Hockey Team Renews West Essex School Pride

The West Essex ice hockey team recently won its first NJSIAA Public B state championship since 2004 and second in program history.

The state title brought excitement and school pride to many West Essex students, many of whom filled more than a section of the Prudential Center in Newark to witness their hockey team beat Hopewell Valley 3-0 in the championship game last Saturday afternoon.

"It was exciting to see kids I know personally take the ice every night and consistently win and get the chance to play for the state championship at the Prudential Center," West Essex sophomore Ed George said.

 In the days leading up to the championship game, many players wore their jerseys around school to get their peers excited. 

But it didn't start there. Ever since the beginning of the season, students from West Essex filled many arenas around northern New Jersey to watch the Knights take down one opponent after the other, causing the crowd to grow as each game became more important.

"Playing before a large crowd is great, and it really adds momentum to the game," West Essex junior forward Travis Trent said. "You always go out there trying to play with a lot of energy, but when the crowd is really into the game, it motivates you to play even harder."

Some students were so excited that they created an "Official Page of the West Essex Ice Knights" on Facebook with a fan base growing larger by the day. 

"The fans have been great this year," sophomore goalie Michael Cuozzo said. "Every time I look up and see our fans going crazy, it adds extra intensity to the game, which forces me to step up my level of play to win the games for our fans," he added.

The run to the state championship suddenly elevated the ice hockey team to a level typically held by West Essex's elite programs like football, field hockey, baseball and wrestling.

Maintaining that level only provides further motivation for next season.

"Going around school knowing that you were a key part in living up to the standards of the other athletic teams around us is very satisfying," Cuozzo said. "Every time I walk down the hallway now, everybody pats me on the back and congratulates me. It just makes me look forward to next year, and it gives me that much more motivation to go out and win another state championship." 

Jesse Feldman is a student at West Essex Regional High School and is part of the school's internship program with The Caldwells Patch.