Check out the hockey team! 

This hockey season has been favorable. Not only does the team have chemistry on the ice, with a record of 11-8 as of right now, but these athletes remain close outside of the sport life. Last year Aurora hockey had a team that consisted of plenty of reliable seniors. However, by the season of 2023-2024 the new senior class had really stepped up.  The seniors who have taken their leadership skills to the next level are Michael Phillips, Mateo Martinez, Henry Hesse, Frankie Wiencek, Colten McCrae, and Will Pfiffner. These players have been role models for the underclassmen as they get to watch and learn from 6 very talented athletes as well as becoming their teammates and friends.

Coach Lawrie  shared nothing but positive words about the team this year. Compared to last year, he said,“We have more depth this year after returning a lot of our core players and picking up some valuable [people]. That gives us more ability to move players around to get matchups. We are doing well in a competitive division this season thanks to the growth within our locker room.” 

Regarding the senior leadership of his team, he shared,  “It is great to the group of seniors this year. Our seniors have been on the ice making plays in a lot of key situations. They are leading in stats and leading by example. Our senior’s grit and commitment will be a big factor in our results in the final stretch of the season.”

  He also did not hold back when we discussed what the goals for the seasons to come were. He noted, “We are looking forward to many more successful seasons and growing the program for future players and fans. There are some very talented young players in the district. Our recent youth night gave young players a chance to feel like a part of the team at an early age. Aurora’s hockey program is unique, even compared to the teams in surrounding cities. We have a great group of athletes with supportive parents and fans.” 

Lastly, Coach Lawrie appreciates the community of Aurora: “[I] would also like to thank the students and fans for coming out to support us. We have a few big home games left on the schedule and would love to have a lively student section. We play Cleveland Heights and Solon at home in games we need to win for the division. We also have Chagrin Falls on Feb 4th for senior night in what will be the last home game. We will play away at Brook;yn Rec Center for the Baron Cup tournament. It will be exciting playoff hockey and we would love to have a student section for those big games in February.”

When given the opportunity to ask Henry Hesse his experience over the past 4 years of being on this hockey team he had nothing but a positive word to say. With this being Henry’s final year of high school, he shared,, “I am happy with how far I have come after starting hockey only my freshman year of high school but sad to see the season come to an end with all my fellow teammates.”

Henry has felt a change in his last season, a good change. He explains, “I feel that this season is a lot more fun ever since we dropped down a division; we are now playing teams that are around our level and winning almost all of the games. I also feel that although we lost a lot of seniors last year we gained a good number of new players that are helping out the team motivationally and physically.”

When discussing the relationship with his teammates, Henry notes how special they are: “Every player on our team has a good bond with each other and always spending time together. There’s always something to laugh out or talk about that really brings the team together.”

Overall, he shares how he is “definitely gonna miss the connection that our team has built both on and off the ice. I’m gonna miss the team dinners and the exhausting rides home from our 9:45pm practices.”

Another vital player on the team is the junior goalie, Raquel Bailey.  Raquel has had a special experience considering she’s the only girl on the team. She explains, “When I first joined I was so nervous because on top of being a girl who'd never played, I also didn't really know a single person on the team. But after being a part of it for a while I feel pretty confident and like I've really made something of myself. There are obviously some things with the boys that I can't really relate to, but I still have a pretty good time being on the team. It actually makes me feel really special because I know a lot of people are watching me closely since I stand out more.”

Raquel has taken on one of the hardest positions of being a goalie. “It definitely has its good and bad moments,” she notes, “it can be really stressful and exhausting both physically and mentally. It's not always a good experience. but I also remember trying it out for the first time and just falling in love with it; I don’t really know how to describe the feeling, it kind of seemed like it was calling me and I decided to go with it. I'm really glad I did because it can also be really fun and rewarding.”

She’s pretty new to the sport, and shares about how she got started:  “This is my third year playing hockey, so I'm pretty new compared to a lot of players. I always thought hockey was really cool but never knew how to get into it. When I heard about it in eighth grade I worked up the courage to sign up and start learning over the summer. I'm really glad I did because it changed me in so many ways, I feel like a totally different person.”

As Coach Lawrie and Henry shared, Raquel notices a difference in the team this year too: “I know there is, last year sucked because I was new as a player and a goalie, so I didn't really get much playtime. The season itself was also rough for the team as a whole so I felt pretty down about it all. I think it honestly helped though, it really motivated me to work super hard on just about everything. It definitely paid off, I've developed so much athletically and mentally and I can tell other people have noticed it too.”

Her time is coming to be a senior and so she explains, “I'm a little sad because I feel like it’s going by really fast, and I still haven’t played hockey for very long. I plan on working even harder between this season and the next so I can make the most out of it. I want to be someone who has a lot to show for all the hard work I've done the past few years.”