It was a banner year on the ice for the Colonial Valley Conference, and there was no doubt that the Hopewell Valley/Montgomery Co-op was the best the conference had to offer.
HVM reached the Public Co-op South sectional semifinal final before it fell to Governor Livingston in a shootout.
HVM went through the conference regular season undefeated, holding off a challenge in the division by Robbinsville/Allentown/Jackson Memorial, Notre Dame and Princeton.
HVM finished the season with what is believed to be a program-best 25 wins and only three defeats.
Meanwhile, t was another division title for Paul VI/Camden Catholic in the Valley Division. It didn’t come easy though as West Windsor-Plainsboro had an amazing year and almost ended PVI/CC’s run of Valley crowns.
Lawrence/Hightstown/Ewing and the Hamilton Tri-op struggled as both were in a rebuilding year, bringing along younger players.
Here’s a look at the 2025 CVC All-Trentonian team:
Player of the Year — Gavin Nau, Hopewell Valley/Montgomery: Nau did a lot of everything for the Co-op. He scored goals, he found teammates for assists, he helped on defense and his leadership qualities were off the charts. He had 25 goals and 31 assists for 25-3 HVM.
Co-Offensive Player of the Year — Evan Jacob, Hopewell Valley/ Montgomery: It seemed every time his team needed a big goal, Jacob came to the rescue. He just continued to gain more confidence with each game and finished with 37 goals and 23 assists.
Co-Offensive Player of the Year — Jake Lachance, Robbinsville/Allentown/Jackson Memorial: Lachance was chasing a championship for the Tri-op and a dream. When his dad was a senior at Ramapo, he led the state in scoring and Jack just missed repeating the family feat with 45 goals and 39 assists. Just a junior, he’s not done yet.
Defensive Player of the Year — Brendan Riewe, Hopewell Valley/Montgomery: Speak to any coach who faced the HVM Co-op and they will agree that Riewe was one of the toughest defensemen around. Never backing down on any play, he also found time to have 36 assists.
Goalie of the Year — Blake Echternacht, Hopewell Valley/Montgomery: From the time he stepped in goal as a freshman it was evident Echternacht was a gifted athlete and a superior goalie. He had 449 saves this season and a 1.29 goals against average.
Coach of the Year — Jeff Radice, Hopewell Valley/Montgomery: Radice did an amazing job keeping the Co-op focused on just one game at a time. His leadership and knowledge of the game behind the bench this season set the tone for the year.
Forward — Zach Duggan, Robbinsville/Allentown/Jackson Memorial: The last two seasons, Duggan has been one of the most productive players in the state. This season he had 22 goals and 49 assists as a senior.
Forward — Gavin Frith, Notre Dame: Frith had an amazing four-year career with the Irish, tallying 101 career points and this season he had 13 goals and 10 assists.
Forward — Nick Aversa, Paul VI/Camden Catholic: Aversa let it be known last season he was a very powerful offensive player and drawing a little more attention this season he proved he can pass the puck pretty well, too. He had 10 goals and 30 assists.
Forward — Louis Barrandon, West Windsor-Plainsboro: This was one of the best seasons in a few years for the WW-P Co-op and players like Barrandon were instrumental in the success. He led the team with 16 goals and 17 assists.
Forward — Brendan Beatty, Princeton: Beatty has been a positive factor in the Tigers’ attack since freshman season. A player who will do whatever it takes to get the job done, he finished his career with 51 goals and 66 assists.
Forward — Mike Kuzma, Notre Dame: Kuzma led the Irish in scoring this season with 21 goals and 13 assists. Both were career highs and Kuzma became one of the toughest forwards to stop.
Forward, Nick Lento, Paul VI/Camden Catholic: Just a sophomore, Lento burst on the scene with 20 goals and 17 assists. He was a player who continued to grow throughout the season.
Defense — Michael Buchanan, Robbinsville/Allentown/Jackson Memorial: As staunch defender ,Buchanan was the anchor for the RAJ Tri-op and he added 23 assists.
Defense — Vincenzo Labianco, Notre Dame: Another tough, gritty defender and one who set the tone for the Irish transition game. He had 13 assists and always gave it his all.
Defense — Charles Xue, West Windsor-Plainsboro: Xue was a hard-nosed defender that isn’t afraid to go in the corners and dig out the puck. His leadership was crucial to the Co-op’s success.
ALL-CVC ICE HOCKEY
First Team
Forward, Gavin Nau, Sr., HVM
Forward, Evan Jacob, Sr., HVM
Forward, Jake Lachance, Jr. RAJ
Forward, Zach Duggan, Sr., RAJ
Forward, Gavin Frith, Sr., Notre Dame
Forward, Nick Aversa, Jr. PVI/CC
Forward, Louis Barrandon, So., WW-P
Forward, Brendan Beatty, Sr., Princeton
Forward, Mike Kuzma, Jr. Notre Dame
Forward, Nick Lento, So., PVI/CC
Defense, Brendan Riewe, Sr., HVM
Defense, Michael Buchanan, Jr., RAJ
Defense, Vincenzo Labianco, Jr., Notre Dame
Defense, Charles Xue, Sr., WW-P
Goalie, Blake Echternacht, Sr., HVM
Player of the Year – Gavin Nau, Hopewell Valley/Montgomery
Co-Offensive Player of the Year – Jake Lachance, Robbinsville
Co-Offensive Player of the Year – Evan Jacob, Hopewell Valley/Montgomery
Defensive Player of the Year – Brendan Riewe, Hopewell Valley/Montgomery
Goalie of the Year – Blake Echternacht, Hopewell Valley/Montgomery
Coach of the Year – Jeff Radice, Hopewell Valley/Montgomery
Second Team
Forward, Logan Camilleri, Sr., HVM
Forward, Mikey Cascella, So., Notre Dame
Forward, Anders Hedin, Jr., Princeton
Forward, Jack Riewe, So., HVM
Forward, Henry Albu, Fr., RAJ
Forward, Ryan Smith, So., Hamilton Twp.
Forward, Ryan Garlock, Jr., Princeton
Forward, Jack Rubin, Sr., LHE
Defense, Jack Zimet, Sr., Princeton
Defense, Ed Zhou, Sr., Princeton
Defense, Dillon Chase, Sr., Notre Dame
Defense, Danny Gaffney, So., Notre Dame
Defense, Joey DeFabritis, Sr., PVI/CC
Defense, Ryan Bartlett, Jr., RAJ
Defense, Dylan Yasher, Sr., HVM
Goalie, Syed Muhamad Nad-E-Ali, Sr., WW-P
Goalie, Ethan Nau, Jr., HVM
Goalie, Mason Caruso, Sr., Hamilton Twp.
