2018-19 High Point-Wallkill Valley team preview

LAST SEASON: High Point-Wallkill Valley finished 12-8-1 overall, with a perfect 8-0-0 mark in the Charette Division. It lost in the first round of the Haas Cup, before falling to Point Pleasant Boro in the first round of the Public B state tournament.

HEAD COACH: Mike Beltran, 15th season (117-179-19 career record)

CONFERENCE AND CLASSIFICATION: MCSSIHL-Haas Division; Public B

KEY PLAYERS GRADUATED: Two of the team's better forwards in Ryan Nuzzo and Paul Fowler are gone, after the two combined for 69 total points last season. Nick Welch saw the bulk of the action in goal last season as the starter, and will have to be replaced this year.

FORWARDS: High Point-Wallkill Valley was able to find the back of the net with regularity last season as it posted an eye-popping 4.86 goals per game offensively. While Nuzzo and Fowler were both key players last year, the team's top scorer in senior Eric Honold, who has 63 goals and 37 assists to his name in his career, will be back on the ice this year. Senior Peter Paszkiel had a 17-goal season last year and has scored 33 goals and 29 assists in his career. Sophomore Brandon Mudrick jumped in and scored seven goals and seven assists as a freshman, and should be in line for an even better year this year.

DEFENSEMEN: Remy Hautau brings solid two-way ability to High Point-Wallkill Valley's blue line. He posted four goals and six assists during his 2017-18 campaign. Look for senior Brayden Gebauer and junior Cooper Williams to also have major contributions defensively.

GOALTENDING: After Welch's graduation, junior Tai Ruvo will be counted on to step up as the starter this year. He has an .896 sv% to his name in his career, and went 2-3-1 in six games last season.

OUTLOOK: High Point-Wallkill Valley has a good amount of talent to replace from last year's team that soared to the top of the Charette Division, but still has some very solid players returning in Honold, Paszkiel, Hautau and Ruvo. With the Haas and Charette Divisions combining after the Charette Division lost Pequannock to the Big North and Morris Hills to a co-op with Morris Knolls, it will be interesting to see where High Point-Wallkill Valley stands as its division will now include the likes of Newton-Lenape Valley, Park Regional, and Mendham, among others. It has a strong core to build around, and if some newcomers can step up, it could be in store for yet another good year.