Road less skated

Growing up in South Philadelphia, not many kids around Vinny Borgesi played hockey.

His family didn’t have much of a background in the sport. Still, he fell in love with it the first time his dad put him on skates.

But it didn’t just lead to him finding his passion, it also led him to two of his best friends, Andrew Centrella and Sonny DiNubile.

At 8 years old, they would get off the ice after practice and head to Borgesi’s house for more hockey. Sweat-soaked and full of energy, the trio would rough each other up during intense games of mini sticks in the basement.

While their love for the game brought them together, the shared experiences off the ice forged a deeper connection: traveling around the East Coast, getting yelled at in the back of the car on the way to the rink, hallway hockey during tournaments, and, of course, knee hockey in the basement.

“We’re older now and we’re all playing college hockey, but at the same time, the memories that I’ll never forget [are] down in my basement and playing hockey together and us going on road trips together and being in the car together for long car rides,” Borgesi said.

But to pursue their dreams, the three defensemen had to look outside of the city.

Borgesi left home at 15 for the South Kent Selects in Connecticut after attending St. Joseph’s Prep for his freshman year. The decision wasn’t easy for Borgesi, a proud Philadelphian and a self-proclaimed “mama’s boy.”

When Borgesi moved to Nebraska to live with a billet family and play for the Tri-City Storm in the United States Hockey League, things were even tougher, this time for his parents, Maria and Vinny Borgesi. While Borgesi was at South Kent, his father would drive up every weekend to watch him play, and he couldn’t anymore.

“That was the roughest time for us because it was literally two plane rides away, and it was just a different way of life,” Maria Borgesi said. “He was just so far away, and he was only 16, turning 17 that year.”

Centrella was the next to go after two years at the Prep. He went to the Northwood School in Lake Placid, N.Y., where the Herb Brooks Arena was his home rink.

Centrella credits this time for turning him “from a boy to a man.” Off the ice, things like learning the importance of structure, time management, and having a routine came with the territory.

“Now that I’m in college, I was well-prepared for this,” Centrella said. “I’ve been living away for a while, so it’s almost a routine now, and it’s just part of me.”

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Neither Borgesi nor Centrella ever had a prom. They were busy going to Select 15 and Select 17 USA Hockey player development camps and playing against names a hockey fan would recognize, like Cutter Gauthier.

The most recognizable name for Philly fans: Matvei Michkov, against whom Borgesi played during the 2020 Youth Olympic Games gold-medal match in Switzerland.

“He was probably one of the best players in the world at that point,” Borgesi said. “It’s also pretty cool to say that I was on the same ice and playing against him, trying to shut him down at one point. He was an unbelievable player.”

Borgesi said he’ll never take the chance to represent his country for granted, especially with his family traveling to watch him. That experience helped him realize he could have a future in the sport.

“You wear those colors, and you never look back,” Borgesi said. “You want to be the most selfless person you can be when you have those colors on. So to wear that jersey was definitely something that I’ll never, ever forget.”

While Borgesi and Centrella were away at school, DiNubile took time away from the game. In 2017, DiNubile’s brother, Salvatore “Tankie” DiNubile, a hockey player at St. Joseph’s Prep, was murdered. Sonny was in eighth grade at the time.

“Before Sonny could walk, we literally said he could skate,” said their sister, Ciarra Bianculli. “He kind of absorbed himself into the sport, I’d like to say, even more so than Tankie ever did, and I think that’s because he had really great friends, like Andrew and Vinny. ... They all just fed off of each other. Watching Sonny now, and reflecting on where he came from, from a 2-year-old, to watching Tankie play, to having to take a break after everything that happened, it’s a really inspiring story.”

At 17, Sonny found his way back to the sport.

Bianculli said it felt like their family “let out a breath of fresh air” when he returned to the ice.

“There is no Sonny without hockey. There’s no hockey without Sonny. So we were so happy,” Bianculli said. “I almost look at it like it was a sort of therapy for him, too, because he returned to doing something he loved, and he was able to take all the grief that he had.”

There is no Sonny without hockey. There’s no hockey without Sonny. So we were so happy.

He relied heavily on one of his coaches, Tony Voce, a former Phantoms player who died from a heart attack in July. He was 43.

