This past Saturday, December 10th, the boys defeated Bishop Fenwick Crusaders 2-1, while trailing behind for half the game, thanks to Junior Petey Silverman, who scored both goals for the Vikings. The first period, the Crusaders struck first and put the puck into the back of the net. Then the boys came out in the second with intensity. They managed to keep the Crusaders from scoring, maintaining the score at 1-0 (BF). In the third period the Vikings were able to come back and tie the game 1-1. But they decided that was not enough and managed to score the game winning goal bringing home the start of an undefeated season. I caught up with Senior Captains, Jack Hayes and Nate Evangelista to talk to them about their upcoming season;

Casey Petersen: “Who do you believe is going to step up for the team this year?”

Jack Hayes: “I believe that Colin O’Leary will step up big this year, he’s a younger player who can really make an impact and I believe he will.”

Nate Evangelista: “I believe that players like Mikey Donahue, Hunter Fife, and Jackson Andy. Donahue is a great goaltender and this year he will see a lot of game time. This is a big step up from last season as Donahue often was not dressing. However, I believe this season Donahue will have a breakout season as he has looked great in early season practices. Hunter Fife saw a lot of playing time last year and he was a great player in the time he saw. However, only having 5 defensemen on the team this year, Hunter will have to step up to play some big time minutes. It is the same idea with Jackson Andy. Jackson is a very skilled player who saw limited ice time last season. This season with the low numbers on defense, Andy will be out there almost every other shift which is a significant step up from last season. I believe Andy is ready for this step and he will live up to being called upon in crucial defensive situations.”

CP: “Based on the practices, how is the chemistry on the team?”

JH: “The team is working really hard together, spending time doing drills with our linemates and builds chemistry and it’s good for the team.”

NE:  “The chemistry on the team is phenomenal. Jack Hayes and Pete Silverman always have very strong chemistry and throughout practice the two have looked great together. Hunter Fife and Billy Hayes also look great on the blue line together. I believe the second and third lines on offense are slowly coming together with more pieces fitting into their lines every day. These lines are progressing strongly and I believe they are only getting better.”

CP: “Is there any specific game you are looking forward to?”

JH: “The next one.”

NE: “The next game. I am not looking forward to any specific team, as the team is always focused on the next game. We are constantly looking at the next game and not getting ahead of ourselves. We are strong in focussing on the moment, the rest will come, throughout this season.”

CP: “How will this year be different from past years?”

JH: “This year we have a younger team rather than a lot of upperclassmen. We are all having fun and are hungry to win.”

NE: “I believe this year will be different from past years because the locker room is much more tight. Everyone in the locker room has the same mindset. Every day we are focussed on winning, instead of getting on each others backs and beating each other up we are constantly lifting each other up and trying to build more positive reinforcement. We also all know each other very well in the room. I feel like this year no one is left out as we are all friends.”

CP: “What are you doing to make sure the team is communicating and growing?”

JH:”Just making it fun for everyone because when you have fun and focus at the same time it will be really good for us.”

NE: “We are just making sure everyone feels comfortable with each other. We are constantly spending time together as a team, whether it is after practice in the locker room or taking the team out for a nice team dinner. We don’t want the team be afraid of each other. I believe this will excel the team to the next level as we won’t just treat each other as teammates, but instead friends as well.”

The boys seem to be very confident and excited for the upcoming season! I know I am, alongside with all of the fans. Make sure to tune in Saturday, December 17th at 2PM EST at Endicott Rink to see the boys rival the Danvers Falcons in hopes to bring home a win.