Goalies: PV’s Shot-Stopping Stars

Goalie. Goalkeeper. Keeper. Keep. Tender. Whatever one chooses to call the person who stops the ball or puck from going into the net, there is little debate about the value they hold to their respective teams. At Pascack Valley, all of the successful teams are behind a strong goalie who not only blocks and stops but also leads the team to victory. 

During this year’s winter and spring sports, three senior goalies have gone above and beyond in their play and leadership on the ice rink and lacrosse field. 

Aidan Rybacki

In the winter, Aidan Rybacki stepped into the goalie role freshman year and hasn’t looked back, becoming a four-year starter. Coming into high school, he quickly realized the family aspect of the program. Notching 570 saves his freshman year, he stacked up a career-high saves this season with 818. His leadership this year continued to shine through.

“Being a goalie for so many years, you automatically take up some sort of responsibility. People look to you as a backbone,” Rybacki said. “That only grows being the only senior [on the ice].”

Rybacki knew the younger players looked up to him and that he needed to keep his cool and stay level-headed. This year, he was awarded the “C”, meaning captain.

Pascack Hockey Head Coach Sean Cosgrove praised Rybacki’s ability to move into a leadership role coming in as a freshman, continuing his impact as a leader through the rest of his career. 

“As the only senior on a young team, Aidan’s responsibilities as team captain were amplified. He was able to navigate being a leader and a friend,” Cosgrove said. “For all his hard work and dedication, Aidan guided the team to its first state semifinal appearance and earned First Team All-League Honors.”

Heading into the spring, both the girls and boys lacrosse teams turned to their respective goalies. 

Morgan Jones

For the girls, Senior Morgan Jones was irreplaceable to her team. Since her sophomore year, she has accumulated 230 saves. This year, she led the young girls lacrosse team to a league title.

“There is a lot of leadership as a goalie on the field because in any sport you see [the field] from a different perspective,” Jones said. “Having to direct them, [for example], ball is on your left, ball is on your right, it is a big leadership position. You see stuff that they can’t.”

Jones started playing goalie in her youth and loved it so much that she stuck with it. To Coach Melissa Velez, her loyalty and play have been unmatched since her freshman year. 

“Through the highs and the lows, she has always been proud to be a part of the girls lacrosse team and has done her best to support and motivate all of her teammates,” Velez said. 

Jones loves playing goalie because it is a very mental position, and requires the need to be at your best, both physically and mentally. 

“Goalie in general is a very mental position. It’s not about being the fastest or the quickest or the biggest [to be successful],” Jones said. “Multiple times in a game, I find myself having to reset and [focus on getting the next save]. 

This year, the girls lacrosse team went 7-0 in their league, winning the league title. They made it to the quarterfinals of both the Bergen County Tournament and the North 1, Group 2 state tournament. They finished with a 14-3 record on the year.

Kevin Wirchansky

On the boys side, senior goalie Kevin Wirchansky was involved with the program since his sophomore year. He had two back-to-back strong seasons with over 350 saves in his career and just under 200 saves in his senior season. 

In his sophomore season, Wirchansky was able to learn under then-senior goalie Desmond Von Tobel. 

“I thought he was a very good goalie, so I took his steps to become [more of a leader] and [took] on that role,” Wirchansky said. 

Much like Jones, Wirchansky thinks of lacrosse as being a mental game as much as it is a physical one. He is always thinking about how to defend the opposing team and when and where they are going to shoot.

“I always tend to think about what we need to fix and how I should be calling out the slides,” Wirchansky said. “When the ball is on our end, I focus on tracking the ball and [making] the plays I need to make.” 

Head Boys Lacrosse Coach Matt Will praises not only Kevin’s statistical accomplishments but also the lasting impact he will leave on the program.

“Kevin has not only been a good goalie over the last two years, with over 350 career saves but has been a great leader. He is one of the hardest workers on the team and always brings a positive, team-first, attitude to the field,” Will said. “As a two-year starter and 2023 team captain, Kevin has left his mark on the PV lacrosse program and will be difficult to replace next season.”

Standing in front of a net, making key saves with a stick or your body is no easy task; Rybacki, Jones, and Wirchansky have proved to be almost irreplaceable to their respective programs over the past two years.

With all three of the teams’ respective successes this year, the senior goalies graduating this year will be surely missed by all three programs. The impact they will leave on the team and program as a whole will not be forgotten.