If you are a student at LS, you have probably heard of the girls’ and boys’ hockey teams. What most people don’t know is the captains, the players, and the team values and how they play such a significant role in making the team how it is.

Every captain started playing in some way. For girls Captains Sophia Romm and Harper Friedholm, it was a legacy they were happy to carry on.

“My older brother played, and so did my dad, so I kind of followed in their footsteps,” Romm said. 

“My dad played, so he has had [my siblings and I] skating in our backyard or on a pond since we were young,” Friedholm added.

For boys Captain Matt Mahoney, his start came in a different form, but that hasn’t made his determination and love for the game weaker.

“My parents kind of just threw me on the ice, and the second I stepped on the ice, I just loved it and have loved it ever since,” Mahoney said.

With that in mind, when these players got the chance to become captains for the LS team, they jumped at it.

“I feel like it is really cool and a great opportunity to be a captain, but I feel like it is more than just one person; it is the whole team that has to take leadership,” Mahoney said.

Meanwhile, Romm and Friedholm got their inspiration from the past generations.

“[The former captains] have been such great role models, so I have always wanted to be like that for someone else,” Friedholm said, to which Romm agreed and added, “I always looked up to the captains and how much everyone on the team respected them.”

When in charge of 20 other players, knowing what to strive for will ultimately make the best leaders. For these captains, the goals they came up with were ones to inspire future generations.

“Work hard. We moved up a division, so the actual effort and skill had to be there,” Romm said. LS had an illustrious 2022-2023 season, going undefeated to win the DCL Small and stacking up several other wins to make their D1 claim. This year they are looking to continue to win big and prove their worth in the competitive DCL Large.

Although Mahoney and Friedholm’s goals took a different approach, they were still just as motivational.

“I think creating a community and culture of a tight-knit group is what ultimately makes everyone love each other and makes them want to be there every single day,” Mahoney said.

“I wanted to make the most inclusive and successful on and off-the-ice team possible,” Friedholm added.

The captain position is stressful, and it is important that when stepping into the role, the captains know their core values for this season.

“Resilience is a big value of this team; knowing that if you want success, you are going to have to work for it, even when facing adversity. Being able to bounce back from anything,” Friedholm said.

“Going off of that, also hard work. Hockey season is such a grind for everyone, and every day, getting to the rink, away games, stuff like that. It gets hard, so having that grind mentality is one of our biggest values,” Romm added.

Mahoney chose to approach this question in another direction thinking more of the season and team as part of his life for those 3 months and how the team members can help each other both on and off the ice.

“Similar to what Harper said but perseverance. Throughout the season, there are a lot of ups and downs, so going through that together as a team and just kind of battling whatever comes at you,” Mahoney added.

Part of what makes the captains so important is their ability to inspire. When asked what their advice would be to the current and future players, the answer came easily.
“It is not worth it if you are not having fun, so come to practice and games with a good attitude. Do not overthink your performance or anything like that,” Friedholm said.

“Appreciate it while you are there because time absolutely flies,” Romm added.

Mahoney agreed, “Just enjoy your time out there, work hard every single time you step on the ice because it will be your last pretty soon.”

With the season in full swing, it is important to take a step back and look at the plans and goals for the final season. All three of these captains have come a long way since they first started playing as little kids, and seeing them get to the point where they are now and motivating the generations of hockey players after them is something to be proud of. We wish the teams the best of luck with the upcoming season and look forward to seeing what they accomplish.