“I skated with Tony from when I was 17 till last year. So that’s four years, obviously, every single day in the summer,” DiNubile said. “He helped me get better. When I was down on myself, he would help me, build more confidence, just continue going.”

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After finishing out his time in junior hockey, DiNubile played in the North American Hockey League for the Philadelphia Rebels out of Hollydell Arena in Sewell. DiNubile was coached by Matthew Gaudreau, who died in August after he and his brother, Johnny Gaudreau, were struck by an alleged drunk driver while riding their bikes.

“He was the person I would go and talk to every single day. Even when I felt fine, I’d go talk to Matt. Because I know Matt, he would give me the best advice,” DiNubile said. “He was honest with me. He would tell me if I was horrible. He told me if I was good.”

After recording 39 points in 119 games during his two seasons with the Rebels, DiNuble, who never had plans of going to college, started his freshman year at Neumann University in the fall of 2024.

“Of all the coaches I talked to, [Michael Hedden] was definitely the best one,” DiNubile said. “I know if I want to continue playing after college, he’s the guy that’s going to get me somewhere.”

Centrella was called up from the Northwood School in New York to play for the Omaha Lancers in Nebraska, and Centrella said he was thrown “straight into the fire.” After he had three assists in four games in his first season and five assists in 12 games in his second season, Providence College was among the schools calling.

After playing for the Omaha Lancers, Centrella was traded to the Youngstown Phantoms, where he helped lead his team to a Clark Cup Trophy as an alternate captain.

“It really brought the passion back for me with hockey,” Centrella said. “There’s no better feeling than winning a championship with a group of guys that you do it all year with.”

Centrella is now in his second season with the Friars, who finished the season as the 10th-ranked team in the country, and had 14 points and 23 blocks in 34 games this season. The Friars’ season ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with a 5-1 loss to Denver.

For Borgesi, the college process started a few years earlier, during his freshman year at the Prep when he caught Northeastern’s attention on a trip to Boston.

This season, he recorded 22 points and 51 blocks in 32 games, and was a Hobey Baker Memorial Award nominee.

The Huskies beat Merrimack in the Hockey East tournament before defeating the top team in the country, Boston College, to advance to the semifinals. Northeastern became the first ninth seed to make it that far in the Hockey East tournament.

It was a full-circle moment for Borgesi, who recalled being 10 or 11 years old and going to a game in which Boston College played Merrimack.

“Those moments right there get me a little bit,” Borgesi said. “Every time I get a police escort to [TD Garden], it’s like, ‘Yeah, this is something that I’ve dreamt of and wanted to live out.’ ”

Another moment like that is when he steps on the ice and sees Centrella on the other side.

They faced each other four times in 2024-25. Providence came out on top in three games, while Northeastern notched a shootout win against the Friars.

“I used to always play against Vinny or play with him, so I know what kind of player he is,” Centrella said. “He’s doing really well right now, and it’s amazing watching that. And, coming from one of his good buddies who grew up playing with him, I think that it’s always a good time sharing the ice with him.”

Soon, all three will be together again for the short amount of time when their schedules overlap in the summer.

DiNubile, whose freshman season was cut short by a torn labrum in his shoulder, said that when the trio skates together in the summer, he enjoys the support that comes from being with them.

“Watching how good they are, I kind of just watch and try to model my game around both of them. They’re both two different style players, so I can learn from both of them, what I could do to get better,” DiNubile said. “Skating with them in the summers builds your confidence. Watching them, learning from them, and just being around them in the locker room helps me be a better person, be a better player.”

To have each other’s backs, three kids coming out of Philly who play the game and have been friends forever, it’s a bond that I don’t think can ever be broken. We all look up to each other.

Things have changed since they were 8 years old, but, really, things aren’t so different. Mini sticks turned into full equipment, and the basement where they used to play has turned into packed college rinks. But their support for each other hasn’t changed

“I think it’s important, especially playing this game at a high level, and being in college, it’s not easy,” Borgesi said. “So to have someone you know kind of in your situation, a person that sees it the same way you do, it’s important to talk to them, just because you have the same similarities, and you’re going through the same stuff each and every day. To have each other’s backs, three kids coming out of Philly who play the game and have been friends forever, it’s a bond that I don’t think can ever be broken. We all look up to each other.”