It was a great performance by Hun in the holiday Purple Puck Tournament in Washington, D.C. and Virginia as the Raiders reached the final game before falling. Hun was 4-1 in the tourney and is now 9-3 overall. It opened the tourney with a 5-2 win over Jesuit Dallas (Texas), Archbishop Spalding was n ext by a 5-3 score, the downed host Gonzaga, 4-1, and the 6-3 win over Virginia’s Paul VI sent the Raiders to the championship game. The Raiders met a familiar foe, St. Joe’s Prep, from Philadelphia, in the final. “It was the second time we’ve faced them this year and they have been a great matchup both times,’’ said Hun coach Nathaniel Welsh. “Each matchup has been who makes less mistakes, first time we got the better of them, this time they got the better of us and were the more disciplined team throughout the game.’’ Hun was led by Andrew Darst, Zach Vallee and Anders Van Raalte as all had six points. Vallee and Van Raalte each had four goals and two assists and Darst had three goals and three assists. “We played with a short bench, through injuries the whole tournament,’’ said Welsh. “We learned there is no give in this team, only the desire to keep going and battling for the win.’’ The Raiders fell 3-2 to St. Joe’s in the final, but it was another great Purple Puck experience for the Hun players. Robbinsville/Allentown Wins Showdown When Robbinsville/Allentown, the Colonial Division leader, faced the Valley Division’s top team, Paul VI, it might’ve been a preview of the 2026 Colonial Valley Conference Tournament. Robbinsville/Allentown (11-2) came out and made a statement, doubling up the Eagles (10-2) by an 8-4 score. Jake Lachance, who is one of the premier players in the area, notched his second hat trick of the season and he now has 22 goals and 20 assists this season. The Allentown senior has 81 career goals and 73 career assists. The R/A Co-op has been dealing with some injuries, but against PVI several players stepped up, including Reilly Halpin, whose pair of goals were his first since he got two on opening day against Notre Dame. Couper Martinez had a pair of assists as did Jack Lawrence. Paul VI’s Aversa Sets Record Nick Aversa is rewriting the record book at Paul VI. The senior, who recently had seven goals in PVI’s win over Notre Dame, has broken the all-time points mark for the program. He has 54 career goals and 97 assists for 151 career points and when he’s done it’s will be a lofty number and difficult to top. “He’s always had the skill to play and put up a bunch of points,’’ said Paul VI coach Chalie Hall. “However, I think this year he’s taken his game to a different level, in particular his leadership. He’s been captain for a couple years now and early on I think he was still getting used to the responsibility.’’ Aversa had a pair of goals in the showdown with Robbinsville/Allentown and has 19 goals and 23 assists this season. “This year, he’s really answered the bell and exhibits what it means to be a captain,’’ added Hall. “He and our other captain, Mason Jones set a tone early on this year and they make sure the team is always ready to play at our highest level.’’ Some Good Balance at Princeton The Tigers have won 5-of-6 and are getting a lot of everything, from everyone. Abe Arshan leads the parade with 13 goals and 12 assists, Baptiste Demurge has 13 goals and 11 assists, Anders Hedin leads in assists with 19 and Ryan Garlock has 12 goals and six assists. Now a senior, Garlock has a new mark in goals as his previous high was five last season. His career marks are 20 goals and 24 assists. Ryan is gaining on his brother Ethan, who finished in 2023 with 31 goals and 54 assists, and it was Max that started it all back in the 2014-15 season and he finished with 39 assists. For 12 seasons now, the Garlock boys have been a key ingredient to the success of the Tigers. Princeton Day Girls Looking to Defend Defending state champion Princeton Day has gotten off to a 4-0 start as it will be looking to repeat come March. The Panthers have been led by junior Sam Dandy with 10 goals and four assists, freshman Layla Klapak has been impressive with seven goals and six assists and junior Della Gilligan has six goals and four assists. Senior Kelly Stevens continues to excel in the goal with 52 saves and just two goals allowed in four games. The Panthers have a huge game on Monday when they travel to 9-0 Morristown-Beard. PDS downed M-B in the state semifinals last year. CVC Rankings 1. Robbinsville/Allentown 11-2) 2. Paul VI (10-2) 3. Princeton (6-3-1) 4. Hopewell Valley (7-5-1) 5. Notre Dame (1-7) ...read more read less