Whalers hockey team begins second year
BY STEVE SHEPPARD
With a year of experience behind it, the Whalers hockey team enters its second full season with optimism and enthusiasm. The lessons learned during last season’s opening run can now be built upon.

Marta Hermansdorfer closes in on goalie Ray DeCosta during a recent practice.

The squad is not only better acclimated to the ice, but to playing as a team, which pleases new head coach Rand Smith.

Yes, there were some kinks to work out during the inaugural year. “Our kids had a lot of ground to make up fundamentalwise. Last year we were teaching them how to skate — now we can teach systems, zones, playing short-handed, power plays.”

The numbers are on the rise as well. This year, 21 students will don pads and skates, up from 16 a year ago. Another plus is that there are a lot of returning skaters.

“We only lost two seniors last year,” Smith notes. “As a result we are a team heavy with seniors as well as size.” Last year’s leading goal scorers are back: captain Harry Robishaw and Bryce Eldridge. “Look for these two guys to be our scoring ringers again this year,” Smith said. Another senior to watch is Ethan Bell, who skated injured during most of last year. Returning goaltender Joe Bopp will share netminder duties with fellow sophomore Ray DeCosta.

Returning, too, is junior Marta Hermansdorfer, who plays wing and is the lone girl on the squad.

Other sophomores who are showing steady improvement are Devin Kohler, James McIntosh and Gaven Norton. Five freshmen have also joined the team. “A couple of first year players to keep an eye out for this year are Teddy Fales and Taylor Thayer. They bring good size and excellent skating skills to the team,” Smith said. “Quinn McCusker comes with great speed and crafty moves.”

Because of school policy that says a new team must exist for three years before officially being recognized, and supported financially, as a varsity team, the squad will again play at the “club” level this year and cobble together a schedule with nearby junior varsity teams. High winds postponed last Friday’s planned opener against Bourne, so the season is set to begin at home this Friday at 5 p.m. against Dennis/Yarmouth.

The coaching ranks have undergone a realignment of sorts, with Smith taking on head coaching duties after serving as assistant coach last year. Last year’s head coach Graeden Ambrose remains as assistant. Filling out the ranks are assistants Jonathan Stone and Mike Nee.

Goals for this year include: better conditioning, continued emphasis on fundamentals and a

.500 record. The coaches also want to raise the bar by playing schools with recognized hockey traditions. “We want to play against better caliber competition in order to develop a sense of discipline and see how far they can push themselves,” Smith said.

Although the sport is new to Nantucket, Smith says a tradition is already starting to build. “It’s a great program,” he said. “The atmosphere is on the level of a pretty good Division 3 college program.”

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