Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 January 2016 15:39
By Andrew Vitalis
To be the king of the jungle, one must have the power to assert themselves when needed. One must also need the ability to do that on a consistent basis; to thwart off challengers when they try to take the crown. In the Middle Border Conference, the New Richmond Tigers boys’ hockey teams have roamed their respective jungle for years, and aside from the 2012 and 2013 seasons, the Tigers have pounced on the competition, earning the title as conference champions every year since 2003. It’s no surprise, then, that the Tigers are again the leader of the pack this season.
“Multiple conference championships is/was due to most of schools in Middle Border Conference are smaller programs,” 19-year head coach Adam Swanda said. “The focus of our program has been to compete at the state level, with less focus on conference championships. Our program aspires to be one that is respected and recognized on a state level as a competitive program”.
In other words, while New Richmond (7-5 overall, 4-0 in conference as of Jan. 6) recognizes the talent in their own conference, Swanda and company are shooting at moving their program to the next level once again in 2016. Yes, all teams aspire to make it to the highest level every season, but some teams, while the effort is there, fall short when it comes to talent. Early on, it seems the Tigers have the pieces in place to make their presence known among the state powers. With four state tournament berths under their belt, Swanda and his program are eyeing No. 5.
“We pride ourselves on being a small school that competes for a state championship,” Swanda said. “We have been to the WIAA State Tournament four times, finishing second in 2002-03 to Superior. Over the years we have been in the same section as Superior and several times have lost to them in the sectional final. We understand that to be the best, you have to compete with and beat the best. Our program continues to recognize that and strive to earn a WIAA State Championship.”
Small in numbers, yes, but the talent is anything but. Offensively, the Tigers are on a tear, scoring 34 goals over their last six games. The Tigers have scored five goals or more six times this season, and as a team, are averaging over four goals per game through 12 contests. Five players currently have six or more goals, led by Stuart Pearson who has lit the lamp 10 times. Dylan Marty has eight goals, while Hunter Charland, Maxx Wisemiller and Brady Maus each have six goals. Just recently, while playing in a Christmas tournament in Rochester, Maus exploded in scoring five goals in three games. Already this season, 15 Tigers have registered a point on the scoresheet.
While the offense has turned some heads, the Tigers goaltender has made fans stop and stare. Senior David Mayry has excelled between the pipes, giving New Richmond balance on both ends of the rink. Mayry sports a 5-1 record along with a 1.55 goals-against average. The netminder has been so good that he currently stops over 92 percent of the shots he faces and has registered two shutouts. With state powers Antigo (No. 4) and Hudson (No. 6), along with two games against conference foe Baldwin-Woodville, on the horizon, the Tigers will need Mayry and his blueline partners to be on top of their game.
“Mayry has been a pleasant surprise,” Swanda said. “His only loss came on the first game of the season to St. Paul Johnson in overtime. His confidence is growing with each start. I believe the team has experienced success when they play together as a team, notably shutting out top quality program Eau Claire Memorial on their home ice. Even though it’s early in the season, it showed the team what they are capable of accomplishing.”
Swanda hopes that confidence will propel the Tigers through the rest of the season, including two key stretches in their season schedule that will make, or break, the New Richmond dream. Beginning Jan. 7, the Tigers embark on a stretch where they play six of seven games on the road. The only home game during the stretch will be a battle with Stevens Point on Jan. 16. From there, the Tigers close out the season with a stretch of games at home, playing five of their last six regular season games at the New Richmond Sports Center.
Let the games begin.
Andrew Vitalis writes columns in LPH geared towards Wisconsin hockey. He can be reached at lphprep@yahoo.com.
