Keith was a standout defenseman at St. Joes, leading the team to the state championship in 1991.
He was the captain of the team his sophomore, junior and senior years. He was also All-State his junior and senior seasons, scoring more than 20 goals each season. Keith received All League, All North Jersey and All Parochial honors junior and senior years. He also went on to play two years in the United States Hockey League JR A where he received a Division 1 NCAA scholarship to the University of Alaska-Anchorage in the WCHA. Keith left Alaska after two years to sign a professional hockey contract and went on to play 4 years in the East Coast Hockey League. He also attended training camp with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League. Keith has been the head hockey coach at Paramus Catholic High School for the last 16 years and is well respected throughout the coaching ranks.

Frank was an outstanding athlete all thru high school setting several records in baseball. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Braves and went on to pitch for their AAA farm system. After a tragic accident that ended his pitching career he moved on to hockey. He established several youth hockey programs at Low Tor Ice Arena, Rockland Ice Arena, Rockland Sport-O-Rama, Englewood Field Club, Mackay Ice Arena, and Ice House. His summer camps and weekly clinics were heavily attended for many years.

Spending 7 years at St. Joseph’s Regional in Montvale, he led the team to two state championships. He then spent four years at Bergen Catholic were he definitely raised the level of play. After 38 years in youth hockey he retired to North Carolina where he spend 12 years with the Carolina Hurricanes including the Stanley Cup win. Frank was also one of the first and extremely respected referees at the high school and college level.

Upon graduating from St. Joseph Regional Prep High School where he still holds State scoring records for goals, assists, and points, Ken was a 9th round pick, 175th overall, in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. He then went on to accept an NCAA Division 1 Scholarship to Lake Superior State University, where he completed his freshman year and then decided to pursue a pro career by playing in the Ontario Hockey League, which is arguably the best Junior Hockey League worldwide, for the Ottawa 67’s, Hamilton Dukes, Niagara Falls Thunder and the Guelph Storm. After attending his first NHL camp, he signed his first pro contract at 20 years old.

Ken is one of a few players to have had the opportunity to play both with and against world class hockey players from Division 1 and Major Junior. Ken also won an RHI World Championship in 1995 and also played in the World Championship Roller Hockey finals for Team USA in 1996. Ken has been coaching youth players for the last 15 years all over the Northeastern US, running elite hockey camps, power skating clinics and providing private lessons for talented up and coming players of all ages. Ken’s philosophy on coaching and hockey instruction is not a mere emphasis on winning games, it is on the development of the player both physically and mentally.

Ken has spent the past 20 years in Upstate NY with his wife Michele and son Garrett. They currently live together in both Utica, NY and St. Augustine, Florida where he is very involved with the hockey community.

The Bergen County powerhouse put up some remarkable numbers during the winter of 1983-84 for coach Frank Horan. In the final year of the Bergen Scholastic League, St. Joseph had an amazing 26-0-1 record, scoring 279 goals and only allowing 39. St. Joseph beat Brick in the state final at South Mountain Arena, 7-6. Noted as a team full of outstanding players, which included Max Middendorf (HOF 2010) who went on to play in the NHL and Gene Katz, who later coached the team to a state championship.

Players
John Amico
Sean Higgins
Eugene Katz
David Frank
Adam Passamonti
Vincent Petruolo
John Pagoumian
David Gatti
Matthew Murray
Gerald Rutigliano
Richard Brande
Andrew Barish
Craig Connolly
Max Middendorf
John Cabral
Darren Amerkanian
Eric Reisman
Keith Connolly
Coaches
Frank Horan
Barbara Horan

At 6-5, Middendorf was a terror on the ice for St. Joseph of Montvale. He helped St. Joseph to a pair of Bergen County League titles. In addition, St. Joseph won the 1984 state championship with an incredible 26-0-1 record. That season, Middendorf had 38 goals and 35 assists.

Middendorf was the first scholastic player from the Garden State to make it to the National Hockey League.