Great people are always consistent.
When it comes to women's hockey in New Jersey over the past four years, no one epitomized it more than Jessica Sperling.
The Morristown Beard senior had some great mentors in his early seasons, but as he got older he came into his own and is poised to come out of the gate with one of the most decorated careers in program history. There is.
Sperling, who tied the state highs with 32 goals and 52 points. NJ.com 2023-24 Female Ice Hockey Player of the Year.
This was the third consecutive year Sperling has scored at least 26 goals and scored at least 40 points. This is also the second time she has won this award, having won it after the end of the 2021-22 season.
She ranks fourth in Morristown Beard history with 96 goals in 69 games and fifth with 159 points.
“We were so close to the ice that a lot of things connected on the ice,” Sperling said. “My center, Julie Jasaitis, is a very smart player and always knows where I am and makes really good plays. Being on the ice with her helped me score a lot of goals. I think it definitely helped.”
Being on the ice as often as sparring also helped her be more productive. She is the first on the ice to score penalty kicks, the first on the ice when her team goes into a power play, the first on the ice to protect a late lead, and the first on the ice when her team needs a goal. In fact, she was on the ice almost every other shift for her entire career.
Despite that amount of playing time, Sperling was only able to earn three minors by the end. It was rare to see her in the penalty box, but it was equally rare to see her taken off the scoresheet for long periods of time.
Sperling has never scored in more than two games in a row in his career, and only three times in his career has he not scored in two consecutive games. The future Penn State Nittany Lion scored in 51 of the Morristown Beard's 72 games over the past four seasons.
All the superstitious pregame fist pumps and handshakes with co-captain Kailyn Kane had the desired effect.
“She's gotten better in that department to be able to score consistently, but her overall play has improved (as well),” Morristown Beard head coach Bruce Driver said. “That’s the case this year, and it wasn’t that far off last year, just her positioning on the ice in all aspects of the game.”
Her mental health during 45-minute games has also improved this season. Her intangible talent, ability to read the play, and ability to find open ice were all big reasons why Morristown-Beard reached the Librera Cup finals, WIHLMA finals and state semifinals.
“I feel like I haven't been at my full potential when playing in games the last few years,” she said. “I knew I had a goal this year, and unfortunately I didn't get there, but I think I was just very mentally strong.”
Sperling ended his career with his best season to date, but the team fell just short in two finals and the state tournament. Her breakthrough came to an early end with a crushing overtime loss to Pingry in the state semifinals.
“I’m shocked, to be honest,” she said of the loss. “I really never thought this day would come. This group of girls has definitely had the best year ever at MBS, so it really hurts to say goodbye.”
The loss will hurt, but the uniqueness of this group will have a stronger impact over time. This was as close a team as Morristown Beard had ever had.
Teams will say they are a close-knit group, but the Crimson lived it.
From day one, Sperling, Kane and other leaders worked to get everyone involved through team dinners and conversations.
“Our goal this season was to really bring everyone together, because that's something we haven't had in years past,” she said. “No matter what grade level you are in, we wanted everyone to get along really well and get involved.”
Sperling is hopeful that the strong foundation built this year will bring even more success to this storied program in the future.
When the puck drops in the 2024-25 season, it will be a big adjustment for those watching Morristown Beard hockey not to be able to see No. 24 fly over the boards nearly every shift.
“It's definitely been an amazing journey. I'll miss it tremendously. I think Bruce definitely played a huge role in my success. He was the only coach that really believed in me and supported me as a player and understood me. “It definitely helped and the assistant coaches are really great. Their energy was always positive,” she said.
“The group of girls, we were all really close. That definitely helped a lot. I'm really happy with the way my career ended, even if I didn't make it to the end.”
Brian Bobal can be contacted at: bbobal@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @Brian Bobal.
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