At the crack of the stick on the ice, the puck sails through the air. The goalie reaches out to block it, but it hits the back of the goal. A feeling of relief and joy comes over the shooter, who skates over to his cheering teammates. This triumphant feeling keeps hockey players coming back for more.
Unfortunately, however, the Jesuit Rangers hockey team struggled to start off their season, winning only two of their first five games against stiff competition. The Rangers lost a very talented senior class in 2016, but now look to improve and prepare for a long season. Here is a recap of the games they played in September and October.
Against Mckinney Lions, September 29th, 2016:
The Rangers lost in their match against the Lions with a score of 1-4, with the lone goal coming from sophomore Jonmikel Dragojevic at the end of the first period. Mckinney however brought a balanced and fierce offensive attack and scored two of their four goals in the third period, placing an impressive 12 shots on Jesuit goalie Royce Allred ‘18. Even though he gave up four goals, Allred accumulated an impressive 20 saves on the night for the Rangers. Andrew Ngov ‘17, a senior who has played on the team for a while, believed they “executed the physical play well. We were throwing around the bodies and forcing turnovers.” Unfortunately, Ngov acknowledged they had “scoring troubles, but we produced a lot of scoring opportunities from forcing turnovers.”
Against Plano West, October 6th, 2016:
This time around, the Rangers secured their first victory of the season, pulling out a win in an overtime thriller. Anthony Calabrese ‘18 scored both goals for Jesuit, his first goal coming in the second period and the second goal securing their victory in overtime. The Rangers were outshot in this contest by a 41-24 margin, but due to the spectacular play of goalie Royce Allred ‘18, who saved an astounding 40 shots, Jesuit managed to allow only one goal on the night. Senior superstar Carson Platt set up the play that allowed Jesuit to pull out the victory.
Against Keller, October 13th, 2016:
The Rangers couldn’t secure a win against a tough opponent in Keller, losing the match 6-1. Despite scoring the first goal, the Rangers struggled the rest of the game, allowing Keller to score six unanswered goals. The Ranger’s lone goal came just 47 seconds into the first period by senior Chris Black, making him the third different scorer for Jesuit this season. Another strong effort from goalie Royce Allred of Jesuit wasn’t able to stop the dominant attack force of Keller. Anthony Calabrese ‘18 shared his thoughts on the Ranger’s struggles, believing the other team “outworked us. The chemistry hasn’t clicked yet, but we have a lot of potential and a bright future for the rest of the season.”
Against Southlake Carroll, October 20th, 2016:
Jesuit secured their second win of the season in a well-played match against Southlake Carroll with a final score of 5-4. The Rangers scored in a multitude of ways, as four different players managed to weave the puck into the net. Andrew Ngov ‘17 scored two goals, one of which tied the game, and his second goal ultimately earned the win for the team. Chris Black ‘17, Carson Platt ‘17, Anthony Calabrese ‘18 and Bryce Clark ‘19 all tallied assists in the victory for Jesuit. Allred played another good defensive game, protecting the goal from 17 shots on target, adding to this all-around team performance. Senior Andrew Ngov noticed the great play from everyone and praised the whole team, saying “we executed our offensive attack really well as we got shots to the net and it helped us to overcome defense lapses as we capitalized on scoring chances.” Ngov continued by praising the impressive play of seniors Chris Black and Carson Platt, as they facilitated great offensive possessions leading to Ranger goals. “Our senior core definitely provided the push to help us win the game,” Ngov commented on the overall play of the team.
Against Denton County, October 27th, 2016:
After a thrilling win against Southlake the week before, Jesuit lost to Denton County with a final score of 5-3, the Rangers losing their third game out of their first five. The Rangers fought hard, but a strong offensive attack from the Spartans led to their ultimate victory. Nick Gibbs ‘18 thought the team “did a good job creating scoring opportunities and winning puck battles, but we need to improve on executing those scoring opportunities and getting the puck in the net.”
After a slow start to the season, the Jesuit Rangers look to bounce back in the month of November as they continue their challenging season. Check back with The Roundup for more hockey coverage!
