Dartmouth varsity hockey isn't pucking around this season
Lucas DeSousa keeps the puck away from an opposing player. Photos by Kat Sheridan
Frank Lang moves the puck. 
The referees smile at the interested Emmett Lajoie, age 3. 
Drew Spirlet checks an opposing player. 
Grant Brisk chases the puck.
Joe Leone gets the puck.
Lucas DeSousa keeps the puck away from an opposing player. Photos by Kat Sheridan
Frank Lang moves the puck.
The referees smile at the interested Emmett Lajoie, age 3.
Drew Spirlet checks an opposing player.
Grant Brisk chases the puck.
Joe Leone gets the puck.
The Dartmouth High School varsity hockey team doesn't plan to puck around or be checked out this season. They lost their latest game against Bishop Freehan 7-0 on Wednesday, Dec. 17, but head coach Mark Rossi is going into this season with a positive attitude.
Reporter Kat Sheridan talked with Rossi about this upcoming season.
Q: How are you feeling about this season?
A: We just got back to full strength again. We were down a couple of guys from our first line, down at defensemen. We got a couple guys playing with the flu right now, so it was not exactly a matchup that you want to go in as shorthanded as we were. And you know, I kind of asked some of the younger guys to step up and fill some roles so we could get some kind of team together today. … We got through this one healthy, and that kind of was the main objective as of today.
Q: What’s the overall goal for this season?
A: We’ll be good. Like I said, when you lose two top-line seniors, that takes away a lot of the offense, a lot of the defensive zone. So we just got to get back to full strength. We don’t play again until the holiday tournaments, so we should be back to full strength by then and kind of back to normal again.
Q: What do you think are going to be the biggest challenges this season?
A: We play a really tough schedule, so every game’s really going to be a challenge. We don’t have any soft spots on the schedule. It’s just a matter of continuing to develop, continuing to gel as a team and get better every day and put the steps to getting better. … Early in the season, the team is still new. You only have a couple weeks to sort of gel, so usually that comes with some time. We just get back to work and practice and just continue to do the little things that are going to contribute to more success on the ice.
Q: What do you love about hockey?
A: I just love the competitiveness, the speed, the physicality. It’s just the best sport. There’s not really a close second in my opinion. I played my whole life, my kids play, and it’s just kind of nice to help these kids through four years of their high school and get them to the next level.
