b'timeyouth hockeycoach whosekids playedforNut-ley.Ivebeen coachingyouth hockeyfora millionyears. Itwasbrought tomyattention thattheco-opCoach Dave Macri gives a pre-game talk to the team as it team coach wasgets ready to play Verona-Glen Ridge.goingtostepAlthoughplayersfromallthree down, he says. I threw my hat inschools contribute to the teams suc-the ring in 2020 and took the reins. cess,thecoachtipshishelmetto The 2024-25 squad has six play- ChristianSherman,aworkhorse ersfromSOMA:JuniorsDanielteam member who plays center and Kopcha, Oliver Penalber and Chris- is among the highest-scoring players tianSherman,andfreshmenHankin New Jersey. Christian is far and Butler,AbelGrimaldiandJackaway their big guy, just an awesome Hafif. They practice at the Richard J.player.Codey Arena in West Orange, which isalsotheirhomerinkforgames. Macrinotesthatasthesportgets more popular, they have to battle for available slots at the arena. Practices are once or twice a week, depending on the overall schedule. The co-op team is part of the Kel-ly Division of the New Jersey Inde-pendent Ice Hockey League, which includes teams from Montclair and Millburn,alongwithotherco-op squads from Scotch Plains-Fanwood and Verona-Glen Ridge. Penalber, a One of the drills players do at practice junior who started playing the sportis to jump back and forth over their his freshman year, says, I think thathockey sticks.its really nice that our school has a hockeyteamthatcombineswithIvebeenplayinghockeyever other schools. If it wasnt for Nutleysince I was a little, says Sherman. andBloomfieldalsobeingontheI was in middle school when they team, we wouldnt get this chance.brought this team together with all three schools. Andever since then I wanted to go play on the high school teamandtheexperiencehasbeen great. Piro is impressed with the level ofplayhesseeingfromtheentire squad. Coach Macri and the boys doagreatjob,hesays.Weare competitive every year, and Nutley enjoys the relationship we have with both schools.Macriagreesthattheplayers dedication and time on the ice are payingoff.Theywereoneofthe highest-scoring teams in the state last Christian Sherman, a workhorse team member, plays center and is among theyear. Were playing the best hockey highest-scoring players in New Jersey. weve played in a while, he says.feature story /13'