Hockey: Kearsarge’s Justin Garzia named D-III Coach of the Year, All-State rosters released

Pembroke-Campbell’s Cam Plumb carries the puck during the Brady Sullivan Christmas Tournament championship at Merrill Fay Arena in Laconia on Thursday, Dec. 28. Plumb was named to the Division III All-State First Team after leading PAC to its first championship game appearance in program history. JOSHUA SPAULDING / Salmon Press

Pembroke-Campbell’s Kaleb Couture (left) battles Kearsarge-Plymouth’s Shea Curley for possession of the puck in the Division III hockey semifinal at Plymouth State University’s Hanaway Rink. Pembroke-Campbell won 5-0 to advance to the program’s first ever state final. JOSHUA SPAULDING / Salmon Press

By DAN ATTORRI

Monitor staff

Published: 03-22-2024 1:28 PM

facebook

The New Hampshire High School Hockey Coaches Association recently released its end-of-season awards and All-State rosters for the 2023-24 season. Kearsarge-Plymouth head coach Justin Garzia took home the biggest prize, getting named the Division III Coach of the Year.

Garzia – who is also the cross country and track coach at Kearsarge Regional High School – led the Kearsarge-Plymouth Cats to a 9-10-1 record and a spot in the D-III semifinals thanks to a 4-3 upset victory over No. 3 Belmont-Gilford in the quarters. The Cats nearly doubled its win total from 2022-23 when they went 5-12-1 and failed to make the playoffs.

D-III was the only division to have Capital Area representation on the First Team, with Pembroke-Campbell senior forward Cam Plumb and Belmont-Gilford junior forward Evan Guerin earning selections.

Pembroke-Campbell senior goaltender Liam Cripps and junior forward Casey Fuller were named to the Second Team, as was Kearsarge-Plymouth senior forward Jack Swanson.

Pembroke-Campbell had the most total selections out of all area teams after going 15-5 and earning the No. 2 seed in D-III, advancing to its first championship game appearance in program history. PAC fell to top-seeded Berlin-Gorham, 2-0.

Senior defenseman Patrick Chamberlain rounded out PAC nods by getting an Honorable Mention. Belmont-Gilford senior forward Adam Ribeiro and junior netminder Carson McGreevy, and Kearsarge-Plymouth senior defenseman Brennan Johnson also earned Honorable Mentions.

Concord senior forward Dawson Fancher and senior defenseman Jack Shoemaker were named to the D-I Second Team, and Bow senior defenseman Brodie O’Neil and junior forward Owen Webber received D-I Honorable Mention.

Bishop Brady-Trinity-Londonderry sophomore defender Meghan Schmidt was named to the Second Team of the girls’ division.

Article continues after...