Picture this: You’re skating down the ice with the net in your sight. Your teammates are behind you, defending you, blocking your opponent. The puck goes in the net and the crowd goes wild. Both hockey teams were in this position more than once this season.
“Our team isn’t made up of 15 guys who try to play the game on their own,” senior Nick Galli said. “We all work together and that is the main reason we did so well this season.”
The varsity hockey team found the key to success this season was working together to improve communication between teammates. By doing this they were able to advance to the playoffs.
“Our team’s success was the result of hard work and team play,” varsity coach Anthony Larca said. “These boys really came together to accomplish their goal of a playoff season.”
Both hockey teams practiced two nights a week to get ready for the games. On the weekends they traveled to away games proving that working hard at practice pays off.
“Even though practice was hard, we had fun learning drills and working together,” sophomore Ryan Griffo said. “The results of the game were rewarding and worth it.”
Going into the season the JV team was the underdog in the CHSHL. The team competed at a higher level than any expected them to. Their strong play from the first game made believers out of all the doubters around the league. Lead by sophomore co-captains Tyler Malone and Jesse Lopresti, the team has excelled far beyond the leagues expectations and advanced to playoffs this season.
“Every player has a role on this team and all the players respect each other for what each individual brings,” JV coach Craig Guadagno said. “The team has a great balance of talent, leadership and hard working players.”