Raiders top Steinert to open MCT
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
The day before The Hun School began its midterm exams, the Raiders ice hockey team passed a big test.
Seeded 14th, Hun topped third-seeded Steinert, 5-2, Monday in the first round of the Mercer County Tournament. Hun lost, 5-2, to Steinert just 12 days earlier, in the midst of a six-game losing streak.
”It was nice to knock off a pretty high seeded team,” said Geoff Rogers, a junior who scored a pair of goals including the game-winner. “We’re feeling pretty good right now. It was a huge win overall. We hadn’t won in six games. It had been a tough stretch. Now we get to go down to Maryland and get back to .500. The tournament’s definitely huge.”
Rogers entered Monday’s play with a goal and three assists to his credit. He picked a ripe opportunity for his most productive game to date.
”I think it’s a good time,” said Hun head coach Francois Bourbeau after his team improved to 4-7. “This game is perfect timing. We were in a little slump before this game. Winning this game hopefully turns things around. It’s good for Geoff to score. He didn’t have any points.
”I think everything came at a perfect time for everyone, for him and for the team. I think the pieces are getting back together. I think we’re getting back on the right track.”
The Raiders travel out of state to play The Landon School today and then play at Calvert Academy on Saturday before opening the state tournament on Monday. Hun will play sixth-seeded Lawrence on Feb. 25 in the second round of the MCT.
”Last year we felt we were a higher seed than we should have been,” Rogers said. “We had to play Notre Dame second round which was rough. We want to prove we’re one of the better teams. We want to show we can play with the CVC teams and prove that we’re better than most of them.”
Monday’s win over Steinert was a start. The Raiders got out of the gate quickly with goals from Steve Norman and Rogers in the first eight minutes of play for a 2-0 lead. But barely 10 seconds into the second period, the game was tied. Rogers’ second goal of the game came courtesy a pass from Carrick Porter.
”The first game (against Steinert), the thing that stuck out was we weren’t hitting the net,” said Porter, a freshman. “We had to hit the net and pounce on the rebounds. We have talent. We have to all work together.
”We’ve been working on the forecheck. It came together. And we’ve been changing the lines and it seemed to work. We got our passing going and there it was.”
What boosted the Raiders’ confidence another step was when Ryan Samuels added to the lead 21 seconds later. Hun went into the ice cut with a 4-2 lead. It was the quickest back-to-back scores on the season for the Raiders.
”It felt pretty good,” Rogers said. “We just hadn’t had a lead in a while. Getting the lead for us was huge. We usually don’t start off well. That was a key component.”
Added Porter: “It just relieves you. When you get two in a row, it takes a lot of pressure off your back. You can relax and play back and play very defensively and play what you know.”
In the net, Travis Potts did not allow another goal while stopping a total of 29 shots. He did not allow a goal for close to the final 30 minutes.
”He played well as usual,” Bourbeau said. “He made a lot of big saves. You can look at the numbers. Steinert still outshot us. Travis did his job and did it as well as usual.”
Hun needed contributions from both ends of the ice to avenge an earlier loss to Steinert. And, the senior-less Raiders needed it from its roster.
”I’m happy with the way Carrick is playing,” Bourbeau said. “Overall, I’m happy with a lot of my freshmen. They need to play well. To be successful this year, we need contributions from everyone. We’re short on players and short on seniors, so we have to play everyone. It’s a plus for this year and next. It can only make us stronger.
”All my kids are really looking forward to this tournament. They came more prepared for this game because they already beat us and it’s a tournament. Our goal is to play at the end of February. The state final and Mercer County final are pretty much the only thing to look for.”
Rogers definitely felt the urgency of the moment Monday. The Raiders responded to the pressure.
”We were more confident this time,” Rogers said. “We thought the game was a lot closer than the score last time. We definitely weren’t mentally prepared. We came out and treated this as a big game. They had a big line that we knew we needed to watch out for. We got to the rink early and were ready.”
The win was a welcome study break for the Raiders. It showed they test well, something they hoped to carry over to their midterms.
”It’s certainly a good way to get ready for exams,” Porter said of the win. “You’re nice and confident since you won the hockey game. Being a freshman, it was my first midterms at Hun, so it was nice. Winning the game definitely helped.”
Said Bourbeau: “We kind of learned from our previous game our mistakes. So we got stronger from it. We shot more which created more opportunities for goals.”
Rogers was one who seemed most able to capitalize on those opportunities Monday. He was happy to deliver in a big spot.
”It was a big game,” he said. “I was shooting the puck more. I think that was a big part of it. We tend not to throw it on net. We’ve been shut out a couple times the last couple games. We worked on it in practice. We seemed to be able to finish.”
The Raiders are hoping it starts a trend to finish up the season on a high note. They aced their first tournament test.
”It was a big win,” Porter said. “States is still up the road. We have to get ready for that. It’s nice to win a preliminary game. It was a game we wanted to win.”