It’s not uncommon for athletes across Cincinnati to come to Elder High School specifically to participate in one of our many prolific sports programs. Baseball, basketball, football, and soccer; these are all sports that are well known and bring in many aspiring Elder students into the school. Sports are a huge part of Midwestern life, but one that has been lurking in the shadows and waiting to come out is hockey.

Elder’s hockey program has been around for over ten years, and they have been participating in the OHSAA for five years. While the success of the program is questionable, the future looks bright with some fresh new faces that are on the team. One of these young new players is freshman, Jacob Henn.

Jacob is a new Elder student from Colerain Township that specifically came to Elder to play on the hockey team.

“The reason I came to Elder was that no high school around me had a hockey team, I was wanting to play with my friends that I always played with too. (Mike Wynn, Charlie Garnett, Bobby Wynn, Steven Mitchell),” said Jacob.

Jacob has been playing hockey for 11 years now, and has been playing goalie for 10. His love of hockey began at a very early age. At a mere three years old, he learned how to skate and started playing a few years later.

Growing up, Jacob expected to attend a high school much closer to home, but the decision to come to Elder is one that he doesn’t regret.

“I love Elder there has not been a bad day,” He said. “Every day has been great so far.”

Elder’s hockey team has three goalies in the system currently, and all three of them have the potential to start on the varsity squad when the season comes around. Jacob could potentially be the first freshman goalie to play on Elder’s varsity team since they joined the OHSAA.

Although it isn’t unrealistic for Jacob to get the starting job, he still realizes that time is on his side, and his time will come eventually.

“ [I] Just [need] to show up to practice all the time and to just have great four seasons here at Elder,” said Jacob, when asked what he needs to do in order to solidify himself as a starting goalie on the team.

There were many changes made to Elder’s roster this past season, including a plethora of freshman talent coming in. These changes have the potential to create a great season for the Panthers, but Jacob believes that the most important key to the team’s success is the cohesiveness of the group.

“The team is great,” he said. “Everyone is getting along with each other and that is what you need to be a good hockey team.”

This past summer was not easy at all for Jacob. His mother was battling with breast cancer for the last several years, and passed away in June.

“It was a hard summer for me,” Jacob said. “God knows what is best and he will make the decision on what to do. When my mother was here she was always in pain and always complained about it, but I know that she is in heaven with no pain and has no worries.”

In memory of his mother, Jacob wears a pink, Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon sticker on the back of his helmet and uses a pink hockey stick.

The appreciation Jacob has for everything his mother has done will stick with him throughout his life. The hardships he has faced will be implemented in everything he does, and hopefully he will come out triumphantly.