Jake Lachance showed last winter just what a quality hockey player he was as the Robbinsville/Allentown senior was one of the premier scorers in the state. He’s picked up right where he left off as he has 14 goals and 13 assists in leading the Co-op to a 7-1 start, including a five-game winning st reak. Lachance is also quite an accomplished golfer having shot a 75 in the Colonial Valley Conference Tournament for Allentown last spring. He scored a career-best six goals in the Robbinsville/Allentown win over the Hamilton Schools on Friday. R/A resides atop the CVC Colonial Division with a perfect 3-0 mark and Dan Bergan’s boys have been getting solid play up and down the lineup. Michael Buchanan has a team high 14 assists, James Morino has six goals, Thomas Krause and Jack Lawrence each have eight assists and Tyler Wagner has over 600 career saves in the net. The Co-op have a couple Skyland teams coming up, North Hunterdon (4-2-1) and Ridge (4-3), to close out the year. Paul VI/Camden Catholic Leads in Valley A year ago, Paul VI/Camden Catholic saw a late season loss to West Windsor-Plainsboro cost it a fifth straight Colonial Valley Conference Valley Division title. The defeat was only PVI/CC’s second in the six years it has been in the Valley and both were to WW-P. This year it looks like they aren’t taking any chances as the Irish Eagles are off to a 7-1 start and 3-0 in the Valley Division and have outscored the Valley foes, 34-0. They have a meeting with Red Bank Catholic (2-1) on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. PVI/CC has scored an average of 8.35 goals a game. Senior Nick Aversa, who has been an All-Trentonian player since freshman season, leads the way with 14 goals and 16 assists, another All-Trentonian player Nick Lento has nine goals and newcomer Jason Bloor has put the light on nine times. Luciano Lisanti, who went over 600 saves in the St. Joe’s (Metuchen) game, has been the anchor on the defense. The Irish Eagles could make it an interesting CVC Tournament later this season. Hun Returns to Purple Puck New Hun coach, Nathaniel Welsh has the Raiders playing good hockey and headed to Virginia for the prestigious Purple Puck Tournament again this season. Hun (3-2) heads to Alexandria, Va., on Dec. 27 and faces Jesuit Dallas. The Texas team is 14-4 and recently played in South Bend, Ind., at Notre Dame. The Raiders face Archbishop Spalding (5-5) from Maryland and  conclude bracket play against host Gonzaga (2-4-2). “It’s a great chance to keep the guys together on the ice over the holiday break,’’ said Welsh. “We are all looking forward to it.’’ Zachary Vallee, who hails from Red Bridge, Ontario, leads the Raiders with seven goals and three assists. Vallee is in his first year at Hun. “He brings a lot of energy,’’ said Welsh of Vallee. “He has great puck handling skills and the ability to score from anywhere.’’ Princeton resident Anders van Raalte has four goals and six assists. The reigning Trentonian’s CVC Goalie of the Year, Blake Etchernacht, who was at Hopewell Valley last year, is now at Hun and still working his magic with a 2.25 goals against average. A Look Around the Ice — Graduation took a toll on last year’s top team, Hopewell Valley/Montgomery, but it is holding its own at 3-3-1. Junior Jack Riewe, who has been effective since his freshman season, is closing in on 100 career points. He has 40 goals and 53 assists. — Welcome back Patrick Hartmann and Charlie Luizza. The pair of former Robbinsville/Allentown players have joined the coaching ranks as assistants. Hartmann is at West Windsor-Plainsboro and Luizza is with Robbinsville/Allentown. — Princeton (3-2-1) defeated Newton and Lawrence by a combined score of 26-2. Anders Hedin, Liam Campbell, Abe Arshan, Babtiste Demurge and Ryan Garlock are excelling for the Tigers. — Louis Barrandon and Aditya Rath have continued to impress with the WW-P Co-op. Barrandon has 12 goals and 16 points and Rath has 10 goals and sophomore Ayan Patel has nine assists. — The Hamilton Tri-op got its first win of the season over Lawrence as Nikita Sein and Evan Langevin each had a hat trick. Langevin, Ryan Smith and Colin Doan all had four points in the win. — The 77th Lawrenceville Invitational Tournament is ongoing and the Big Red gained a win over Taft after dropping a pair of games to Nichols and Upper Canada College. “The tournament gives us an opportunity to grow as a team while playing against some of the best high school hockey teams out there,’’ said Lawrenceville coach Keith Dupee. “We’ll have the chance to be the second Lawrenceville team to win the tournament and the Erdman Memorial Trophy.’’ ...read more read less