February 2, 1989
A year ago Malvern Prep hockey player Derek Amoroso was on the third line of his high school team. Ahead of him were five teammates who were drafted to play in the National Hockey League.
That was at Canterbury, a boarding school in New Milford, Conn., where ice hockey is serious business. It even recruits its players. That’s how Amoroso, an Ardmore resident, ended up there after playing three years at Haverford High. Now he’s back rewriting the record books for the Eastern High School Hockey League. Last Thursday, Amoroso became the league record-holder for points in a season with 76 points, and he still has four games to play. His 5 goals and 2 assists led the way for the Friars in a 20-0 trouncing of St. James.
Amoroso now has 42 goals and 34 assists, which breaks the scoring mark of 75 points set last year by Haverford School’s Rob Pattison. His 34 assists broke the record 31 turned in last year by Malvern Prep graduate Chic Kelly.
Now he has one more aspiration. “I want to score nine more goals,” Amoroso said. “That shouldn’t be hard.” He’s shooting for 51 goals to break the current record by one. Amoroso didn’t plan on achieving these feats. If it weren’t for an illness in his family, Amoroso still would be at Canterbury playing his senior year.
While he’s here, Amoroso is making the most of each opportunity. “They look to get the puck to me, and I just wait for it,” he said. The Friars are enjoying a successful season with a 13-1 record. The only loss came by forfeit. “We would be 13-1 without him,” said coach Bob Martin. “With him, instead of winning games 7-0, we’re winning 13-0.”
Amoroso, at 6 feet, 1 inch, is taller than many of his teammates and many opponents. He uses his long reach to maneuver the puck, and by keeping his 180-pound body in front of opponents’ goals, he’s an obstacle who is tough to get around. “He’s almost unstoppable,” Martin said. “He’s difficult to hit, and one-on-one with the goalie, he’s almost unstoppable. He has all the right moves.”
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