PATIENTLY WAITING
Shen Hockey awaits to find out updates on 2021 season, but prepares nonetheless
CLIFTON PARK, NY » It’s been over 280 days since Shenendehowa Hockey fell to Saratoga in the 2020 play-in round of the Section II playoffs.
Shortly after the loss, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association postponed, and eventually cancelled, state championships for all winter high school sports. Shen Head Coach Juan delaRocha and his team did not expect that their 20202021 season would be eventually affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“I did not expect this. My message to my players back then was that we should feel fortunate that we got in our
full season,” said delaRocha. “We didn’t get as far as we wanted to go, but we were able to get in our full season. The only thing that last year’s team missed out on was our banquet, which we ended up doing virtually when we realized things weren’t going to change.”
DelaRocha at the time thought all would work out for the team.
“I had said that the timing of this was perfect for you guys because we can go through all of this now. By the time our season is ready to start, most of this will be behind us. Obviously I was wrong.”
Shen did not have a normal season last year as well. Finishing 8-10-2, Shen just claimed that play-in spot to face off
with Saratoga, who eventually went on to be the runner-up in the Section II Tournament.
“We had a lot of rookies last year so it was all new to them,” said Miazga. “We were struggling last year so we had to come together as a team. As the end of the year came last year we were probably as close as we have ever gotten. It was a shame it didn’t go as long as it could have.”
“We have got a great team this year, I think our lineup is phenomenal,” said delaRocha on his returners who remember last season. “We have some newer faces that are filling in the skates of guys that departed us. It’s hard to fill the skates of a Tyler Sullivan or a Cole Haldane. We have a young group of kids, sophomores and juniors, that are fantastic.”
“It’s a really fun group to work with and I really want more than anything for them to play,” added delaRocha.
Now, delaRocha needs to keep his group positive and ready for if a season is to officially start. As of now, NYSPHSAA has high risk sports starting on January 4. The Capital District High School Hockey League has tentatively scheduled an 11 game schedule to start January 6.
“I want more than anything for the guys to compete against teams in the section,” said delaRocha. “We have a preliminary schedule, or a revised schedule I should say, already up ready to go. We have gone through the efforts as a league to submit changes we are going to make and be ready to adhere to the safety concerns and considerations that should be required at this time.”
Shen’s first game is scheduled for January 6 against Albany Academy. NYSPHSAA plans on making an announcement on the winter season Friday.
“We haven’t talked about if it is feasible to push back our season to the early spring, but that is something that has been brought up,” said delaRocha. “The challenge there is you have kids that play multiple sports. What happens to the kid that also plays football and he will be playing football and hockey in the same season. I don’t know what it is going to look like I just want the kids to have the chance to compete.”
Shen continues to prepare for a season, regardless of if the season will really start on January 4.
“We are doing all that we can right now and I have to imagine no other school has really an advantage or a disadvantage right now,” said delaRocha. “We are all dealing with the same thing right now. We all won’t be in the shape we want to be in the middle of January. It is what it is.”
Shen players are practicing two to three times a week currently through their club program, which is not affiliated with Shen High School.
“It’s our preseason team that we usually do,” said Miazga. “We get to practice, with the regulations and all of that. So, it’s pretty relaxed. We are trying to stay together and play whatever season we may have.”
“We are grateful for that opportunity,” said delaRocha on his team having the chance to practice and get some ice time. “Rather than dwelling on the negative on where I would like us to be, I am grateful for what we have right now and hoping we get the chance to play that game against Albany Academy.”
Miazga continued by saying that in the locker room the team is not talking about covid. They are acting as if everything is normal and that they are just getting together to play some hockey as they would any other year.
“We’re all pretty aware, so covid isn’t the last thing on our mind, but at hockey, we usually talk about other stuff like our day and keep it light,” said Miazga. “We’re all healthy. We all just want to go out on the ice and have fun.”
2020 has not been an easy year for everyone. Most of us can’t wait for it to be over. DelaRocha and Miazga are staying positive and looking at the last year as a learning opportunity and a year of a lot of growth.
“It’s made me grateful for my sophomore and junior year of playing hockey and being able to live my high school experience out,” said Miazga. “I am grateful for all the guys I have been able to play with and have these experiences with. It’s made me look back and appreciate it all and it’s made me level head. I have made peace with not playing this year and I am okay with it if it does happen.”
“Everybody can say how much the game means to us. We have gone from not being able to do anything at all to slowly starting to go to the rink with restrictions,” said delaRocha. “We take for granted the experiences that the sport brings us. It doesn’t have to hinge on the games. Right now we don’t have games, but we have the ability to, under the umbrella of the club programs, to come together as a team and have the kids come together with their friends.”