The NDA hockey team opens its 2025 season this Saturday, November 22, at 7 p.m. against Manitowoc at Cornerstone Ice Rink in Ashwaubenon.
The team finished second in state last year, and even with a younger lineup, expectations remain high.
“We’re really excited to start the season,” said senior captain Braeden Hart. “The biggest emotion right now is to start the season strong.”
Head Coach Mike Szkodenski, now in his third year leading the program, returns with a group that’s hungry to prove itself despite losing key players to graduation and junior league hockey in Canada.
“We lost a lot of seniors, but we’re still a state-contending team,” said Hart. “There’s pressure to get back, but we’ve flipped our mindset, we’re the hunters now, not the hunted.”
Key returners include assistant captains Ian Aitken and Thomas “Trip” Wrobelski, alongside upperclassmen Owen Atkinson and Jack O’Brien, and goalie sophomore Ty Schmitz, whom Hart says is “a big goalie, you can’t teach size.”
Freshman Roberto Mirao and Jackson Korittnig are also expected to step up early, adding the needed depth to a roster that will be tested in what Hart called “the toughest schedule in the state.”
With the program’s recent history, every game is a must-win, and the climb back to Madison starts now.
