The St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s Boys Varsity Hockey team won its home opener against Mahtomedi on Dec. 5, 3-2. Beating a team which ranked eleventh in state last year marks a turning point for SPA.

Right wing player and senior Ben Morris confirms this, saying, “Looking at where the program started 2 years ago to where it is today, we’ve come a full 180 degrees.” The team played especially well last night due to the strong coordination between its youngest and oldest members. “The team now is both young and old which works out pretty well. The freshman are working well with the seniors and I think they’re learning a lot,” Morris said.

With each member playing his specific role on the rink, the team’s game was fiercely harmonious. “That’s the way we need to play all the time if we want to be successful,” senior captain Mick Sullivan said.

With one win behind them, the team has strengthened its resolve to work for success. “From now on, we’re going to evaluate each team we play as if they were ranked first in state,” Morris said.