10/10/24 Highlight: Boys’ Varsity Hockey

By SEBASTIAN DUARTE and ISABEL EVANS

This fall, the boys’ varsity hockey team has been training for the winter season, and using this extra time to improve the team’s dynamic and skill. The team has daily captains’ practices, a rigorous game schedule, and frequent lifts. With 13 seniors having graduated last year, both returning and new players are undergoing big adjustments, such as switches in their roles and positions.

The players have committed a lot of time to the team this term, often showing up very early to practice each day, and practicing competitively. Alex Stahl, an upper on the team, shared, “We show up roughly 45 minutes to an hour before practice.”

“First 10 to 15 minutes of practice, we do some warm-up drills just to get the legs moving and get everyone in the zone,” Stahl continued. “For the next 25 to 30 minutes, we do some battle drills. And then the last 10 to 15 minutes, we play a game to one. It’s competitive.”

Aside from practice, the team does a lot of conditioning and strength training. Stahl continued, “It’s usually a mix of strength conditioning and some explosiveness. It’s a lot of compound lifts, a lot of working with the accessory muscles too, and it’s a wide variety of things to make sure everyone’s well rounded.”

With this rigorous schedule, some players have undergone injury; however, many of them are minor and were caused by the rigor of practices this term. Senior and captain Dryden Dervish said, “We go pretty hard in the fall, but it’s good because the season’s pretty hard.”

Although this term is pretty intense for the players, the schedule is helping the team improve its condition and level of ability. Dervish agreed, stating, “You can see everybody getting stronger and faster.”

This term is not only directed to improve the team’s skills, but also to reveal the committed players on the team. Attendance has wavered with the term progressing, but this has helped shape the core of the team.

Although tryouts aren’t until November, notes have been made about the players. Dervish said, “I think attendance will improve as we get closer to the season.” When asked if this was because of burnout, he responded, “I think that’s the challenge and that’s what separates guys who are committed to contributing to this team this year. You’ve got to be able to push through the adversity and the challenge.”

Through the consistent games, the team has been establishing a good culture for the season, but forming chemistry while playing the game.

When asked about the rigor and the schedule of the games played in the fall season, Dervish said, “It’s a good chance to play against some of the competition we see in the season and start working for chemistry.”

Moreover, when Stahl was asked on the usefulness of these weekly games, he said, “It gives everyone a good understanding of what the team will be like during the season and what we should expect moving forward.”

With every new year of boys’ hockey there come new recruits who will become the face of the program, once their time comes, and ultimately contribute what they can to the program.

When asked about these new additions, Dervish said, “This is one of the best recruiting classes, probably the best recruiting class that we’ve had since I’ve been here. We got a great number of PGs. Very skilled. It’ll help fill in our top six forwards. With our defensemen and a lot of good uppers and lowers and younger guys, we can definitely see the future of Exeter being Exeter hockey being very bright.

Through the guidance from experienced members of the squad, the team is confident they will be able to create a new era of excellence. “Character—Trust—Family” are the words Dervish used to describe the program. The boys look ahead to a successful season.