BCS hockey enjoying success south of the border

The Bishop’s College School hockey teams are back on the ice following the holiday break looking to build on the success achieved in the first half of play in the U.S-based Prep School Hockey Federation.

The U16s finished 2015 in New Hampshire at a PSHF tournament where they won twice and lost once to improve their divisional record to 10-5-1 to solidify its hold on second place in their division.

Coach Mike Couch stated after the tournament that the team had to bounce from a disheartening loss in their opening game.

‘We started off the weekend with a loss and it definitely wasn’t our best performance,” said Coach Mike Couch. “While the team worked well, coming down the ice and moving the puck forward, the guys had difficulty finding the net. At this age, players can be easily discouraged when they’re doing all the right things but that isn’t reflected on the scoreboard. It can be challenging, as coaches, to convince them to stay the course and stick to the game plan.”

A team meeting with players and the coaching staff of Couch, Jonathan Lachance and Francis Alarie helped the players regain some lost confidence as they won their two remaining games.

“It was great to watch them come to- gether, working as a unit and supporting one another no matter what,” expressed Couch. “Alex Moranville, who is new to the school, stepped up and scored a big goal his first weekend out. He’s already part of the team and that’s really nice to see.”

The U18s squad had a similar experience prior to Christmas as they posted two wins and a tie in the December tournament and won one of the three contests last week in their first action following the break. Couch was pleased with the team’s pre-Christmas performance.

“There was great intensity to their play, with everyone sticking up for one another and working within the team system to play up to a higher level,” Couch said. “A couple of guys who have been struggling lately found the back of the net, giving everyone a huge boost of confidence too.”

The U18 Bears entered the New Year in first place with an impressive 11-3-2 record and that presents a challenge to the BCS players.

“Other teams always want to knock you off when you’re number one – that’s the beauty of competitive sports. We were very happy and proud of the way the U18’s performed under that added pressure,” said Couch. “They were incredibly focused and mentally prepared, playing with superb attention to detail.”