The Journal News/lohud will soon release its ice hockey all-star selections for Rockland County and, separately, for Westchester/Putnam.
With the help of local coaches, we’ve assembled a list of 19 high-performing players for reader consideration for the overall area’s best player of the 2025-26 season.
These players will appear on the upcoming all-star lists. Reader selection for the overall top player will have no bearing on what player is chosen as the best in Rockland and what player is chosen as the best in the combined Westchester/Putnam region. But the readers’ choice award winner will be noted in the all-star selections.
Below find the list of nominated players with small, capsule recaps of each player’s season.
The poll will close April 6 at 3 p.m.
Scott Alessy, Iona Prep
The junior forward, who was Westchester/Putnam Ice Hockey Player of the Year last year, tallied more than two points a game this season in finishing with 15 goals and 34 assists, His overtime goal against Xaverian sent the Gaels to the metropolitan-area Catholic league championship game. He was named Second Team CHSAA All-State.
Brendan Asta, Horace Greeley/John Jay-Cross River
The John Jay-Cross River senior forward reached 71 points this year in gaining All-State Div. I honorable mention accolades, although his team fell in the Section 1 quarterfinals. Asta became John Jay’s all-time points scoring leader in January with a three-goal, three-assist game that put him at 142 points for his varsity career. But he raised the bar from there. He had 38 goals and 31 assists during the 2025/26 campaign.
Aidan Balkin, Rivertown
The definition of a skilled, aggressive, two-way defenseman, the Irvington senior was named First Team All-State Div. I despite his multi-school team falling in the Section 1 Div. I semifinals. Balkin’s senior campaign was one to remember as he surpassed 200 career points on varsity with 16 goals and a whopping 56 assists his final season.
Tommy Cahill, North Rockland
The senior defenseman, who earned All-Section 1 honors, turned in multiple outstanding performances, including his three-goal and four-assist week in a 2-2 tie with St. Francisco of Buffalo and 5-1 win over CD Capital of Albany. he finished the season with 14 goals and 15 assists.
Christian Cipriano, Byram Hills
The senior forward fueled Byram Hills’ offense during its impressive playoff run that saw it fall just one game short of being the state Div. II champion. The Second Team All-State Div. II recipient recorded 69 points over 24 games with 40 goals and 29 assists. Cipriano, who netted the Bobcats’ only goal in their state championship loss to Rye, had a goal and two assists in Byram Hills’ come-from-behind 4-2 win over Beekmantown in the state semifinals. He also had a goal and an assist in the Bobcats’ 3-2 overtime upset of Rye for the Section 1 Div. II title.
Lucas Guggenheimer, Byram Hills
While the team around him was obviously strong, credit the Bobcats’ Section 1 Div. II championship and subsequent wins to reach the state Div. II championship game to the junior goalie, In the Section 1 final, he stopped 48 shots in a 3-2 overtime win over favored No. 1 seed Rye. He had 32 saves in Byram Hills’ 4-1 win over Queensbury in the state regionals, 24 in its state semifinal win over Beekmantown and then, in a losing effort, had 41 saves — keeping his team in the game for a long time — in its 5-1 loss to Rye. For the season, Guggenheimer was 13-3-1 with a 2.65 goals against average and sterling 93.2% save average.
Billy Haggerty, Iona Prep
The senior forward, whose father and uncle played professional hockey but who will play lacrosse in college, was named First Team CHSAA All-State after a season in which he netted 21 goals and had 25 assists to help lead Iona Prep to the New York-region championship CHSAA game.
Luke Hilliard, North Rockland
When North Rockland took defending state champion Suffern to overtime before falling 6-5 during the regular season, Hilliard had four goals — particularly noteworthy since seldom has any one player scored four times in a single game against the Mounties. In the same week, he netted the tying goal with two minutes left in regulation before the Red Raiders topped Mamaroneck in overtime. That was part of a very strong season for the senior forward, who had 21 goals and 15 assists on the year.
