Freshman Goalie Powers Mendham in Quest for Cup

Many great professional athletes are remembered not just by their play, but the nickname or monikers given them as they achieved excellence.

Dylan Euvino doesn’t have a nickname just yet, but with the level of play he’s achieving, he’ll need one soon.

Euvino has been nothing short of a brick wall in and around the net for the Mendham High School Minutemen’s ice hockey team this season, and he spent six periods shutting out two perennial title contenders over the course of just 48 hours.

Because of that, Dylan Euvino is Mendham-Chester Patch’s Athlete of the Week.

The Mendham Borough resident has been skating and playing hockey since age five, and the love of the net began early. “When I was about seven years old my coach gave me the opportunity to play goalie, and I haven’t played another position since,” Euvino said.

That change came half a lifetime ago.

What’s just as impressive as Euvino’s dominating performances is his age. The freshman starter – yes, we said freshman – is just 14-years-old. Euvino wasn’t part of the Minutemen’s historic Halverson Cup title run in 2013, but said he understands the magnitude – and pressure – of repeating the feat.

“I think the team is determined to repeat as Halverson champions,” he said. “With the amount of talent we have this year, there’s no doubt in my mind we can accomplish that goal.”

Mendham is currently 11-2-2 on the season and won two games last week by a combined score of 10-0 over West Morris Central and No. 19 ranked Roxbury – the same squad the Minutemen defeated for that 2013 Cup.

Heading into the Roxbury game Mendham was ranked No. 20 by the Star-Ledger, but is peculiarly missing from the rankings as of Jan. 22.

Euvino recorded 36 saves in those two games – 18 in each – en route to shutting out both high-powered squads.

The net minder will stay busy in the offseason when he picks up his lacrosse stick to play in the spring, sprinkled in with some golf and snow boarding in between.

His nickname is yet to be determined, but there’s no doubt teams across the state will know who Dylan Euvino is for years to come.