After a close loss in their first game, the ice hockey team has turned the season around on both offense and defense, and is currently headed for victory, with a current record of 4-1– Ryan Gordon Hockey Night being one of the four.
Beginning with a disappointing 3-2 loss at the Portledge School on Dec. 3, the team quickly learned the importance of chemistry on the ice, attributing the loss to the common struggle of creating cohesive lines early in the season. To adjust, Head Coach John Hissick switched lines to allow depth among all three: instead of piling the best athletes into one group, he spreads out the strengths and weaknesses of each player to have a powerful lineup no matter who is on the ice.
The line change clearly worked, with the Wyverns winning the next four games, first beating Wilbraham & Munson Academy 6-4 on Dec. 6.
One particularly notable win for both the team and the league is the day the Wyverns took on the title-defending champions, Rye Country Day School, on Dec. 10, who previously beat them last season during the semi-finals. “We knew it was going to be tough,” senior forward Co-captain Ryan Munz said. “We weren’t really expecting it to be a close game.” But, based on the final score of 3-2, the team definitely thought wrong. One player in particular was key to the game’s success: senior goaltender Shane Smith, saving 48 out of Rye Country Day School’s 50 attempts. Coach Hissick described S. Smith’s performance. “Absolutely out of his mind,” Coach Hissick said. “Shane Smith was absolute for that game.” Not only did the win put the Wyverns in a great spot for playoffs, but it was also a great morale boost. “It helped us spread the message to the rest of our league that we’re here,” Munz said, “and we’re not going to back down.”
The Wyverns continue to ride the winning high at the following Hamden Hall Country Day School game on Dec. 13. The game was a 5-0 blowout. The goals were spread out across the whole team, with some notable contributors being freshman forward Bryce Schaller, who scored two goals, and freshman forward and defenseman Mason Cerkanowicz, who scored one. Winning this game was crucial for the confidence of the team because soon one of the biggest games of the season looms on the horizon: Ryan Gordon Hockey Night.
Ryan Gordan Hockey Night is in honor of the late KO student, Ryan Gordan: dedicated to raising money for the Team Tobati program. Similar to volleyball’s Dig Pink or basketball’s KITs, the whole school is encouraged to come and cheer the team on. While of course, having the bleachers full for any team is always fun, it’s particularly special for the hockey team, seeing as the rink has been 30 minutes off campus for about a decade. “Hockey Night is the one night we really ask the KO community to come out and support,” Munz said, “and to also see what we’re capable of, so it means a lot to the players, and we hope that the community is going to support.” And support they did, because approximately 212 fans came in attendance to watch the Wyverns win 3-1 against the Harvey School on Jan. 9.
The period started off intimidating for the team, giving up a goal to the Harvey School on their very first shot, immediately deflating the morale of the players. But, KO didn’t let it get to them; soon in the second period, both senior defensemen Co-Captain Dalton Smith and senior forward Colton Bischoff gave the Wyverns the advantage, turning the score to 2-1. Later in the third period, D. Smith smoothly wrapped the game up, scoring an empty net goal, erupting the stands as the annual Ryan Gordon Hockey Night came to a close. While on paper, it seems that the game went pretty smoothly, that assumption could never be more wrong: with multiple fights breaking out–something common in hockey, but rare at the high school level–tensions were high, and the game was fast-paced.
Coming out of Hockey Night, Munz had goals for their upcoming games. “Definitely staying out of the penalty box,” Munz said. “Playing a man down is never fun. It always puts us at a disadvantage. So playing hard and hitting hard, but staying disciplined is probably our biggest focus right now.”
With four wins under the players’ belts–or, technically, padding–they are on the road to the championships, which many think is possible. Junior forward Quinn Heal shared the team’s season goals. “We’re really pushing for…getting a top two seed in the playoffs,” Heal said. With their next game scheduled for Jan. 17 against Wilbraham & Monson Academy, followed by St. Luke’s School on Jan. 21, and the King School on Jan. 31, we will see if the team has what it takes to continue their winning streak.
This team has a wide age range: with eight seniors and six freshmen and two eighth-graders on the other; it provides those older a stronger sense of leadership. Coach Hissick reflected on the diversity in ages. “The only impact it’s going to have is whether or not the seniors create a culture so the younger kids feel like the older kids want them there,” Coach Hissick said. “I find our older group to be highly supportive, and it happened so quickly. I think it’s translating into some of the success we’ve had thus far on the ice.” In addition, with only losing one senior, both players and coaches believe that they picked up where last season left off.
While it can be said for pretty much every team, ice hockey wants to win the championship this year, but the difference between them and everyone else is that they think they can. It can be noted that, aside from the strong goaltending by S. Smith, the team overcomes the challenge when faced with a penalty kill–when KO is down a player due to a penalty–as well as in their general defensive skills.
D. Smith is one of the most impactful in his role. “He’s incredible,” Munz said. “He always carries the back end for us. He’s a super strong player, super smart.” Cerkanowicz has also been useful for the Wyverns’ defense. “He’s on the ice when [defense] is sorely needed,” Coach Hissick said, “and gives a little bit of energy when it’s necessary.” For the offensive side, senior forward Michael DeNardo has been a key player in the first line, responsible for two out of the three goals scored during the Rye Country Day School game.
While there are many impactful forwards, such as Bischoff, senior forward Krish Patel, and junior forward Hayden Liddy, all 19 goals scored have been spread across the entire offense, with about 12 different goal-scorers so far, and approximately 40 assists being contributed by even more players. Not just in the Rye Country Day School game, but throughout the whole season, it’s clear that S. Smith has been crucial to the team’s success thus far, with a .930 save percentage: an insanely high and impressive statistic for high school hockey.
But, like every other team, the Wyverns aren’t perfect. Players acknowledge that there is always room for improvement, despite how well their season is going so far. “We’ve been trying to own the inside eight feet and stay strong for Shane,” Munz said, “but also put it in the pocket on the other end.” The coaches also believe that the team needs to focus on the small things more. “It’s a sport where a game can be won or lost because of the details,” Coach Hissick said. “The game is so fast that if you’re not on the details, you can give up a goal or an opportunity.”
Ultimately, despite the early loss against the Portledge School, the team is set to make this season one for the record books. With the strong skill set and chemistry across all five grade levels that are on the team, the future is looking bright for the Wyverns. If S. Smith can keep up his fantastic goaltending and the offense continues to stay aggressive, they will have a good chance of making it to the finals this year, not just for the title, but for the future of the team.
Munz reflected on his time as a senior and what he hopes the program will develop into. “We’re just trying to have the most fun possible with everyone before we leave,” he said, “but also just going out on a bang and showing the underclassmen how to lead and help run the team with the same personalities that the upperclassmen had.”
