Back to back 20 win seasons has lead the Elder Hackey team to their second consecutive playoff visit. The boys on ice have big hopes this post-season as the playoffs are just around the corner.

I sat down with the all time Elder goal scorer, Charlie Garnett, to discuss the upcoming playoffs which start this weekend. “Depending on our seed in the district tournament we hope

to make it back to the quarter finals but with out league playoffs this weekend we believe that we can win it all this year.”

Coming off a 20-8 season, these Panthers feel pumped and ready to push their way to state. They got the talent behind them, now they just need to execute.

Big players this season that will be helping with their play off run is on the offensive side. There you got one of The Purple Quill’s finest, Matthew Mahon and the chicken man himself, Matt Larkin.

On the defensive side you got Jake Hofmeyer, Mikey Onorato, and Charlie Garnett. With a crew this mean, I’m sure any team will have trouble getting by them.

Of course you can’t forget about their goalie Jake Henn, who has had himself one heck of a senior year. I was lucky enough to go out and watch the kid play and he is a menace in the goal. In the St. X game alone he had 40 saves with 42 shots on goal.

Garnett told me,  “Alex Mischelle and Sal Morena have really been big contributors to our success this season, these two players are often slept on but they really do contribute to the team.”

In the past Elder has not had the most successful hockey teams. But in recent years the boys on ice have worked hard stepped up their game and have really changed the view of many people who doubted this program.

Having such a great season last year and losing a lot of all-star seniors left many people with doubts for this season, but the Panther puck has prevailed and is now pushing to be the best in state.

Even though the Panthers have taken down the Bombers twice this season, Garnett still informed me that he believes they will be their biggest challenge heading into the post-season.

If you weren’t at the last meeting against St. X, then you missed out. The Panthers got the dub 4-1 and we had a big section make their way out there to support our boys on the ice.

As the Panthers push farther and farther into the playoffs I challenge all of you to go out and support your fellow panthers. Especially you seniors who have never experienced a hockey game.

Go out and spread the word about this team’s success because even though they aren’t one of our bigger programs, they deserve to get treated like they are.

Get out there boys and show your love and support to our men on ice.