After a successful 2023-2024 regular season, WA Boys’ Hockey suffered a first-round playoff loss, ending their season early. Entering the rink this year are a group of athletes using their upsetting end to their previous season as a motivator for a future DCL title.
Last winter, the WA Boys’ Hockey team was overpowered by upperclassmen, resulting in a loss of eight players. This season, there will be a total of twelve returning seniors leading the team. The senior lineup includes Captains Nick Burns, and Ryan Nelken, JJ Funaro, Ethan Koehr, Jack Donovan, Bryan Fitzgerald, David Burke, Nate LoConte, Ryan McKean, Kieran Humphreys, Murphy Macleod, and Gerald Hsin.
This season will be Coach Chris Carpenter’s second season as a head coach for the boys. He and his team hope to make a push in the playoffs, finish their regular season with a winning record and work towards a DCL title.
“Obviously, the season comes first, but we will work hard one game at a time to hopefully get a competitive ranking,” Burns said. “When the playoffs come around, scouting and preparation will be key.”
The senior-dominated team has plans to offer leadership and provide a sense of community to their teammates. Throughout the season, players will host spaghetti dinners in preparation for their game the following day. This is a tradition for WA Boys’ Hockey that will allow the athletes to bond outside of games and practices.
Burns and Nelken agree that their team is full of special players who have a lot of experience on the ice. They are expecting that their team will have a good dynamic which will hopefully correspond with their success in games. As team leaders, they plan to offer this leadership and be role models for their other teammates.
“Something special about our team is our chemistry,” Nelken said. “We all trust each other and gel well in the locker room, which in my opinion definitely transitions onto the ice and our play.”
The Boys’ Hockey team is driven and passionate about the sport they play. These attributes allow them to work hard and push each other to their best while playing in a positive environment.
WA Boys’ Hockey craves another DCL title, and aspires to seek success as their season begins. Their home opener is a scrimmage against Concord High School on Saturday, Dec. 7 at Skate 3 Pavillion at 3:10 p.m.
“One word I would use to describe our team is hungry,” Burns said. “We have lost in overtime in the first round of the playoffs for two consecutive years, and we are very hungry to push through that threshold.”
