Josie Krueger
Contributing Writer
Skatesmen hockey team will finish off its season that started in October 2016 with only the Winter Classic left on its schedule.
The Classic is on Saturday, Jan. 28, at Clayton Ice Rink.
While some consider the team’s record of 8-11 wins to losses mediocre, Casey Lang, sophomore left wing on Varsity said it was “a really good season, considering four seasons ago we had no wins, and to come from that to eight wins this year is a huge accomplishment as a program.”
One large highlight of the season was senior left wing on Varsity, Dougie Shoults, being named the “Mid States Player of the Week” by Fox Sports Midwest in early December.
About the award, Shoults said it was “a great feeling going to the Blues game and seeing my face on the big screen. The team showed great support too.”
The Skatesmen practice at Webster Groves Rec Center regularly.
Charlie Scheipeter, junior playing on Varsity, said his favorite thing about being a Skatesmen is “just being with all the guys. We bond well together.”
Skatesmen Coach Dave Garth has been coaching hockey from 1975 and the Skatesmen from 1982. He is favored by Lang for his personality, the way he nicknames everyone, and how he wants to get to know the players rather than just instruct them.
About the best quality of the team, Coach Garth said, “I’d say there’s two. From a competitive standpoint, I feel like this team does not quit very often. It’s not too hard for me to get them to keep playing until the very end of a game. The other thing is, I just feel like they like each other. The expression I always use is ‘you don’t have to be best friends, you have to be best teammates,’ but it’s really nice when you are best friends. We have a lot of friends in there that like and support each other, and that’s what I want. That’s why you play team sports.”
Garth also said his favorite thing about coaching the Skatesmen, “I think the thing I love about Webster and coaching Webster is, you’re not just playing for your school, you’re playing for your town, there’s a sense that you’re representing the entire community, not just your school and to me that makes it a little more special.”
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