As we are closing in on the midway point of the winter sports season, we have the opportunity to see how well the Kingswood Oxford hockey team is performing. Sitting at a record of 3-3, the hockey team has matched up against very good competition and performed very well.
The team started out with a battle against King School. King has one of the best teams in NEPSAC, sitting undefeated, and Kingswood Oxford was able to fight until the final whistle, ultimately losing 6-3.
Next, the team went on to get their first win, a 9-6 victory over Rye Country Day School. In that match, the team was led by junior winger Co-captain Ryan Munz, and junior winger Colton Bischoff as they both put hat tricks on the board. Additionally, junior wing Krish Patel also scored two points, and freshman, Kai Scranton had one as well.
Following a tough defeat against Moses Brown on Dec. 14, the Wyverns got back in the win column with a blowout on Hockey Night. Bischoff slotted three goals, while Patel and sophomore Hayden Liddy each added two. Junior goalie Shane Smith also had a big night with 13 saves. Most recently, they defeated St. Luke’s 7-3 in a big victory.
The team has been putting together a very good season and it seems to come from great leadership by the three co-captains, senior defender Alex Oliveira, Munz, and junior center Dalton Smith. Oliveira shared how his experience as the only senior on the team, as well as a captain, has been. “As a leader on the team, I’ve led by example on and off the ice,” he said. “I’ve motivated my teammates, and became a role model for the younger players on the team to help them become better players on the ice and get accustomed to prep school hockey.” The team would not be able to strive without the amazing leadership from Oliveira and his co-captains.
Another aspect of the team that makes it so special is the overall camaraderie among the players. “They’re always together,” junior Pratt Blair said, a statement agreed upon by many other students in the high school. Whether it is in the cafeteria or the library, it seems you will never see one hockey player without another.
The camaraderie between the team members clearly extends off the ice. “My favorite part about playing hockey at KO is stepping onto the ice everyday with my boys,” Bischoff said.
Munz added to this sentiment. “I have never played with such a tight-knit group of players,” he said. “I think that is why we play so well together.”
The season is not over yet, and with nine games left to play, the team still has the opportunity for a playoff push. Head Coach John Hissick should be nothing but proud of the hard work the team has put on the ice everyday. “We come out to practice everyday looking to get better,” Bischoff said. “If we want to make the playoffs, we cannot slack off any day from here until the final game.”
Good luck to Kingswood Oxford ice hockey with the rest of their season!
