The 2025 championship roster: Captain Roger J. Muller Jr. of Hoboken, Captain Vasili Karalewich of River Vale, Goalie Frankie Smith of Little Ferry, Lorenzo Sargenti of Hoboken, Matt Josefs of Hoboken, Keegan White of Hoboken, Dylan Yott of Hoboken, Damian Bieniasz of Jersey City, Aleksander Zaloga of Jersey City, Adin Adler of New York City, Adam Podell of Bloomfield, Randy Homer of Linden, Frank Stefano of Bloomingdale, Ryan Modnyy of Staten Island, Mike Lloyd of Glen Ridge, David Chang of Emerson, Phil Mollica of Oak Ridge, Jeff Spatola of Rahway, and Daniel Antal of Bucharest, Romania. Ages ranged from 19 to 68 — among them a quantitative analyst, a Wayne police officer, and an electrician.
White Rockets Win Smythe Division at The Icehouse — Spring/Summer 2025
The Hoboken White Rockets’ Smythe Division championship was a masterclass in sustained excellence. Finishing the 2025 Spring/Summer season with an outstanding 14–4 record, the Smythe Division squad advanced through the playoffs and won the championship game at The Icehouse in Hackensack with a commanding 4–2 victory over the Golden Eagles.
The championship roster: Captain Christopher Poggi of Harrington Park, Goalie Nick Franco of Nanuet, Asst. Captain Kevin Barbelet of Blauvelt, Stephen Barbelet of Blauvelt, Damian Bieniasz of Jersey City, Patrick Brown of Blauvelt, Patrick Chang of Glen Rock, Suneet Degonkar of Jersey City, Steven Gildea of Hoboken, Patrik Gladmark of Teaneck, Brian Laaninen of West Milford, Mike Lloyd of Hoboken, Jason Lockwood of Hoboken, Phil Mollica of Oak Ridge, Nick Nadeau of Hoboken, Martin Ramirez of Teaneck, Asst. Captain Dominic Ricciardi of Allentown, Eric Solan of North Haledon, and Frank Stefano of Bloomingdale. Ages ranged from 19 to 66.
White Rockets Capture Patrick Division at The Icehouse — Spring/Summer 2024
The Hoboken White Rockets’ Patrick Division squad completed the organization’s hat trick by claiming the Icehouse Adult Hockey League’s Patrick Division title in the Spring/Summer 2024 season. Entering as underdogs, they engineered a memorable playoff run before defeating BLH in the championship game at The Icehouse in Hackensack.
The championship roster: Captain Roger J. Muller Jr. of Hoboken, Captain Vasili Karalewich of River Vale, Goalie Jim Lacey of Boonton, Nico Crincoli of Haskell, Matt Horn of Pompton Lakes, Bryan Latawiec of Chestnut Ridge, Cameron Hartman of Hoboken, Eric Zlotnick of Hoboken, Danny Antal of Ringwood, Matteo Amendola of Westwood, Owen Egbert of Hoboken, Chris Squirlock of Pine Brook, Mark Malone of Bayonne, Christian Lamonica of Oradell, Steve Shanley of Clifton, Max Richards of Hoboken, Frank Kopicki of Hoboken, Marko Skarica of Hoboken, Sion Arnoff of Hoboken, David Dadian of Boonton, and Bobby Capelli of Hoboken. Ages ranged from 19 to 68.
Commissioner Romano Honors All Three Teams
What made this season truly historic was not just the championships, but the formal recognition that followed. Hudson County Commissioner Anthony L. Romano Jr. — Chairman of the Hudson County Board of County Commissioners — issued all three Proclamations, each certified by County Clerk Carol Jean Doyle, honoring the players, coaches, and managers of each championship squad.
It is extraordinarily rare for a single amateur sports organization to receive even one County Proclamation in a season. Receiving three — for three separate teams playing in three separate leagues — speaks to the scope of what the Rockets accomplished and the esteem in which the organization is held throughout Hudson County.
The Man Behind the Rockets
Roger J. Muller Jr. has served simultaneously as Team Captain, General Manager, and Coach since founding the Hoboken Rockets in 1991 — 34 years of showing up while also running Muller Insurance of Hoboken, one of New Jersey’s most respected independent insurance agencies, established in 1906 and now in its 120th year.
The Rockets have won championships in Washington, D.C., Toronto, Boston, and Hackensack over the decades. In 2001, the team won Hockey North America’s National Championship in Toronto, Canada. By 2006, the Rockets had teams at six different levels at The Icehouse. The American Dream Hockey League, which the Rockets joined in 2024, became yet another stage for their excellence almost immediately.
Alongside Muller, co-captain Vasili Karalewich of River Vale has been a defining presence in the Rockets’ championship culture. Their philosophy is simple: share ice time, play disciplined short shifts, and put the team ahead of the individual. In 2024–25, that philosophy delivered three championships.
A Season for the Record Books
Three leagues. Three venues. Three championship titles. Three County Proclamations. The 2024–2025 season stands as the gold standard in the history of the Hoboken Rockets — and quite possibly in the history of adult amateur hockey in Hudson County.
Congratulations to the Hoboken Red Rockets, the Hoboken White Rockets Smythe Division champions, and the Hoboken White Rockets Patrick Division champions — and to Roger J. Muller Jr. and Vasili Karalewich for leading this organization to its finest season yet. Hoboken is proud of every one of you.
Natasha Anderson covers amateur and youth sports for the Hoboken Sports Review.
OFFICIAL PROCLAMATIONS
