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DeLucia Secures His Spot in Guilford Hockey History

In only his third season as a member of the Guilford boys’ ice hockey team, John DeLucia can not only say that he’s a state champion, but he’s also earned himself a place in the Indians’ history books.

John is a junior co-captain who recorded 35 goals with 33 assists while helping Guilford win both the SCC/SWC Division II title and the Division II state championship last winter. As a result of his performance, John was named to the Second Team for both the All-Conference and All-State squads.

On Jan. 15 of this year, John etched his name in the Guilford history books when he broke the school record for the most career points scored, which had been 145. John currently has 158 points for his high-school career, including 41 points on 23 goals and 18 assists this year for the Indians, who have a record of 10-2.

John feels honored to have the record, but extends a lot of credit to his teammates for helping him become a prolific figure in the Indians’ explosive offense.

“Earning the record is special, but I was fortunate to have the opportunity to play as a freshman and have great line-mates each year. I couldn’t have done it without them,” says John, who posted 53 points as a freshman. “We share the puck and move it. I wouldn’t be able to do it without the support of my teammates that helped me transition into the high school game well as a freshman.”

John’s camaraderie with his fellow forwards helps them all make solid snap decisions on the ice. Everyone knows the right time to either drive the puck to the net or dish it off to a winger with some open space.

“You definitely have to make quick decisions out there, but through playing with these guys for so long, you get a sense of each other,” John says. “I have good line-mates, and we just try to move the puck, find each other, and hope it works out in the end.”

Guilford Head Coach Ralph Russo says that John is certainly deserving of the school record. He adds that John always wants to see his teammates succeed and constantly puts their best interests at the forefront.

“It is great to see someone who enjoys playing hockey so much achieve a milestone. He enthusiasm for hockey is contagious. He is excelling, while making his teammates and his team better,” says Russo of John. “If you look closely at his numbers, he has just as many assists as goals, which makes him a unique player. As a team leader this year, you can just tell that he cares for each of his teammates. He is just as happy when a teammate excels as when he scores a goal. He loves to compete and, most importantly, wants his team to excel.”

While stepping into a captain’s role for a team defending two titles, John knew the early portion of the 2017-’18 season would be an adjustment period for the Indians. However, he felt confident that Guilford had a group of guys who were ready to work hard in order to overcome any hurdle.

“Coming into this year, we knew we had a big target on our backs, and we lost some guys from last year’s team,” says John. “But we also knew we had a good group of guys returning that love coming to the rink and working hard in practice.”

John praises his teammates for raising both their intensity and their level of play this season. Whether people are taking on new positions or stepping into different roles, John says that everyone is going that extra mile each step of the way.

“We have a first-year goalkeeper in Mete Yanbul, who has come over from soccer and stepped up big and has done a great job with keeping the puck out of the net,” John says. “We also have offensive power, which helps us. We have senior leaders and underclassmen that have also stepped up, and it’s all leading to our success.”

The Indians are running good right now, but John knows that they can’t let off the breaks. Just like last year, John wants Guilford to peak at the right time, so the team can get back to Ingalls Rink in March.

“Our goal is always to play our best hockey at the end of the year. We’ve gotten off to a good start this year, and we want to continue it,” says John. “We want to correct our mistakes by playoff time. We will have the target on our backs, but we are ready for the challenge.”