The SIS varsity ice hockey team emerged victorious in their first game of the season against Fayston High School with a score of 5-2.
Although the team is not currently affiliated with SIS, the entirety of the players being students of SIS throughout middle and high school represents the school spirit players carry for the team.
However, the journey of becoming the team to be the face of the school was tough in and of itself. Finding enough members and support was the first obstacle the executive team faced. The limited number of members interested in the sport, let alone capable of cooperating with other varsity players, made the process challenging initially.
“We hit a couple of roadblocks along the way,” Nathan Chung (11), founder of the ice hockey team, said. “However, with the addition of Ryan Kim (11) and Justin Hong (11), collecting members was rather doable since we sent out an interest form for grades 6-12, and contacted people interested through the form responses.”
Furthermore, because ice hockey requires special equipment and prior experience with skating, it seemed unlikely that a varsity team would be created.
“I have always wanted to create a varsity ice hockey program at school,” Nathan said. “After collecting players interested in joining the team, we contacted a jersey agency, got a filming crew, and planned a scrimmage between nearby schools.”
Despite the difficult process the members went through in getting the team approved, the players did not disappoint in their opening game. With skilled members with prior hockey experience, the players successfully cooperated with each other, leading the group to a comfortable victory over their opponent.
“I scored a goal firstly by waiting for the puck to be passed up,” Ryan Kim (11), a crucial goalscorer of the match, said. “As I received the puck, I saw open space in front of me, so I went as fast as I could while dribbling the puck and faked my shot to trick the opponent. I then swerved to the left and hit them with a back put.”
The win against Fayston garnered positive reactions from spectators and students who were interested in joining the team. Although the season is just beginning, the team showed immense potential and raised hope for the school for the upcoming games this season.
