Catholic Central boys hockey: undefeated and looking to repeat

The Shamrocks have relied on leadership of key veterans to remain on top

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The Catholic Central boys varsity hockey team went undefeated this season. The Shamrocks finished with a 22-0 record and are about to embark on what they hope will be a back-to-back state championship run.

I recently spoke with their head coach, Brandon Kaleniecki, about his team's excellent season and what he expects when regionals start Thursday, February 23, against Waterford Mott at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth.

Kaleniecki, who’s an alumnus and former player at Central Catholic, is in his eighth year as the Shamrocks' head coach. He knew his team was going to be good, but going undefeated is pretty special even after they lost a lot of players off of last season's championship roster. 

“The leadership on and off the ice from several returning veterans was key,” Kaleniecki said. 

He also said they were fortunate to get a boost from some of the junior varsity (JV) call-ups (they have two JV teams) as well as from some local AAA players who attend Central Catholic.

Kaleniecki’s team philosophy is to play fast and aggressive, apply pressure and use their depth. So far, that’s worked wonders, and the Shamrocks are hoping that carries on for five more games and another state championship.

As the Shamrocks begin their quest for two in a row, Kaleniecki wants his team to “focus on taking care of their own end and make teams earn every goal.”

Notable players for Kaleniecki’s squad are veteran skaters Landon West, Ryan Wantuck, Nate Grondzielski and Griffin Crampton. Plus, the Shamrocks have received stellar goaltending all season from seniors Kyle Moore and Luca Naurato. Kaleniecki said he had the luxury of basically rotating the two netminders game in and game out.

In the upcoming regional, Waterford Mott has a 9-12-1 record, but Kaleniecki isn’t taking it lightly. He said just about any team could play well enough to cause a problem. 

“We are just trying to worry about the game in front of us,” Kaleniecki said.

USA Hockey Arena is home ice for the Shamrocks, and they’ll be there through the regionals. If they make it to the semifinals and final, they’ll be back at USA Arena as well. Central Catholic received a first-round bye, so they need to win five straight games instead of six to repeat.