The LHS hockey team is looking for a fresh start this season, starting with a new head coach. Dan Legro will be behind the bench guiding the Lancers during this 2015 season, with hope to rebound from last year’s 7-11 record.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to coach Londonderry hockey, and I look forward to a great season ahead,” Legro said.
When it comes to hockey experience, Legro is not lacking. He has 19 years of hockey coaching experience, runs hockey clinics, was once a hockey referee and grew up in a hockey filled family. He is eager to start coaching and rebuilding his new team.
“I want to win more games than the previous year,” Legro said. “I want to get the program more money and build up hockey into the town.”
Last year, the Lancers finished 11th out of 20 teams in Division 1 and did not make the playoffs. Junior goalkeeper Cody Baldwin hopes that last year’s record can drive his team to a winning season.
“The disappointment of missing playoffs last year can be a motivational boost for our group,” Baldwin said. “We have a lot of returning players and none of them are looking to miss playoffs two years in a row.”
Senior defender Jax Theriault believes that not only will the seniors emerge as leaders this season, but underclassmen will also highly contribute to varsity when the time arrives.
“I think the seniors will step up to the challenge this year because they are all good athletes and that will have a big impact on the team,” Theriault said. “There will also be guys either coming from JV or freshmen stepping into substantial roles on the team.”
Senior forward Andrew Morrissette knows that off-season training plays a significant part to a player’s performance on the ice, and believes that it will put the Lancers at an advantage during the season.
“Working hard in the off-season is huge as it sets you up for the ‘real deal,’” Morrissette said. “I know a lot of the boys have been working hard together getting ready for the season.”
Legro said he sets his expectations high for his players, whether it is for school, sports, or anything else.
“I expect all my players to prioritize school, be well-behaved, be good students, to be respectful to all, and to be hard and dedicated workers both on and off the ice,” Legro said. “My goal is to become a more respective, competitive, and stronger team come playoff time.”
Not only does Legro have goals set for his new team, he also has a challenge for the school.
“I challenge the student body, cheerleaders, and the band to maximize the capacity of the Salem Icenter for each home game,” Legro said. “I want people driving by to say ‘Wow look at the traffic,’ or for management of the rink to say, ‘We’re going to need more employees present for the game.’”
Regardless of how far away it is, players like Baldwin are looking for a championship this season.
“If we treat every game like it’s our last game of the season and play as a team, there is no reason we can’t go all the way,” Baldwin said.
