Rebels' hockey return marked by streak

[attach]7352[/attach]The varsity hockey culture at Marshall McLuhan Catholic School has been non-existent for the last seven years. But 11 players are out to change all that.

The Rebels have not only been revived but the co-ed team scored 30 goals and went 6-0-1 in its first seven games of TDCAA league play, good for first place in the East division as 2013 drew to a close.

Composed of players of varying hockey experience, the team was put together by coach and English teacher Daniel Brohman, who said he wanted to break the indifference to hockey among students.

Brohman, who last coached a McLuhan girls’ hockey team seven years ago, said he had to go from class to class to find potential
players.

“We had (found) 11 kids, and 11 kids ended up on the team,” he said.

And now the team is starting to make a buzz among the students, he said following a 4-1 win over Bishop Marrocco at North Toronto Arena, which helped bolster his team’s impressive December stats.

“Before, it was a very quiet thing — hockey whatnot — and now every time on announcements they’re like, ‘Hey, our team won
again! What’s going on?’” Brohman said.

With a small squad, and little time to prepare, the team has had to bond in a hurry. Using the bond they have as friends and peers, they rely on team chemistry to keep them in games.

“I don’t think it’s luck,” said forward Sebastian Fazari, who scored a goal and an assist in the win over Marrocco. “I think we have quite a bit of skill.

“We have a few kids that have played competitive hockey and don’t play anymore, like myself. I think all of us, knowing hockey and having good hockey sense, gives us chemistry.”

That skill and chemistry was on display at North Toronto Arena. The team marched to a 3–0 lead in the first period, and the defense kept its cool when Marrocco peppered goalie Jeremy Rizzetto with shots in the second and third periods.

“(Marrocco) was good at breaking out and they’re very aggressive and hard on the puck,” said Madeline Hume, who assisted on the Rebels’ first goal.

“It’s intimidating, I have to say,” Rizzetto admitted. “But, I just play my game. “I don’t really focus on them scoring. I say in my head, ‘I’m going to save it’ and I save it.”

Brandon Power, who scored twice on this night, says their style has been coming through for them this season.

“We just want to play our game, which is get the puck, work it down low in the offensive zone and try to get shots,” he said.