NEWARK – Braydon Sisco was the star of the show, thanks to a hat-trick that led to KJS United (Kinnelon, Jefferson, Sparta) winning back-to-back NJSIAA Public Co-Op Boys Ice Hockey Championships, as they beat North Hunterdon 5-1 at the Prudential Center in Newark.
After getting blown out in this year’s Mennen Cup to Morristown Beard 7-0, there was no better way for the defending Public Co-Op champs to put that loss to the side and go back-to-back in the state title game.
“It’s unreal, I mean, we have a group,” Sisco said. Along with his three goals tonight, the Junior Forward scored twice in last year’s championship win against Marlboro. “We knew we could do it from the start. We knew everyone was gonna be gunning for us, and that’s what happened, and we kind of just overpowered them. But yeah, it’s a great group, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group to do it with.”
The best way to describe the first period? Conditioning. Throughout the 15 minutes, the puck battered around the rink like a pinball machine. The game was very fast-paced as teams could barely generate plays in the offensive zones. However, that doesn’t mean the effort wasn’t there. Along with multiple breakaways, the two teams combined for 14 shots on net and a ton that went wide. While the players were using up the gas in their tanks, it resulted in speedy, competitive hockey.
We were on pace for a very similar result in the second period until chaos ensued. With 7:15 remaining, KJS United’s Maximo Rodriguez scored on a wrist shot from the left point after skating through multiple Lions defenders. Twenty seconds later, Braydon Sisco practically skated up to the net, faked out goalie Logan Konstalid, and put it in to make it 2-0. After assisting on the first goal, the sophomore forward got one of his own.
North Hunterdon eventually responded with 1:52 left when Junior forward Dylan Swon got in front on a breakaway and hit a wrist shot top shelf over goalie Stefan Filewicz’s shoulder. Heading into the second intermission, it was a one-score game and far from over.
Things started to take a turn for the worse in the third when a costly hooking penalty resulted in another KJS United point. It was Sisco again, taking another wrist shot from the point, this time from the right side. Alex Roslan had the assist; it was his second after he set up Sisco for his first goal.
All the momentum was in the hands of KJS United. After going up 3-1, they were in better control of the puck and were moving much quicker than North Hunterdon. Their second Public Co-Op Championship in a row was getting closer and closer.
With 4:45 remaining, Sisco scored another goal to complete the hat trick, ultimately sealing the game. With under two minutes to go, Cody Sutton scored one more for good luck, and 5-1 was the final.
This was quite the dominating win for KJS United. The entire time they played at a fast pace and never showed any signs of backing down. Once they capitalized on The Lion’s mistakes, they were in better control and were playing as a team.
“So proud, a lot of the team returned,” head coach Jeff Myhren said. “The goal was to go as far as we possibly could.”
It’s going to be a whole different-looking team next year due to the fact that many seniors will be graduating. Coach Myhren is hopeful but not certain they can make it a three-peat next season.
“I would love that [KJS United going for three-peat]. We’re going to lose a big number here, so it’s always the goal,” Myhren said. “The rock is always in the conversation in the preseason. But we lose a big chunk of this team. We’re going to be young next year, so you never know, but we’ll see.”
