Struggle season: Ice hockey club adapts to changes
Photo used with permission of Connor Morgan
Sophomore Connor Morgan played with the Westfield-Chantilly Hockey team against Stone Bridge on January 20 and they lost 6-1.
February 27, 2023
Players skate onto the ice rink with the intention of propelling the puck past the goal line and into the net, which is guarded by a goaltender.
The CHS ice hockey team had to merge with Westfield High School last year due to the shortage of players such as a goalie and not having a head coach or team manager to run the program. Additionally the Virginia High School League (VHSL) does not recognize hockey, which is why they are not considered an official school sports team.
“The whole dynamic of our team changed completely since we merged with Westfield so we are basically a new team,” senior Daniel Shin said. “ Most of our team is from Westfield and all our coaches are new, so all of our team traditions aren’t there anymore.”
The ice hockey club plays every week, usually on Fridays and sometimes during the weekends. In previous years team members would have to get up early and practice from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. and then head to school. In comparison, there is limited practice during this season and the team directly goes to play games against other schools.
“Although people didn’t like waking up early in the morning, we would look forward to seeing each other and practicing so that we could get better,” Shin said. “I always ask myself how we’re expected to do better and win games if we don’t practice.”
This ice hockey season is being called the “losing season” by several team members due to not winning a single game. Team players don’t get to hang out with each other since they go to different schools, only making it harder to connect and bond which is important for team building and figuring out how to play together.
“Even though I have only ever played with Westfield and Chantiily merged, I think the team is more diverse in terms of talent and the different styles of playing that each player brings to the table,” sophomore Connor Morgan said.
Senior night is on Feb. 3 against Broad Run and the last game of the season will be on Feb. 17 against McLean.
“I’m encouraged to play because of a competitive drive that I need to go out on the ice and do the best that I can for the team,” Morgan said. “Although we haven’t had a win this year, we had many competitive games which are very fun to play in.”
