As the fall sports season has finally wrapped up, winter sports are ready to take the spotlight with games and practices already underway. 

Boys and girls hockey teams are two powerful teams, both making an appearance at state last season and bringing the state title back to NDA. 

“Obviously we have big shoes to fill, but our goal as of now is to go back-to-back state champions,” said senior captain Joseph Coghlin. 

The hockey team is a very young group with most of their key players coming from the junior class.

Sophomore Ryker Thomas believes that the key players this year will be Keegan and Kade McCarron, James Flanigan, Joseph Coghlin and Bryce Dahl. 

“I think our key players will be Ian Aitken, Ryker Thomas, Nathan Antti, and our captains, Bryce Dahl, myself, Keegan McCarron and James Flanigan,” said Coghlin. 

The captains will very much echo what it takes to be a leader as they have stepped up, but “anyone can be a leader. We need people to step up and help,” added Coghlin. 

Ever since he has been on the NDA hockey team he has been around good leaders. 

“Callan Budinger set the best example for me. He has always been a great person for me to look up to,” shared the captain. 

“We have a huge class of kids coming into the organization who are skilled and great players. They have great potential and are very promising to the team. They have been playing great and will continue as the year goes on,” said Thomas when referring to the newcomers  Owen Atkinson, Braden Heart and Andrew Osterman.

Coghiln believes Atkinson, Heart, and Osterman are “very skilled smart hockey players.” 

“Atkinson should play crucial minutes for the team,” added Antti. 

Their new coach, Mike Szkodzinski, has been a great match for their program and has driven intensity and hard work into the team while adding some new systems and changing up special teams.

“The first time with the new coach was odd at first, as it should be, but as we got closer it turned out to be great. He’s such a great coach and provides the wisdom and tools for us to be great, and we are thankful that he took the role as our coach,” said Thomas. 

“While little things have changed, our team is still the same team,” said Coghlin. 

The Tritons will take on Neenah Friday night at 7 p.m.on their home ice of Cornerstone.