It has been a long winter season for all, and though the season hasn’t gone the way the varsity hockey team hoped for, there are some successes the team can take away from the season.
The season began before winter break with three tough games against Wilbraham & Monson Academy, Harvey School, and Moses Brown where the team was unable to muster up a win, with their closest game being a thriller against Harvey School where they fell 6-5. When the team returned from winter break, they struggled to find their footing. In a rematch against Moses Brown, the overall team defense performed much better, but the offense struggled, and they lost 1-0.
Senior goalie Co-captain Matt Cote believes the worst game of the season came against Rye Country Day School, where the team underperformed. “In the worst game versus Rye Country Day, we struggled against a strong team,” he said. “It was a difficult game, but we knew we could do better.” Senior defender Co-captain Cody Brew believes the best game the team played all season was when we played against the King School. “Our best-played game was at King this year,” Brew said. “Even though we lost 4-2, the team still fought to the end and put all of our strategies and systems together and played really well.” Cote believes the best game for the team was a tie against Hamden Hall Country Day School. “We were able to show signs of improvement, and there were a lot of signs of progress within the team,” he said. “Overall, it was a positive game.”
The team was unable to get a win throughout the rest of the season. Team defense and the inability to put points on the board held the team back greatly. Brew highlighted the youth of the team and the adjustment to the fast-paced game that is high school hockey. “Points of improvement would be to allow the underclassmen to grow and learn how physical and fast the high school is,” he said.
Considering the success the hockey team had last year, both Cote and Brew were disappointed in the results of this season. “The senior group we had this year had really high expectations to win and be back in the playoffs, but we didn’t accomplish that this year,” Brew said. “This year was a rebuilding season with a lot of new players, so hopefully they can take the experiences into the next season and build our program,” Cote added.
One of the bright spots for the team this season was the efforts given by Brew. “Cody was the best player who was able to put in effort on both sides of the ice,” Cote said. “He really helped lead the team in difficult situations and moments.”
Though the team couldn’t match the successes they had last year, there is hope for the future with the combined talent and youth the team has. Congratulations to the hockey team for completing another season and good luck to the seniors as they move to the next level.
