Photo courtesy of Sean Lynch

…..Pelham hockey dominated the ice in their first game against Chaminade with a 4-2 victory. The boys put up an incredible performance, and proved their capabilities right off the bat. However, just three days later they would fall short of victory by one point against Clarkstown. With an even record and a sea of hopeful fans, many speculate the future of the team.

…..Hockey is notoriously very strong in terms of Pelham sports. With major success in tournaments and two state championships under our belt, hockey is the most anticipated sport in Pelham. However, this success does not come easy, and the challenges become even more prominent as the team progresses.

…..Pelham hockey currently has a record of 1-1, so it is difficult to predict the trajectory of the team this early. Fortunately, considering their behavior on the ice, the future looks promising. In their first game facing Chaminade, a total of four goals were scored by Ryan Zabatta, Winston Speros, Matt Vettiri and Reeve Murrell. They were aggressive on offense and strategic on defense, making for an exciting season debut. Freshman Jayden North played a very impressive game for his first year on Varsity, and certainly has potential for the coming seasons. Other players to highlight from the game include senior Owen Duffy and senior Manu Niak, who showed outstanding skill and effort. The team has also started to incorporate a three-line offense strategy, where the players roll nine players forward instead of six. This calls for more intense and aggressive gameplay on offense. With all of this laid out, the 2024-2025 season looks very bright, but it unfortunately does not override the challenges for the team.

…..The boys undoubtedly have the skill and confidence to succeed, but the schedule for the season could be a major setback. As we know, the team at the moment has one loss, and the next few opponents on the roster will be no easy feat. Junior Bobby North claims, “Playing strong teams like Suffern will be tough games, and so will our tournament in Skaneateles.” With this insight, it seems as though the team has some preparation to do for the rest of the season. The schedule this year is more challenging than it was in the past, which is due to their consistent success in recent years. Beating these teams will be a difficult task, but if anyone can do it, it’s Pelham.