GA’s varsity ice hockey team wrapped up the 2021-2022 season on February 17, 2022, once again taking the Independence Hockey League championship title and trophy. The nail-biter 3-2 win was the fourth championship win in five years, with one year excluded due to the coronavirus pandemic.
First period of the championship game was a scare for the Patriots. They took a penalty, giving the Academy of the New Church an advantage numbers-wise. Then, the ANC Lions scored twice, making the scoreboard 2-0 at the end of the first period. Painfully, GA was able to put the puck in the back of the Lions’ net, but the goal was waved off by referees as a high stick. Despite the chaotic start, the Patriots played strongly on defense and led with shots on goal by 22-4, reflecting the robust offensive firepower they put forth throughout the entire season. Head Coach Matt Rominger said that he was not necessarily worried about the outcome or about beating the other team, but rather he was “nervous for the group to be able to finish on top and send the seniors out with that lasting memory.”
With a stroke of luck, skill, and grit, the second period came together in favor of the Patriots. Within the first ten minutes, GA scored twice, first by Walker Schwartz ’23 unassisted, then by Shane Tronoski ’25. Later into the second period, Schwartz scored once again with the game winner. Other notable offensive pressure came from Richie Podulka ’24, Colin Rink ‘24, and Drew Schwartz ’23. There were no goals in the third period, but the game remained just as tight. Goaltender Dom Saputelli ’23 made key saves, shutting down ANC’s breakaways and remaining a brick wall for GA’s penalty kills. Saputelli was pelted by shots in net but did his part to help the team bring home the win, and he did so with textbook goaltending form.
Before tough games, Coach Rominger always makes his signature statement: “Trust in yourself, trust in the game, trust in the system. And trust in each other.” Throughout the season, GA Puck did just that, and, in the end, they came away with the IHL title, a success-filled season, and a forever friendship. To celebrate their hard-earned win, the team participated in GA’s longstanding bell ringing tradition on April 8, 2022 and sported their championship t-shirts.
“GA Puck’s” IHL title is the cherry on top of a stellar season: the team recorded an undefeated league record of 10-0 and an overall record of 14-1. The 2021-2022 season hopefully indicates future success, as the current team is young but mighty. Consisting of five freshmen, four sophomores, eight juniors, and three seniors, the team showed an incredibly strong bond on and off the ice. On the ice, players knew they had a job to do, but, on the bench, they traded jokes, smiles, and laughs. The team was well-supported by the Superfans throughout the season and had the opportunity to sport cherry red alternate uniforms and practice jerseys this year.
With the impressive record and IHL championship win, GA ice hockey seems to have had a successful season. However, Coach Rominger considers a successful season to mean more than statistics. He states, “When I think of success, I ask: Did the players care about each other and come together in meaningful ways? Did they establish friendships and create memories? In that view, I absolutely deem our season a success.” He believes a few key factors contributed to the team’s success, including “a strong sense of team community and culture,” leadership, and resilience in the face of challenges.
In addition to being an extremely reliable defensive player, captain Jake Dierks ’22 did an excellent job at acting as the glue in bringing the group together. He, along with the upperclassmen and returning players, did their part to be role models for the younger players.
The road to the “chip” was not without speed bumps, including a tough early game against Lawrenceville. Coach Rominger says, “I appreciated the team having gone through some adversity. But in the end, that was a really positive experience to be able to lean on those lessons learned.” He describes the 2021-2022 team as “resilient, competitive, and having an easygoing nature […] that allows us to stay grounded and understand what is in front of us”.
This season’s leading scorers included the following: Walker Schwartz (22 goals, 11 assists), Colin Rink (13 goals, 6 assists), Drew Schwartz (11 goals, 6 assists), Richie Podulka (8 goals, 7 assists), Shane Tronoski (10 goals, 7 assists), and Jake Dierks (9 goals, 8 assists).
Finally, “Coach Rom” noted that there were many great stories created on this team: “Lucy Fassler backstopping us to a 5-4 win against ANC early in the year when Saputelli was unavailable,” “Dominic Perazza playing solid on the blue line as a freshman,” Haiden Bonczek’s “Bonczek bombs” from the blue line, and “Declan Connaughton sniping his first career goal.” Coach Rominger believes that the “kids respect and care about one another and they take care of each other as well. This is a special group of talented and determined individuals that I am so proud to coach.”
Hopefully, this 2021-2022 season was just a snapshot of a long history of future successes to come for “Pats Puck.” Roll Pats!