The Colonial Division title went down to the final minutes of the campaign last season, before Aidan Trainor's goal gave Princeton its second straight title with a 3-2 win over Notre Dame.
The Little Tigers had snapped Notre Dame's 81-game CVC winning streak in the 2016-17 season, while also ending the Irish's five-season stranglehold on the Colonial Division title.
Princeton (18-9-4 last season) is the favorite once again to retain its title, with team full of firepower. But the Little Tigers, who have played in the last two Mercer County Tournament finals, as well as the last two NJSIAA Public B semifinals, have their eyes on bigger prizes than a division banner.
Notre Dame (13-11) has fallen into the second spot in the CVC the last two seasons, and has gone 24-23-4 in that time, after the Irish dominated the league for years? Can they rebound in 2018-19?
Hopewell Valley (9-8-5) will be competitive in the league, while Robbinsville (7-11-5) will try to return to its usual winning ways after a subpar 2017-18 campaign.
In the Valley Division, Paul VI (9-4-1) surprised everyone with a division title and a trip to the Mercer County Tournament semifinals. The Eagles jumped out early in the season at the top of the standings, and were never challenged, losing just once in the division. Can they continue to soar in 2018-19?
West Windsor-Plainsboro (11-10-4) was the only other team with a record over .500. The Pirates look to be the team best equipped to make a run at Paul VI.
The two Hamilton Schools, Steinert (6-10-4) and Nottingham (1-14-11) have struggle mightily to compete over the last few seasons, while Lawrence (2-12-2) fell on hard times last campaign after a 14-win season in 2016-17. Will any of those three squads make the jump to a competitor in the Valley?
Those questions will be answered starting Monday, as Steinert and Hopewell Valley open the CVC campaign with a 4 p.m. contest at Mercer County Park, followed by Paul VI taking on Nottingham at 6 p.m.
SEVEN CVC PLAYERS TO WATCH
Cameron Chandler, D, Paul VI, Sr.: The Eagles were the surprise outfit of the CVC last season, winning their first CVC Valley Division title in school history. Chandler was a huge part of that, with 12 goals and 11 assists from defense.
Justin Cooper, G, Robbinsville, Sr.: He was the All-CVC goaltender last season, and will be key to the Ravens this year as well. Cooper had a save percentage of .890, and made 332 saves as Robbinsville went 7-11-5.
Keith Goldberg, F, Princeton, Sr.: He missed 30 days to start the season after his transfer from Hun, but Goldberg still scored 18 goals and added 14 assists. He could be pivotal, as the Little Tigers go in search of Mercer County and NJSIAA Public B titles.
Ronan Keenan, F, WW-P, So.: He burst onto the CVC scene in 2017-18, with 22 goals and 18 assists as a freshman. What will he do for an encore this season?4
Dano Malik, F, Steinert, Sr.: All-CVC selection led the Spartans with 21 goals and 26 assists, and has 55 goals in his career. Can he help the Spartans to a Valley Division title?
Rocco Salvato, D, Princeton, Jr.: All-CVC and All-Area in 2017-18, Salvato will look to get the Little Tigers to the top of the mountain. Salvato has 30 goals and 39 assists in his two years with Princeton.
Aidan Trainor, F, Princeton, Jr.: The reigning CVC Player of the Year and All-Area player will look to build on his strong sophomore season, when he had 29 goals and 27 assists.
