Jack Harrison, Sports Editor
@jhcourant
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many winter athletes had their seasons abruptly cut short. The CIAC cancelled all state tournaments, and most seniors played their last games without even realizing it. This blog is dedicated to bringing out the stories of these senior athletes, and honoring their careers as Rams.
Our first post features Eric Wills, a captain of the boys hockey team. The boys team had a magical 17-2-1 regular season, the program’s best record since 2011. Wills and the Rams capped off their run with a win against archrival Darien in the FCIAC championship.
I caught up with Eric (digitally, of course) and asked him a few questions about this season and what he’s learned from this experience.
What is your favorite memory of your NCHS hockey career?
My favorite memory of my NCHS hockey career is beating the Darien Blue Wave 4-3 in the FCIAC Championship. Nuff said.
What will you miss the most about NC puck?
What I will miss most about NC puck are the players. Yeah, I love hockey, but nothing comes close to the friends that I made along the way. I am never going to forget each player and his unique contribution to the team chemistry.
What was the toughest part about hearing that the tournament was cancelled? How did the team react?
The toughest part of hearing this news was the abruptness of it. The news came in the middle of the day at school, so I had to sit in school for the rest of the day with this thought in my head. It was all I could think about. The team reacted in the same way. After school that day, we had a team meeting. I am not ashamed to say this: there were many tears. We worked so hard, and to have this opportunity stripped from us was painful.
Has this heartbreaking experience taught you anything?
Yes. It has taught me to play every game like it is your last. Unfortunately for me, I have played my last game for NC puck, but the younger players that experienced this get to keep playing. I hope that every time they get on the ice, they too play like it is their last game.
How do you feel about the future of the program?
I think that the future of this program is nothing but bright. We were able to achieve something really great this year, and I think that it put us on the map. I hope that better players will stick around longer and continue to develop the program for years to come.
