By Tyler Maheu, Staff Sportswriter
The Woodstock boys hockey team got its season off to an exciting start last Saturday with a 2-2 tie against Division II juggernaut North Country. Head coach Jon Chamberlain hopes this was a good omen for the season.
Last year’s team made it to the Division II quarterfinals, losing to the Hartford Hurricanes 4-2. “Last year was good,” he said. “At the end, I thought we were a really good team. We were able to hang with just about anybody.” Five seniors from that team have departed the program, including Vermont All-Star defenseman Kyle Costales. This has left a team lower on experience, but high on effort.
“We’ve done nothing but improve since day one,” he said. “It’s a new cast, a lot of people new to the team, but they’ve really bought in and are really working hard.” This hard work began over the summer, as the team hit the ice at Union Arena a few times before more team skates in the fall. “Our fall skates were in the mornings at 6 a.m., I’d open the door, and the kids would run the practices,” he recalled.
This winter’s squad will feature 14 total players, with 12 skaters and two goalies. Leading the team will be senior captain Ian Coates, a forward, playing in his fourth year with the varsity club. “He is a staple of what we want as a player and as a leader,” said Chamberlain. “He’s going to be one of our good players who puts some goals in the net and hopefully sets them up.” Senior Dominic Palazzo will mind the net for the Wasps, while Chamberlain pointed to two sophomores, forward Cole Little and defenseman Declan Roylance, as expected standouts.
According to Chamberlain, the team’s biggest threats in the division are expected to be U-32 out of Montpelier, Harwood out of Moretown, and North Country from Newport. The team’s biggest concern will be avoiding the injury bug. “If we’re all there, we will be able to compete with anybody,” he said. “Staying healthy and keeping everybody engaged will be hard. We are a small group; if you lose one guy, you’re in a lot of trouble.”
The Wasps will play their home opener this evening, Wednesday, Dec. 17, against Middlebury.
