BAYONNE, NJ — The Bayonne ice hockey team will host J.P. Stevens Friday at 6:45 p.m. in its season opener.

Bayonne is coming off an 11-9 season highlighted by a McMullen Cup semifinal appearance and a victory in the first round of the state playoffs.

The Bees welcome back all-conference junior center Alex Fiermonte, who had 29 goals and 13 assists last season; sophomore forward Ryan Villavert (16 goals, 11 assists) and one of the best goalies in New Jersey, senior Sydney Fogu, a Boston University commit with a save percentage of .934 and 849 saves in her career.

“We feel we can compete for the McMullen Cup and look to shock some people in the state,” Bayonne coach Nick Brancatella said. “Sophomore Villavert, the second leading scorer, has improved with his size and speed and looks like him and Fiermonte will generate a ton of offense. We feel we are still young with only three seniors graduating, but last year’s experience for most of our first-time varsity high school players gives us some momentum to build off the success of last season. Our coaching staff is excited about the progress of many returning players who seem to have elevated their game with commitment to the weight room and on ice sessions.”

Three freshmen who could step in and contribute very soon are forwards Chase Harrison and Connor Campbell and defenseman Collin Napier.

“We believe in defense first and that is centered around one of the elite goalies in the state in Sydney Fogu. WIth her in the net, we feel we are in every game,” Brancatella said. “Last year we felt we had one solid scoring line and a defensive line, but with some new faces who will compete for roles right away, and the improvement of players such as Nate Farkas and Kurt Dimoski, we believe our depth will be a strength of ours, being able to have two offensive attacking lines now.

“We were happy with last year’s success, but we know if we want to take the next step, defensively, we need to limit the amount of shots per game on Fogu,” Brancatella said.