Molly Keshin, Reporter
@mollykCourant
Last March, head coach Bo Hickey and assistant coach Pat Gore and the rest of the boys hockey team weren’t too focused on the next season as they celebrated their victory in the FCIAC Championship. However, as the team entered the new year, the question of who would fill former goalie Mac Wright’s skates was up in the air. Luckily enough for new head coach Pat Gore, two players were up for the job: sophomores Liam Mooney and Peter Windas.
Even though Liam and Peter have taken the reigns and share the time in the net, along with senior Dean Wertz, it took time and effort for them to get to where they are. Liam, Mac’s backup goalie last year, credits the graduate for showing him the ropes and for helping him get a feel for hockey in high school. “He was an amazing goaltender and a great guy, I was able to develop my skills and understand the responsibilities of the team through him,” Liam said. “Now I’m just trying to use what he taught me help the team try to get back to where it was last year and continue that success.”
Peter, on the other hand, is just starting to get a taste for what it is like to be a part of a high school team, as this is his first year in the program. “I played for the Darien Youth Hockey Program for a short amount of time and I played for Stamford Sharks,” Peter said. “With those club teams, I learned that you have to stay calm no matter what happens, and now I can use that skill here.”
Coach Gore feels that because Liam and Peter share the time on the ice, they can help each other get better. The boys view each other as assets rather than rivals, which in turn only helps the team when it comes to who’s between the pipes.“Right from day one, they’ve both worked their tail off in practice to get better. They’re always one of the first ones on the ice and the last ones off the ice,” coach Gore said. “But at the same time, they’re supporting each other and they always want to see the other one succeed, so if one of them needs the extra work, they help the other one out.”
As underclassmen, Liam and Peter are excited to have such an important role on the team, but they admit that their responsibilities can be a little overwhelming. “Playing on a big stage like the Darien game, you obviously want to do well in front of your peers and your teammates,” Liam said. “But it’s kind of stressful trying to play well in that kind of situation, especially when it seems like everybody’s watching.”
Senior captain Ted O’Rourke said that the team is fully confident in their abilities and knows that they can help the team succeed. “They both realize how important the goalie position is and they’ve done a great job stepping up and filling Mac’s shoes,” Ted said. “They both show great poise and confidence when they get their turn in net, and the team is fully behind them.”
Not only do the captains have faith in their younger teammates to help the team make their return to the playoffs, but coach Gore also appreciates their cohesiveness. “They’ve made up for a lot of the defense’s mistakes, and every night they’ve given us a chance to win,” coach Gore said. “Even though it’s still their first year playing, we’ve put them in the net and it feels like they’ve been here for three or four years already.”
Peter said that while he feels badly when the other team scores, he always feels supported by his teammates. However, he believes that because the team is so welcoming, he doesn’t have anything to worry about. “Everyone is really chill and they’re all extremely nice,” Peter said. “Because it’s a varsity team, there are a lot of upperclassmen. They are respectful and treat the underclassmen as equals.”
Coach Gore understands that grade barriers have been a part of sports teams for a long time, but the fact that Liam and Peter are sophomores does not take away from how much they have been contributing to the team. “It’s funny with goaltenders, because as long as you work hard and you do your job, whether you’re a freshman or a senior, somebody is going to look up to you,” Coach Gore said. “They’re already doing extremely well and they’re only going to mature and get better. As a coach, it’s a great feeling to know that you’re going to have the security of two strong goalies in net for the next two years.”
