The OBHS Junior Varsity Hockey team faced an upheaval after a particularly rough season with their victory at the Pioneer Classic Hockey Tournament, hosted at Chiller North.
The tournament was a bracket-style competition of around 16 JV teams and additional varsity teams from all across Ohio. Furthermore, each bracket (both varsity and JV) was composed of two divisions, with a total of eight. Within their bracket, the Berlin JV team got first place. Many of the team’s players welcomed this success, but unexpectedly.
“The tourney was a big change in pace and play for our team,” Ethan Thomas ‘27 said.
Before the tournament, the team had been through a rocky season. It had won one league game, tied two, and lost the rest of the matches it had participated in.
Additionally, while the Orange tournament took place, the Berlin team won a major comeback victory against Mentor High School. From the Cleveland area, Mentor had originally beaten Berlin with their eight points against Berlin’s three. In the teams’ next encounter, Berlin won 2-1, a great motivator match that propelled the players to win the bracket.
Overall, much of the success of the team can be attributed to its players’ mentality and the constant room for growth they give themselves. Berlin’s head ice hockey coach, Tim Pennington, is a major factor behind that success. Pennington believes in a “We, not me” mindset that emphasizes unity and flexibility on the rink.
“You really gotta go all out no matter what, [and] our coaches have been saying from day one, ‘Even if they get a goal, what really matters is how we respond!’” Alex Hendrix ‘27 said.
Although the team rightfully won their bracket, it still has a long way to go. Primarily, players seem to struggle with the first period. Hockey games consist of three 20-minute sections called periods, and the JV hockey team is much better in the latter periods. Despite a slow start, the team is determined to improve in all ways necessary.
“We already are doing most of what we can in practice, but if we could put more intensity into it, and practice a little more off-ice, I think improvements would skyrocket across the board,” Jaydon Elkin ‘27 said.
