As the regular season ends, the school’s hockey team is heading into the playoffs undefeated and full of momentum. The four time state champions have once again shown why they are one of the best hockey programs in the state. With skill, speed and great teamwork, they leave it all out on the ice.
One of the biggest reasons for the team’s success this season is that many of these players have all grown up playing hockey together. They have spent years practicing, competing and improving together side by side. With early-morning practices and long weekend tournaments, they continue to build lasting friendships. Sophomore Griffin Renz agrees that growing up together in hockey has had a large impact on the team’s success.
“We’ve all played together for our whole lives. We started playing with each other at around seven years old, all the way up to here, including seniors,” Renz said.
Junior Jacob Sonenshine shared that they are a close group that spends time together both at practice and outside, through team activities.
“Me and my friends like to go to Chick-fil-A after every practice and McDonald’s after every game,” Sonenshine said.
With this teamwork, they can work efficiently together on the ice and communicate well. The players understand each other’s playing styles and how to give one another the best advantages. That long-built connection has played a strong role in their undefeated season. Assistant captain and senior Brian Murphy agrees with Renz.
“It’s a tight-knit group, and everybody wants to win,” Murphy said.
No matter which line is on the ice, the team stays strong and consistent. This is another reason for the team’s success. Rather than relying on just one strong group, each line applies its skills to contribute on the ice. Every player knows their role and executes it well. Sophomore Sami Wiriyotin believes that no matter who is on the ice, the intensity and performance never drop.
“We have a lot of chemistry and solid players. We are able to keep the puck in the zones, change up the lines and still have solid players out on the ice,” Wiriyotin said. “All of our lines are very consistent and were able to compete with other teams’ first lines and dominate their lower lines too.”
The school team does not have much practice time because they only practice once a week. Despite that, they are able to dominate in games and continue to grow their team chemistry.
“Teamwork is encouraged in practice with lots of passing drills and working on our power play,” Wiriyotin said.
The team’s coaches have a strong impact on their players. With organized practices, clear expectations and constant encouragement, the coaches have helped each player grow their skills. Players on the team look up to them as role models who have team leadership and discipline. Junior Vlad Forrest feels that their guidance helps each player grow .
“Our coaches, Coach Rob and Coach Scott, like to dig into us, and they want us to be better both on and off the ice,” Forrest said.
As they enter the playoffs with their undefeated streak, their hard work is not just shown in a number, but in years of hard work as a team. With growing up together, pushing each other and guidance from coaches, the team reflects each part of the program in their success. Now they continue that into the postseason and future years to build their legacy.
“We trust each other and that’s what makes us confident going into every game,” Wiriyotin said.
