Coming off of a state championship win in early 2018 against Churchill, the Patriots look to start the season strong behind junior winger Jeremy Golub, junior defenseman Dylan O’Halloran and freshman winger Miles Wiley.
Starting the season winning their first three games, the Patriots are off to a hot start and are trying to continue their success from the previous season. Golub is feeling optimistic about the team even though most of the players are new. “We got some kids who could definitely see some improvement, but are able to work hard and are determined to succeed in this program,” Golub said.
As the season is just getting underway, the team has rallied around teammates such as Golub to show them how high school hockey operates. For Golub, it is just as important for him to see his individual teammates succeed as opposed to the entire team. “The ultimate goal for junior varsity sports is to get ready for future seasons on the varsity team, which will only be better for the program moving forward,” Golub said.
Expectations are high for this team, but incoming freshman are just learning the ropes. Wiley thinks the team can go just as far this year as they did last year and achieve the ultimate prize. “I’m really excited about the upcoming season. I think we have the potential to do well and win lots of games. Of course our goal for the entire season is to go back to back as state champions,” Wiley said.
Based on the culture of previous seasons, Wiley acknowledges the high expectations and nerves for the upcoming season. “I’ve heard great things about Wootton. I’m looking forward to the challenges that I’ll face throughout the season and hopefully I’ll be able to improve my game and learn a lot,” Wiley said.
With varsity coach Alex Parker coming in to coach JV as well, the players will need to adjust to the different style of coaching. However, in the eyes of Wiley that’s a good thing because of the experience the coach brings to the table. “We have a new coach this year that is experienced at the highest level, and I look forward to learning many new things under him,” Wiley said.
It’s a long road back to the state final, but Golub thinks as long as the team sticks together and fights through the adversity that they may face they’ll get back to where they want to be. “Even though we have a new group of guys we need to make sure that we gel in order to do the best we can on the ice, and get back to the state championship,” Golub said.
