The Pointer UW-Stevens Point Student Newspaper
The 2013 Men’s Hockey team made a huge statement last weekend, beating Finlandia University 6-1 on Friday and swept them the next day, 11-0.
The team’s upcoming games are Friday against Gustavus Adolphus College and Saturday against St. Olaf College.
Pointers’ Head Coach Chris Brooks stresses that his players are getting better every day as a team and each individual player goesbeyond the expectation of a good player.
“All 29 players on the roster are more than capable to win games, and they all have the potential to do something special this season,” Brooks said.
Although the roster is full of talented men that have a mission to win as many games as possible, the team still needs to work on a few adjustments.
“Our special teams need to improve,” Brooks said. “We also need to work on playing at our own pace.”
“What we need to improve on this year is becoming more consistent on winning two games every weekend and not just one,” said sophomore Sean Gammange.
Gammange explained that thisteam has gained many skillful players this season.
Brooks went into detail about how the new freshmen have been a great addition to the team and are adjusting well. “This is a different sport. Many freshmen are 20 years old. They have been out of high school for one, two, or three years now. They are mature and know how it feels to be away from home for a long time,” Brooks said. “The seniors are helping make the new players feel comfortable.”
With 17 new players, this team has plenty of strengths that they are bringing to each game. “Our five on five play is very good,” Brooks said. He also explained how his team’s defense is outstanding this year.
With 23 games to go, Brooks is looking forward most to playing against the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire and St. Norbert College.
“I’m looking forward to the national championship game because I know we have the team that will make it there this year,” Gammange said.The team’s schedule is full of challenging opponents this season, but Brooks insists that his team is ready.
Before big games, rituals are normally performed to help calm down nervous players. By going through these rituals, players feel more confident in winning the game.
“I personally don’t really do any rituals before a game because that kind of messes with your head, but most of the guys tend to have a game day routine that they will do every game,” Gammange said.
With two wins under the Pointers’ belt, Brooks believes the fans play akey role to the team’s success.
“The past two games we had great crowds. The fans were electric. They help create an exciting environment,” Brooks said.
The team and coaching staff are very grateful for the amount of fans that come out each and every game cheering for their team.
“Our fans do a great job supporting this organization,” Brooks said.
He and all of the players are hopeful for an even better turn out this weekend.
Kyra Nowacki
