Boys hockey to face off against conference rival
Connor McPike, senior goalie, reaches out to grab the puck before it goes into the net, saving a goal from being scored.
In the North Shore Conference for boys hockey, two teams, Homestead and Cedarburg, are the powerhouses of the conference, and on Saturday, Jan. 9 they will face off in their first matchup of the season.
Cedarburg has always been one of Homestead’s biggest rivals in almost all sports, especially hockey. Although Cedarburg is not the force of a team they were last year, the varsity players still prove to be the biggest conference competitors for the Highlanders.
“The rivalry with Cedarburg has always been big, and they always have a good team. I need to focus on getting in open spots to have good scoring opportunities, and I have to go hard on every shift,” Joey Hobbs, senior, said.
In order for the team to be successful against the Bulldogs, Coach Tony Navarre believes that the team will have to put the work in every single minute of the game. “Effort. We need to be the hardest working team, which we have not been able to do in the past,” Coach Navarre said.
The game against Cedarburg will be the team’s third game of the week, participating in the North Shore Conference Tournament and facing WNS tonight. The Highlanders defeated their competition on Tuesday night and hope to do the same in their next two games.
With so many games in the week, the team has had little practice time in between each of the games. “Hockey is unique in that we have two games back to back, both with conference implications. Our main focus will be mental preparation,” Coach Navarre said in regards to how multiple games a week can affect the team.
“I like having multiple games a week a lot better because games are where we can show everything we have been working on. I love being out on the ice with the guys, so for me, the more games the better because it is what we love to do,” Jake Elchert, senior captain, said.
The conference championship relies heavily on the next couple of games for the Highlanders, and the team is looking to come out with a win tomorrow so that they can have the upper hand going into championship-deciding games. “We have four games remaining in the conference season. Each one will be very important. We have one remaining against WNS, two against CHS, and one against Grafton. In each game, we need to be mentally prepared to out work the other team,” Coach Navarre said.
Before the game is held, the Ozaukee Ice Center will be hosting a bone marrow drive in honor of Coach Navarre’s heroic fight with leukemia just years back. A drive like the one that will take place on Saturday is the same thing that saved Coach Navarre’s life. Anyone who is 18 years or older can participate in a simple cheek swab to see if they could too be donors that could save the lives of other cancer patients across the country.
The team will work hard before the game to get people to sign up for such a good cause, and they look to show off their skills on the ice once the puck drops.
Gaby Geiger is a sports reporter for Highlander Publications. She is a two sport athlete for Homestead, participating in diving and gymnastics. Often referred...
Cassie Shaurette is an outgoing, loud and often annoying senior. She is always stressed about the amount of work that she needs to complete. She loves...
