The hockey team has gotten off to a successful start this season, going 6-0 in the first half of the season and losing their first game against RAM (Rockville and Magruder) on Dec. 1. Their second loss came on Wednesday, Dec. 6 against Whitman.
The team is aiming to make a run in the playoffs and challenge for the state title, which Walter Johnson is defending after last season. The regular season ends on Jan. 26, and playoffs will start shortly after that. “A goal is to win as many games as possible in the regular season. As well as hopefully getting past the first three rounds of state preliminary rounds and go to states,” senior Ilhom Abdulaev said.
The hockey team is unique in the fact that hockey is not recognized as an official sport by MCPS. Hockey teams around the county are recognized as clubs, but this hasn’t stopped them from forming their own league.
The hockey team plays in the Maryland State Hockey League, which functions as a typical league but is independent of MCPS. This means that teams don’t receive any funding from the school, so parents and players have to figure out uniforms and equipment themselves. It also means that in areas where certain schools may not have enough players to form a team, they can join a collective team of different schools, like RAM, which is players from Rockville and Magruder High Schools. “I think that we should be an official sport just as any other sport because we have practices and games just like everyone else, it’s a big commitment overall so we should definitely be recognized,” junior Nathan Tai said.
The team has won the state championship three times before and is excited to see how this season will turn out. After getting off to a good start, hopes are high. However, the team has struggled with certain aspects of the game. “Some of the biggest struggles have been defensive positioning but we work on it every day and continue to improve,” Abdulaev said.
Junior Samuel Hosier currently leads the team, as well as leads the division, in points with 16 goals and nine assists throughout eight games. Senior Grady Sellman leads the team in penalty minutes, accumulating 39 through six games.
Many of the team members have played hockey for their entire lives and enjoy playing on the school team. “I’ve played hockey for about 10 years; I would say my favorite thing about the sport is just bonding with everyone else on the team and trying to get better every day,” Tai said.
Goalie Kevin Yu has been an asset to the team, with a save percentage of .805, and averaging 3.88 GAA (goals against average). The team currently sits at second in the division behind Churchill and hopes to make their way to first.
For those looking to support the hockey team, their next game is Friday, Dec. 15 at 9 p.m. vs. Sherwood at Rockville.
