Jadon Marchiano’s smile is genuine.
Off the ice, the Paul VI High School senior enjoys having fun, laughing with his friends, and even the occasional game of pickle ball. But once the skates are laced and warmup stretches have concluded, Marchiano’s game face changes dramatically and the intensity begins.
“That’s what a lot of people say,” Marchiano said with a laugh. “I play with a lot of grit. I try to be more of a playmaker than a goal-scorer but, yeah, that’s my playing style.”
Marchiano is valuable to the Paul VI ice hockey team, as he is a Swiss Army Knife of sorts. Usually a skilled power forward, Marchiano sometimes moves back to play defense where he roams the blue line regularly for his club team. Powerplay, penalty kill, offense, defense – Marchiano can be plugged into the lineup just about anywhere. His full skill set was on display Dec. 11 in a 6-2 win over West Windsor-Plainsboro South, where Marchiano was a rock on the defensive end.
“We had a JV game earlier tonight so we didn’t have a lot of our freshmen and sophomores, so we had to move Jadon back to defense,” Eagles coach Chalie Hall said after the win. “We’ve actually been talking a lot about moving him back there. And he played well, so we might be doing that moving forward. We’ll see how it goes.”
Marchiano scored 10 goals last season and already potted four through his first four games this year. He and junior Nick Aversa (22 goals, 34 assists last year) will be counted on to fill a lot of scoring that left with diplomas in the spring.
“I learned a lot from the guys the last few years about leadership,” Marchiano said. “I like being able to play that role now on the team.”
Marchiano said he learned from playing alongside players like CJ Compagnola, Steve Gresch and Ben Williams, to name a few. It’s a group that paved the way for the Eagles to enjoy a 16-6 record last year, which set the record for wins in a season.
“We had the best record PVI has ever had last season,” Marchiano said with a big smile. “We’re hoping to keep that momentum going and have a great season this year. Hopefully, we will beat the record again.”
Marchiano will be part of a new leadership group that deploys a small senior class.
“I love this senior class,” Hall said. “They just come to work and go to school and do what they need to do, and they are great glue people. That’s how you win.”
Marchiano, who has been playing hockey since age 6, isn’t sure of the next step in the sport, but he plans on studying business in college next year. His father, who played baseball growing up, has worked in business, managing gas stations.
“My dad is a big business guy, so seeing what he did as I grew up, he was a big role model for me,” Marchiano said.
Marchiano’s final high school hockey season will be laced with challenges as the Eagles have scheduled tough teams like Manasquan, Saint John Vianney and St. Joseph High School (Metuchen). A young team will need to grow up quickly.
“We’ve lost some really good leaders from last year, so [for] the new kids, it’s still pretty new for them,” Hall said. “There’s going to be some growing pains, as we have a tough schedule this year. It’s going to be tough, but I think it will be good for them.”
Marchiano enjoys a challenge. It sometimes even translates to the recreational pickle ball courts, known for their friendly and social environment. “I’m a big pickle ball guy. A few friends that live near me kind of got me into it. It’s a nicer sport.”
Sometimes instinct takes over, and things can ramp up. His smile fades and his competitive edge resurfaces.
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