Reynolds' departure leaves Bogan in charge CBA hockey posts 5-1 record under new coach BY DOUG McKENZIE Staff Writer When Christian BrothersAcademy head ice hockey coach Mike Reynolds announced his resignation from the Lincroft school, it led to some questioning just how it would affect one of the state's top programs. Reynolds, after all, had proven to be one of the most successful high school ice hockey mentors in the state over the last 16 seasons, proudly holding the distinction of being the only coach in state history to earn the state Coach of the Year award twice (at Toms River North in 1991-92 and CBA in 1995-96) and the only coach to lead his team to three straight Top 20 Trophies. With his departure, which came after he compiled a career mark of 319-173-52, which puts him fourth on the all-time coaching list behind Brick's Bob Auriemma, Seton Hall Prep's John Warchol and Chatham's Harvey Cohen, the keys to the CBA program were handed over to his assistant coach, Ryan Bogan. "He played for me on my first state championship team in 1994," Reynolds said. "He's going to do just fine." So far, the Colts have proven Reynolds prophetic, racing out to a 5- 1 mark through last week's action, including two benchmark wins over Delbarton and St. Augustine within a couple of days of each other. "For them to already beat Delbarton and St.Augustine," Reynolds said, "tells me that he doesn't need me." That may be a bit of a stretch, as Reynolds' departure has to have an impact on the CBAteamat some level. His knack for devising strategic game plans is legendary, and you can bet Bogan will be reaching out to hismentor over the course of the season as the Colts play their schedule with the targets on their backs that come with being the top-ranked team in the state. As for Reynolds, he will keep busy in his retirement. The 54-year-old coach has accepted the position of hockey director at the Navesink Country Club in Middletown, where there are six youth teams that are now getting some of the very best coaching in the state. Meanwhile, back in Lincroft, the Colts will continue to build upon his legacy. Reynolds' last state championship came in 2004-05 when his Colts scored amemorable 2-1 overtime win over Delbarton in the non-public final at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford. The coach also cites a 3-2 overtime triumph over Delbarton in the 1993-94 state semifinal, which led to his first state championship, as an important moment in the progression of championship-level hockey at CBA. That victory (over Delbarton in 1993-94) was a turning point for our program at CBA,'' Reynolds said. Now, Bogan is hoping another victory over Delbarton will act a springboard to great things for this year's squad. In that game, senior forward Mark Rivera scored a pair of goals as CBA dealt the Green Wave its first loss of the season, 3-1, at Wall Township Arena. Sophomore defenseman Kenny Pilanski tied the game for the GreenWave on a power-play goal with 6:56 to play, but a turnover in the neutral zone about two minutes later led to a short-handed goal by CBA's Tom Mollica, giving the Colts the win. CBA's lone loss thus far has come to a Don Bosco team (5-3 on Dec. 5) that it had just beaten by a goal three days earlier. In what was the one hiccup by the Colts so far this year, Bosco took advantage of some sloppy defensive play by the Colts to earn the win. Since then, however, CBA has looked every bit like one of the very best teams in the state. First was a dominating 8-0 win over Gordon Conference rival Pope John on Dec. 7; a game which saw CBA's Mark Rivera lead the way with two goals and two assists. Senior goaltender Tyler Jackson stopped all 13 shots he faced against Pope John to record his second career shutout, and adequately bounce back from a par of subpar efforts against Bosco. Next up was the Colts' win over Delbarton, and the victory over the defending Non-Public champions from St. Augustine. Then, on Dec. 17, the Colts kept it going with an impressive 7-1 victory over Shore Conference rival Monsignor Donovan. Sophomore D.J. Grogan led the way with his first two varsity goals, while a total of five CBA players enjoyed multi-point games. Rivera continued his strong play with a goal and two assists, while the CBA defense, which many are calling the best in the state, continued to dominate the opposition. With the win, CBAimproved to 5-1, and reaffirmed its place among the state's elite. On Dec. 19, CBAtied another state power, Bergen Catholic, 1-1, heading in to Friday's showdown with rival St. John Vianney, the top-ranked team in the new Shore Conference Hockey League. Tonight, the Colts continue their brutal schedule when they take on Bishop Eustace at Wall Ice Arena in the first of a home-and-home series, which will conclude on Friday. With a newcoach at the helm, itwill be interesting to see if CBA can maintain its high level of play the rest of the season. However, with Bogan having played for and learned under the tutelage of Mike Reynolds, look for the Colts to remain in the mix for another state championship at season's end.