State champion toms river south hockey team to be inducted into high school hockey hall of fame

State Champion Toms River South Hockey Team to be Inducted into High School Hockey Hall of Fame

TOMS RIVER, NJ – Twelve years ago, it was a miracle on ice when the Toms River High School South Hockey Team won the Public A State Title. Now, that team is being inducted into the New Jersey High School Hockey Hall of Fame.

“This is a great honor for our school’s ice hockey program,” said then High School South Principal and now Superintendent Mike Citta. “That title is part of our school, our district, and Toms River’s history, and I’m thrilled that the team will be immortalized in the Hall of Fame.”

“That HSS team’s run toward the title is the stuff of legend. They entered the playoffs a 16 seed, and knocked off top-seeded Morris Knolls in the opening round. From there, they never relented, ultimately defeating 3-seed Randolph in the finals on the New Jersey Devils home ice at Prudential Center,” the district said in a press release.

“We had a successful regular season,” said coach Bill McKinnon, “including a Christmas tournament win, a regular-season division title, and a conference championship title. But for whatever reason the seeding committee for the state tournament wasn’t impressed, which resulted in the 16 seed. The rest, as they say, is history.”

The Toms River school district said the following about the induction:

Among the 2022 individual inductees is Steve Hippel, who manned goal for High School North before graduating in 1990. In 2016, Hippel was named one of the top 30 goalies of all time in New Jersey.

The New Jersey High School Hockey Hall of Fame inducts worthy athletes, teams, coaches, and contributors once every two years. The 2022 induction ceremony will take place May 1 in West Orange. Those interested in purchasing tickets can do so online.

Those interested in relieving the glory of that remarkable, culminating 2010 Public A state final can browse through the gallery of photos below, all courtesy of the New Jersey Devils.

Parts of this article written by the Toms River Regional School District press release. Photo courtesy of New Jersey Devils.

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.