Nick Aversa was pretty confident that his day would come.
Not only did he break the Paul VI High School ice hockey team’s career-scoring record, but Aversa is also happy to see his program in a better place than ever.
“I’ve never had this much fun playing hockey in my life,” said Aversa, who has been playing the sport since he was 5. “I’m playing with my best friends and having a great season. There’s nothing really better than that.”
Three years ago, Aversa watched good friend CJ Compagnola become the first player in school history to record 100 career points. Aversa raced past him last year and raises the new record almost every time he takes the ice. Through Jan. 17, he had collected 54 goals and 97 assists, including 42 points in 12 games this season.
“From the day I got to PVI, that was one of my goals,” Aversa said. “When I was a freshman, a senior [Compagnola] got 100 points. I really looked up to him, and he was a guy I wanted to play like, and [I wanted to] be a leader like him. I knew [the school record] was there, but I was kind of letting it happen. It wasn’t something I was focused on. I was more worried about winning.”
More importantly, the Eagles won 10 of their first 12 games to start the season, already surpassing their win total from last year, 8-8-1. Aversa and fellow senior captain Mason Jones are at the forefront of the team’s success.
“I’ve seen us take some strides,” said Jones, a bruising defenseman. “Last year was a little rough, so we came in with a new, fresh mindset.”
Both Aversa and Jones are exemplary student athletes, as both are National Honors Society members. They were easy selections for leadership roles.
“I like being a leader,” Jones said. “We make sure everyone is ready to go and locked in every game. We have a good bond. We all get along with each other, and we all want to play for each other.”
Aversa goes a step further with preparation for games. He likes to know everything about the opposition.
“I may care about hockey a little too much,” Aversa said with a laugh. “I go home, and I’m on the computer checking through all the teams we’re playing and watching and scouting the different teams. It’s just been a huge part of my life. I’m on the ice almost every day for six months of the year.”
When he’s off the ice, he’s putting in more work to help the program grow. Aversa runs the team’s Instagram account, which he sees as a tool for recruiting future players.
“I care a lot about that,” he said. “I think it’s a huge part in bringing new kids in to play. We’ve built this program up since I was a freshman. It doubled in size, and I think Instagram is a big part of keeping that going.”
Aversa’s younger brother, Joe, is a freshman forward on the team. When he doesn’t suit up for the varsity games, he takes photos to help promote the team.
“He’s pretty good with the camera,” Nick Aversa said. “He’s gotten really good at it.”
Aversa plans to study finance or business at Susquehanna University next year, where he will play lacrosse and club ice hockey.
“I love lacrosse just as much as hockey, and I picked a school where I’m going to do both things that I love and have the best of both worlds,” he said.
Jones also plans to play club hockey when he decides on a college. He wants to study pre-medicine with the hopes of being an anesthesiologist.
Before Aversa and Jones start the next chapter of their careers, they still have some business to take care of on the ice this season. A heavy slate of games awaits, and conference and state tournaments are on the horizon.
Aversa enjoys shouldering the load.
“It’s awesome, especially with this group,” he said. “Everyone just loves to be on this team, and everyone is tight. You can see it on the ice in how we play.”
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