Eagles’ chemistry major
Kramer leads for champs
BC High senior center Thomas Kramer is expected to be a leader in more ways than one.
With Kramer being one of the most experienced players back from a Super Eight state championship, the Eagles naturally would lean on him in the early going. Adding to that is the fact that Kramer is centering a line flanked by his younger brothers Peter and Joseph.
So far things have gone well. Since a season-opening 4-2 loss to New Jersey power Don Bosco, the Eagles have gone 6-0-1 and are averaging more than five goals a game in that stretch.
“It’s been a lot of fun so far,” Kramer said. “We’ve had good chemistry and it’s started out well. We get fiery on the ice, but at the end of the day, we’re family.”
BC High coach John Fla- herty sees the competitive nature of the trio on a daily basis and loves it.
“It’s a DNA chemistry is what I call it,” Flaherty said. “They have great communication, they’re not afraid to talk on the ice, yell each others’ names. But they work very hard open to get open for each other, they have a chemistry of their own.”
Kramer certainly had a chemistry with his other teammates last season. He ranked among the team leaders with 12 goals and 25 assists for 37 points in leading the Eagles’ to a dramatic Super Eight title. It didn’t come easy as Pope Francis carried a 1-0 lead into the final minute before BC High rallied to tie the score and then won in overtime.
“It just shows that the game is never over ,” Kramer said. “The game is 45 minutes and you gotta play all 45. Once we scored, we knew we were going to win because we had all the momentum.”
Kramer carried that momentum over into this season. He scored a pair of goals to lead the Eagles past St. John’s Prep in the opening round of the Peter Frates Classic, then dished out three assists in a 5-4 win over Pope Francis to capture the championship.
Flaherty says it’s just merely a case of Thomas Kramer being Thomas Kramer. The player who excelled from the moment he arrived on the campus has remained a steady presence in the lineup.
“Thomas always wants to be better, he always wants to be the best player on the ice,” Flaherty said. “What I see Thomas doing is working on the little aspects of the game to become a more complete player.”