By Ashley Pavlakis
The Kings Park-Commack Knights are mid-way through the varsity ice hockey season as they continue to put W’s in the book. The Knights are members of the Suffolk County High School Hockey League (SCHSHL).
The Knights are led by head coach Duane Kilmer, the longtime player and coach who has been in and around the game for over thirty years. Kilmer is joined by assistant coaches Dan O’Donnell, Anthony Napoli, and Frank Paratore.
KPC is currently riding an 8-2-0 record where they’ve recorded some pretty decisive wins. Their offense is firing on all cylinders, with Captain Jesse Lemza leading the way with 16 goals. Lemza is joined by assistant captain Ryan Furst as leaders for the Knights.
Lemza, a power forward for the Knights, has been a consistent goal-scorer during his time donning the maroon & gold. He averaged double digits in each of his four seasons, with his best offensive output coming last season when he notched 49 goals and 48 assists for 97 points. His scoring abilities are evident on the score sheet as he’s recorded over 200 points in his high school hockey career so far. Some might say he’s got a knack for finding the twine.
The offense seems to be taken care of as they’ve outscored their opponents 64-21 this season through 10 games. In the crease, Jayson Krauthamer has stood tall and not because he’s 6’0.” The netminder has remained a solid force in the blue paint, keeping the opponents from finding the back of the net too often on most nights. Last season Krauthamer averaged a 1.99 GAA. Statistically speaking, that’s a great number to have next to your name on the stat sheet.
Krauthamer has split time in the crease this season with senior Jacob Dufresne. Dufresne, a newcomer who played elsewhere last year, has lightened the load for Krauthamer with each goaltender playing five games a piece. Having two reliable goaltenders that could be called upon at any given time is immensely important for any hockey team.
The playing field is not easy as the top of the table is led by St. Anthony’s, Smithtown-Hauppauge, and Kings Park-Commack respectively. St. Anthony’s has yet to lose a game through the first half of the season. The Bulls are right behind them with one loss to their name.
The SCHSHL hosts all league games at The Rinx in Hauppauge. The Rinx, a longtime home to Suffolk County high school hockey, has an NHL-sized ice rink to compete on. When entering the building, you know there’s plenty of hockey being played in there as banners of the varsity hockey teams are hung up in the rafters for everyone to see.
Winter is the perfect season for ice hockey, especially at the high school level. The Knights are ready to put up a fight in the SCHSHL for a title.
