By Jimmy Allinder
Brian Coelho couldn’t wait for the season to begin two years ago.
The then-sophomore for Saint Joseph High School of Metuchen’s ice hockey team was still learning to adjust to the faster pace on the varsity level but exuded confidence every time he stepped on the ice. Coelho felt confident he would eventually join the growing list of Falcons greats, many of whom have gone on to college careers and a few to the National Hockey League.
Shortly before the season began, however, Coelho suffered a severe knee injury that brought all of his aspiration to a grinding halt. Instead of the breakout season he envisioned, Coelho was faced with six months of rehabilitation that severely tested his physical and mental resolve.
The popular notion among athletes these days is without no pain, there’s no gain, and that certainly applied to Coelho, who experienced an epiphany of sorts during his hiatus from hockey.
“I know this might sound like a cliché, but the injury really allowed me to re-assess my future,” Coelho said. “I had played hockey since I was 5 and love the game, but I realized it could all end in a split second.”
Players with talent like Coelho often pour their hearts and souls into hockey hoping to get a shot at playing on the college varsity level and perhaps getting a shot at the pros. Coelho decided, however, his dedication to the sport wasn’t as important as succeeding in the classroom.
“When it comes time to choose a college, I’ll base my decision on academics,” he said. “I do plan to play intramural or club hockey, but school will be my first priority.”
Coelho has achieved a 3.9 grade-point average weighted by honors classes since his enrollment at academically challenging St. Joe’s. He plans to major in finance and among the schools he is considering are Penn State University and Syracuse University.
Coelho was a solid student ever since he first opened a textbook, but that’s because he worked at it. He applied that same mindset to getting back into hockey shape and the result was a season in which Coelho scored 15 goals and assisted on 24.
“Hockey is a sport where there’s always something going on that challenges you,” he said. “It might be winning a faceoff, a footrace to the puck or physical contact, but I give the same effort every shift, every game.”
Another important element to Coelho’s game is leadership because he recognizes less-experienced teammates look to him for direction. This he learned his freshman year.
“I appreciated how the seniors treated me like one of the guys even though I was new,” he said. “We developed a true camaraderie, and I believe it’s important to mentor our new players in the same respectful and inclusive way.”
Coelho also displays leadership through his gamesmanship, particularly in high-stakes matches. Last winter, he helped St. Joe’s to a 15-4-3 record, including a 6-0 regular-season mark in the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) and a fifth consecutive conference tournament title. He is also the returning player with the most points (39).
The most memorable hockey experience of Coelho’s career was also last season when the Falcons defeated Notre Dame High School, 4-2, to capture the Egan Cup. It was a satisfying moment because it was the Fighting Irish who eliminated St. Joe’s in the state tournament the previous season.
Ice hockey’s popularity in the GMC has grown in recent years, and St. Joe’s can no longer expect to win simply by stepping onto the ice, as was the case for so many years. Last year’s GMC championship game is proof of that as a spirited Woodbridge High School gave the Falcons all they could handle before dropping a 4-3 decision.
The gap has continued to narrow between St. Joe’s and the rest of the GMC in recent seasons, but the Falcons will again be favored to win the regular season and conference tournament titles. Coelho is one reason why.
St. Joe’s opened its 31st season — by far the longest tenure of any GMC program — dropping a 2-0 decision to Canisius High School of Buffalo, New York. Although the Falcons hoped to jumpstart the season with a win, they lost to a Northeast powerhouse and recognize improvement only comes by playing these top-shelf opponents. Coelho plans to be front and center in leading his team toward achieving that goal.
“Giving everything I have is the only way I know how to play,” he said. “As one of the more experienced players on the team, I need to set the standards that others can follow. If that happens, we’ll eventually learn to trust each other and become a true brotherhood.”
