By RICHIE HALL
Hamilton Southeastern hockey fans had two reasons to cheer on Saturday, March 7.
The HSE Hockey Club had two teams in the Indiana State High School Hockey Association state championship games that day. Southeastern qualified its “A” team into the Class 4A final, while HSE’s “B” team made it to the 1A final.
The HSE “A” team won the championship of Class 4A, beating St. Joseph 1-0. The “B” team fell to Lake Central White 3-2, but it was, as Southeastern hockey coach Adrian Render said, a “huge accomplishment” to get there.
Winning the championship was a major accomplishment for the HSE “A” team as well, especially the way it won. Southeastern was one of eight teams in Class 4A that made the playdown round, which took place Feb. 28 to March 1 at the Ice Box Skating Rink in South Bend. Seeded sixth, HSE won all three games in the double-elimination tournament, beating Lakeshore-St. Joe 3-2, Penn 3-1 and Zionsville 3-1.
“Our boys came together and we just marched right through it. We were firing on cylinders,” said Render.
That sent Southeastern to the championship game the following Saturday at the Midwest Training & Ice Center in Dyer. It was a hard-fought game, with neither team scoring until late in the third period. Andy Grasso scored HSE’s winning goal from Cameron Theobald.
“The championship game was all the way down to the wire,” said Render. “Both teams battled very hard.”
Render said the St. Joseph team is “a good hockey club and we got our bounce at the right time with about 3:31 left in the third period. It was a back and forth game all the way through.”
Southeastern goaltender Ethan Krreider saved 44 St. Joseph shots, which Render said was a “pretty high” number. Usually HSE gives up 20 to 25 shots in a game.
“Both teams were just buzzing around the net,” said Render.
The coach said his team came together, and that teamwork resulted in the state title win.
“We had no real one guy that stood out,” said Render. “It was a great team effort. Dane Baker, he scored two of our go-ahead goals in the playdown games. Everyone did their job and did their part to win this title.”
Southeastern finished its season 27-23-4, playing a difficult schedule. The HSE “A” team takes on Indiana teams like Carmel and Culver Academies, in addition to squads from Missouri and the Chicago area. Southeastern also plays in the Hoosier League Championship, where it takes on schools such as Carmel Gold, Brebeuf and Zionsville.
In the 1A playdown games, the HSE “B” team beat South Stars White 5-0 in its first game, but lost to Lake Central White 3-1 in its second game. Southeastern took care of Penn JV 4-1 in order to clinch a spot in the championship game.
Render said the HSE “B” team is more of a development team, made up of younger players. The “A” team features players that have played at high levels and is mostly made up of underclassment.
“We put a lot of emphasis on winning and teamwork and building,” said Render. The “B” team is designed to develop the younger players “so they can step into the role of the ‘A’ team when we graduate our seniors,” said the coach.
HSE HOCKEY CLUB ROSTER
“A” Team: Dane Baker, Eric Bocko, Samuel Carter, Grant Compton, Benjamin Cowan, Joshua Deeter, Keaton Demlow, David DeSplinter, Ty DeSplinter, Matthew Fischer, Andy Grasso, Aden Haigerty, Gavin Johnson, Logan Kincanon, Ethan Kreider, Aidan Miller, Liam Peters, Nicholas Reynolds, Zachary Rogers, Sullivan Schena, Max Severs, Colin Stewart, Cameron Theobald.
“B” Team: Bardia Asadi, Eli Buck, Nicholas Burke, Wyatt Carter, Brenner Christianson, Benjamin Cowan, Alexander Dean, Matthew Fischer, Preston Franklin, David Heise, Logan Kincanon, Colton Lyons, William Mulvihill, Trevor Peevers, Cory Pruzin, Hudson Reeve, Bauer Rhodes, Zachary Rogers, Maxwell Sharp, Frank Thomas IV.
The Hamilton Southeastern Hockey Club’s “A” team won the Indiana State High School Hockey Association’s Class 4A state championship game on Saturday, March 7. The HSE “A” team beat St. Joseph 1-0. Southeastern’s “B” team also reached the 1A state championship game. (Photo provided)