The 2025 Passaic County Ice Hockey Championship would see co-op Wayne Hockey face off against Passaic County Technical Institute. Deadlocked 2-2, senior forward Max Bernice would draw the final blood for PCTI with 49 seconds left to carry PCTI to their 3rd consecutive county championship. A year later, Wayne Hockey would come back with revenge. Riding into the championship ranked as the 15th best team according to NJ.com, senior captain Scotty Stansfield would open the scoring 19 seconds into the game, and that was all Wayne needed to win the title. “It is an unreal feeling that is honestly hard to put into words,” remarked Stansfield, “The sadness that the past years have brought me after counties just fueled my desire to win, and we got it done. It feels like yesterday that we threw our equipment up and celebrated as a team, and it just brings a smile to my face thinking about it.”

Wayne Hockey’s dream of winning the Passaic County Championship began with the 2024-2025 season ending. Unfortunately no one received the title, as Wayne’s last county championship dated back to 2022. “Coming into the season, we knew we were going to be a top team in the state, led by a really good senior class,” noted senior captain Max Prekel. In addition, winning the county championship would earn their head coach, Nick Crouch, the record for most Passaic County Titles won by a coach. Work began during the summer through their summer league games and their weight-lifting sessions. The goal was clear: win a county championship and make a memory that would last a lifetime. This motivation catapulted Wayne toward a successful season, earning a 9-2-1 record, the #1 ranking in the North Co-op State bracket, an overall rank of #15 amongst over 100 talented teams, and the #1 seed in the Passaic County Tournament. Prekel added that the team “Showed [their talent] through the first half of the year. Winning so many games and having such a good start showed the team that we really have it in us to win not only the county but also make a deep run in the states. So the success we have had in the early stages really meant a lot to this season and fired us up and meant a tremendous amount to why we have been so good this year.”

With the #1 seed of counties, Wayne Hockey had the advantage of facing Clifton United during the semifinals. Regardless of earning the merit of the #1 seed, Wayne Hockey realized there was still work to finish to hoist the trophy. “Coach [Crouch] said it perfectly, ‘no mulligans,’ and he was right,” senior captain Nate Ashkinazi explained. Prepared for a strong team and remembering the goal they held for several months, Wayne Hockey took a dominating 6-0 win with 4 of their goals scored in the first period. Ashkinazi reminisced about how Wayne Hockey’s “Fire and high intensity [led] to a quick start in our county games to set the tone.” The game was led by Juniors Richie Atieh, who scored 3 goals, and Billy DeMio, who notched 4 assists in the undisputed victory. In addition, the defense was just as formidable as the offense, with Lucas “Jerry” Egan recording a 33-save shutout. 

An hour later, the PCTI Bulldogs would clinch their spot in the Passaic County Finals, ousting the West Milford, Pequannock, and Pompton Lakes Co-op (WMPQPL Highlanders) in a dominant 6-3 victory. This would mark PCTI’s 5th consecutive appearance in the county finals, previously losing 7-2 in the 2022 matchup against the Wayne Hockey Co-op. Players from Wayne stayed at the Ice Vault to watch the Bulldogs and Highlanders in preparation for the championship. “We knew what was on the line here, and we knew what type of team we had,” commented Ashkinazi, “I realized personally this is my last county and told our guys to play like it’s your last no matter what year you’re in. We have an opportunity to upset our rivals for what they stole from us the year prior. It was an honor playing in that game.”

Six days later, on January 22nd, 2026, the Passaic County Championship would finally be played. Even though Wayne emerged as the clear favorite with their seeding, they left no room for doubt. Scotty Stansfield would strike twice in the first two periods before making a perfect pass to sophomore forward Darin Kohel to set the game at a comfortable 3-0 in the third period. Senior captains Nate Ashkinazi and Max Prekel would add two assists each in an outstanding effort to earn the title. However, Wayne Hockey’s defense would break records that night: the championship marked the first time a team went through the entire Passaic County Ice Hockey Tournament without allowing a single goal. Backed by Jerry Egan’s 59-save streak between the two games, a penalty kill unit that would kill 11 penalties throughout the tournament–including a five-minute major penalty– and a spectacular defensive core led by captains Brady Driesse and Max Prekel, Wayne’s defense will go down as one of the best in Passaic County Ice Hockey History. “We have always been a very defensively sound team, and as long as we have good defense, we can beat any team,” declared Egan. Prekel also added, “Not letting in a single goal all tournament was crazy. It comes down to our defense having 5 seniors and 2 captains who have all been playing great all year, just proved to us that we can really lock down whoever we want. But more importantly, our goaltender, Jerry. In my opinion, he is one of the best, if not the best, in the state. Being a defenseman myself, I have so much confidence in letting the other team shoot from the outside since we have a literal brick wall in the net. Coming into the season, Coach Crouch said the defense and goaltending would be the backbone of the team, and this tournament really proved him right that we are one of the best defense cores in the state.” 

In the end, the Passaic County Championship for Wayne Hockey was more than just a return to the top; it was a message. A year after the heartbreak at the hands of rivals PCTI, the team was able to take that pain and turn it into motivation, discipline, and a championship that saw them complete the tournament without conceding a single goal. From Scotty Stansfield’s and Nate Ashkinazi’s lights-out offensive performance, to Jerry Egan’s record-breaking performance in goal, and to a defense led by Brady Driesse and Max Prekel that just wouldn’t break, every aspect of the team clicked at the right time. The championship was a redemption season for the seniors, a chance to make history for head coach Nick Crouch, and for the team at Wayne Hockey. The 2026 Passaic County Championship was the culmination of months of hard work, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to bring home the title.