Fiona McFarland & Lila Roche
Would you have the dedication to cut and dye your hair just for your team? The members of the Green Wave Hockey team did as they start to prepare for the playoffs. “In the past, the hockey team has gotten mullets for the playoffs. This led to two consecutive semi-final exits from the playoffs. Therefore getting frosted tips will hopefully break the curse.” says Aidan Roche, a junior on the hockey team. Hair dying is a sign of the commitment that the team has. Right now the team’s record is 16-2. This puts them in a favorable position for the playoffs.
They are hoping to continue to win against important league opponents.
Many people on the team have contributed to this successful season so far. Riley Drew, a senior captain, and a goalie, has had multiple shutouts this season against teams like South Hadley and Belchertown. Another person who has had a great season is senior captain Bryan Baumann. Just this year he has had 16 goals and 18 assists, which makes him a leader in the region. He said, “For the rest of the season our goal is to take everything one game at a time. It would be awesome to win Western Mass… But to get there we need to pass all the obstacles that come before it.” It seems like one of the themes of this season is overcoming challenges as a team. Baumann describes, “Our teamwork has developed over the course of the season because as a group we have responded to adversity.”
After taking a hard loss in the first game of the season, the team rallied and won 7 games in a row. Pressure doesn’t really seem to get the team. Baumann says ,“We have learned that if we play our game and not worry about who we are playing that we can be successful.” Teamwork might be the key to winning in the playoffs, and hair dying is just one symbol of the unity on the team.