ Losauro, who had 116 goals and 86 assists in his four years at Ridgewood. As of last Friday, they also lost his younger brother, Sophomore William Losauro.
On Friday, April 3, USA Hockey announced that William Losauro was accepted to the Under-17 USA NTDP team. An organization that has developed many of today’s NHL stars, like Olympic Gold Medalist Jack Hughes.
Reflecting on his time at Ridgewood, William took to Instagram to thank Ridgewood Hockey for the past two years.
“For the town that made it all special. Thank you, Ridgewood Hockey, for two unforgettable years. Forever Grateful,” Losauro posted.
The Losauro duo was the heart of Maroons Ice Hockey in the 2025-2026 season, combining for 77 goals and 75 assists this past season. That was nearly half of the team’s total points.
To say that it is going to take a lot to fill the void that losing two players of their caliber is quite the understatement. However, if the Maroons want to make it back to The Rock next March, they are going to have to try.
This is not the end of Ridgewood hockey; there is a new core ready to take over.
Rising Senior Sam Sherman is an obvious choice for the team’s leader in the 2026-2027 season, being the team’s top returning scorer.
With 17 goals and 13 assists this past season, a huge step up from his first two seasons, with this being his first season scoring more than 10 points. This breakout year sets him up for a big senior season.
Rising Sophomore Mark Fuhrman is another breakout player to look out for after his big freshman season with 11 goals and six assists.
Fuhrman’s impact was almost immediate in an 11-1 blowout against West Milford. From that night, he never looked back, having an impactful freshman season.
The freshman came in clutch in state playoff time in the NJSIAA North Sectional Quarterfinals, scoring the game-winning goal against Summit.
Fuhrman making an impact at such a young age gives me no doubt that he will be a star on this Maroons roster, especially with AJ and William Losauro leaving the locker room.
Rising Junior Elliot LoPriore is my final pick for potential breakout players on this roster, with nine goals and five assists.
LoPriore’s ability to step up on special teams makes him a dangerous weapon, leading the team in power-play goals with eight on the season.
While these three players may not be able to put up the stats that the dynamic Losauro duo did, you should not expect this team to fall off the map just yet. Fuhrman, Sherman, and LoPriore are up-and-coming weapons that the Maroons are going to be forced to lean on, and they have proven to be up to the task.
