This year, the boys’ hockey team is looking to build on last year’s success in hopes of ultimately winning the state title.
Last year, the boys had many ups and downs. They lost in their first tournament game against Rockport High School.
“It took us a little while to find a groove,” senior captain Marcus Daisy said. “We made playoffs for the third year in a row, which was always our goal, but the season ended a little sooner than we would have liked.”
Junior captain Peter Orlandella Jr. and Daisy believe that this year’s team has an opportunity to make considerable progress in the tournament.
“I think this year has a bit more potential due to the fact that we’re an older team with a lot of returning guys,” Orlandella said.
“More than half of the team is juniors and seniors, and we’ve all been on the team for a couple years now, so everyone’s got a good amount of experience,” Daisy said.
Daisy saw flaws in last year’s team that he hopes the boys can improve this season.
“Although our team was talented last year, we had trouble playing the entire game,” Daisy said. “We would be winning, but teams would come back in the third period. This year, I’d like to see us play the full game and not ease off just because we’re ahead.”
The boys will also look to stay calm and in control if they are down in a game.
“When we’re down by a couple goals, we need to stay calm and know what we have to do to ultimately pull off a win,” Orlandella said.
The team is looking to meet expectations with the help of freshmen Christian Boschetto and Scotty McCarthy. The captains believe that both underclassmen add talent and chemistry on the team.
“It’s all about the team. The players on the team are what make it fun every day,” Orlandella said. “Our coach is awesome, and our underclassmen are great too. Everyone just makes it fun to work hard and to get better every day.”
“This year, we have what it takes,” Daisy said.