NICK OF TIME: Hun School boys’ hockey player Nick Aubry heads up the ice in recent action. Last Wednesday, senior forward Aubry picked up two assists as top-seeded and four-time defending champion Hun defeated eighth-seeded Pennington 9-0 in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals. The Raiders, who moved to 11-8-2 with a 6-4 win over St. Augustine last Monday in a regular season contest, were slated to face fifth-seed Paul VI in the MCT semis on February 13 with the victor advancing to the title game on February 16 at the Mercer County Skating Center. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Nick Aubry and his teammates on the Hun School boys’ hockey team were pumped up as they faced Pennington in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals last Wednesday.

“All of the guys came out fired up,” said Hun senior forward Aubry. “The music was blasting, we had a great time.”

Aubry assisted on the second goal as top-seeded and four-time defending champion Hun jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period over eighth-seeded Pennington.

“I just had it in the corner, I tossed it up to our defense,” said Aubry, recalling his feed to Brendan Mrotchek. “He got it in front, it was a bang-bang goal.”

The goals kept coming for Hun as it pulled away to a 9-0 victory to take the first step in its quest for a fifth straight county crown. The Raiders were slated to face fifth-seeded Paul VI in the MCT semis on February 13 with the victor advancing to the title game on February 16 at the Mercer County Skating Center.

“We got a lot of the younger guys out to play and it was a great experience,” said Aubry, who picked up another assist later in the contest.

Aubry, who has been with the Hun hockey program all four years, moving up to the varsity as a junior, is looking to end his high school career on a high note.

“This is my second year on varsity,” said Aubry. “It was a so-so year for me. I am looking forward to having a good MCT and scoring some goals.”

Hun head coach Ian
McNally sensed that his players were looking forward to another MCT run.

“On the bus ride here today they were singing Taylor Swift songs,” said McNally.

“They were warming up as if it was the first game of the season, yelling and screaming. It is a very positive energy. When we come to this, they are happy to play in it. Everyone really enjoys this tournament.”

McNally enjoyed seeing Aubry have a big game against Pennington.

“Nick has got offensive abilities; this is a year where it has been able to come through a little more,” said McNally.

“He is getting ice time, he is getting top six linemates. I fully expect this is a tournament where he will put up a couple of points every game.”

While the Raiders expect to be playing for another title, McNally knows accomplishing that won’t be easy.

“Usually the semis and finals are against Notre Dame and Princeton High,” added McNally, whose team improved to 11-8-2 with a 6-4 win over St. Augustine last Monday in a regular season contest.

“Those have been very good games. I think the final every year the last four years has been either a one or two goal game. That is the game where everybody gets to watch and their buddies come. They get to feel like that is the big last game of the season.”

Aubry, for his part, is hoping that the Raiders save their best for last. “It will be a great, strong finish,” said Aubry. “It has been a .500 year, but this will cap it off and make it great.”