Mike Maurer, North Rockland
Seldom kept off the scoreboard, the All-Section 1 senior forward had a goal and four assists over two games against eventual state Div. I champion Suffern. An All-Section 1 award winner, Maurer finished the season with 18 goals and 23 assists.
Jamie Morris, Rye
The All-Section 1 senior forward, who scored the first goal in Rye’s Div. II state championship win over Byram Hills, was a key member of Rye’s squad throughout its historic 2025-26 championship run.. He finished the season with 37 points via 28 goals and nine assists.
Fernando Mosquera, Rye
The junior goalie, who earned First Team Div. II All-State honors, finished Rye’s state-championship season with an 18-3-3 record. He had a 2.61 goals against average and a strong 91.4% save average. Highlights of his season include his outstanding, 50-save performance in a 4-1 Div. II state regional final over Section 5 Aquinas Institute. He also had 24 saves, including a likely game-saving third-period stop, in Rye’s 3-2 overtime win over Clarence in the state semifinals.
James Munoz, BYSNS
The All-Section 1 senior forward and defenseman from Brewster High was part of a potent one-two offensive punch that helped elevate the Bisons to their first Section 1 Div. I championship appearance. Munoz, who surpassed 100 career points on varsity this season, was the Bisons’ points leader. He had 27 goals and 29 assists for 56 points this season.
Colin Nigro, Rye
First team All-State Div. II as only a sophomore, the forward scored in Rye’s state championship win over Byram Hills and had a couple of huge games, including netting five goals against section rival Mamaroneck and four against Section 10 Massena. He finished the season with 28 goals and nine assists.
Schaefer Pinotti, Suffern
The junior defenseman’s play on both ends of the ice helped him gain First Team All-State honors and Div. I All-Tournament honors in the state Final 4. Pinotti, who’s known for his ability to shut down opponent’s most talented offensive weapons, finished the season with five goals and 19 assists for state-champion Suffern.
Lucas Salvatore, BYSNS
Before missing the Section 1 Div. I semifinals and final due to injury, the All-Section 1 senior forward from North Salem was a huge piece of the Bisons’ best season ever. Salvatore, one of the section’s fastest skaters, finished the season with 50 points with 31 goals and 19 assists.
Brody Stogsdill, Horace Greeley/John Jay-Cross River
The senior forward from Horace Greeley earned All-Section 1 honors after a season in which he posted impressive offensive numbers with 23 goals and 38 assists for 61 points.
Sean Tyrrell, Suffern
No one had a bigger playoff run than the Suffern senior, a member of four Suffern teams that went to the state Div. I championship game — winning the last three times. Tyrrell had 45 goals and 26 assists this season, including all five Suffern goals in its 5-3 state semifinal win over Pittsford. Then, with his team’s state championship hopes on the line, Tyrrell had the go-ahead goal and an insurance goal in the last 2:13 of the third period in the Mounties’ come-from-behind win over Canton for the state championship. Tyrrell was named the state Div. I Player of the Year and, for a third consecutive year, was the MVP on the state Final 4.
Matt Veteri, Pelham
The senior forward amassed 55 points on 36 goals and 19 assists in gaining honorable mention All-State honors despite his team being eliminated in the Section 1 semifinals. The forward had five three-goal games and two others in which he tallied hat tricks. He scored against both state Div. 1 champion Suffern and state Div. II champion Rye and had the game-winning goal with one second left in overtime as the Pelicans edged crosstown rival Rye Country Day. His big offensive numbers came despite Pelham playing what was considered the toughest Div. II schedule in the state.
Will Weinman, Rye
The senior defenseman, who earned First Team Div. II All-State honors, was key in Rye winning the state Div. II championship. With his team down to Section 6 Clarence in the closing minutes of their state semifinal game, he scored the tying goal before Rye ultimately won in overtime to reach the state championship game in which Weinman also scored as Rye defeated Byram Hills. Weinman, known for his ability to stop other teams’ top players, finished with seven goals and 18 assists in 25 games.
Nancy Haggerty covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Who’s lohud Hockey Readers Choice presented by White Plains Hospital?
Reporting by Nancy Haggerty, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
