The ice cold freezing rinks. The skate sharpener shaping the skates. The sweaty equipment each player puts on and takes off each game. The hockey team does all this for one goal: to make the playoffs in Division I.
Senior captain Nick Donnelly hopes to lead his team to a strong finish to the season.
After starting strong with a 4-2 record peaking at the top of the Division I standings, the Lancers have lost three in a row and are looking to put their season back on track. Winning tonight’s game against Concord could help make that happen.
“We’ve been working hard in our late night practices to bounce back at what’s been an up-and-down season,” senior captain Nick Donnelly said.
While the losses have been rough on these boys, players like sophomore forward Mike MacKenzie has seen the fight and toughness in this team as this season has progressed.
“The biggest strength of this team,” MacKenzie said, “is we have is the will to never give up because in some games when we’re trailing, we always make a great effort to fight back into each game.”
While MacKenzie appreciates how his team never gives up, he wishes they would start off stronger, preventing them from getting in that hole to begin with.
“Our biggest weakness is letting up the first goal of the game,” MacKenzie said. “We often let the opponent score first before we really start playing. It’s not too big of a problem, but if we let it happen too much, it will eventually prevent us from putting ourselves back into games.”
Which has happened several times this season.
“There’s a bunch of games this season that we could’ve and should’ve won,” junior goaltender Cody Baldwin said.
Junior goaltender Cody Baldwin stands ready to defend the goal against the Astros.
“We’re doing okay [though]. I mean we’re 4-6 which isn’t where we want to be, but it could be worse.”
Baldwin gives a lot of the credit to the coaches for pushing the team each practice.
“The coaches work very hard to help us improve and push us to be the best players and people that we can possibly be,” Baldwin said.
But it hasn’t been easy.
“Tryouts and practices were very rough for everyone,” Junior Troy Muldoon said, “but I think it showed who’s not going to quit on the ice. That’s what I love to see from this team because it’s in those moments where your true toughness is shown.”
Donnelly also said he thinks that the coaching staff has been a plus for the squad.
“I think our coaching staff is very devoted to the team,” Donnelly said. “They run really good practices and always have new drills for us to partake in. It’s obvious that their goal this season is to make us better players and individuals which is what any coach should want.”
