The boys’ hockey team trekked to the annual Heritage Holiday Classic tournament to compete against high-performing teams, according to coach Terry Keseley.

Keseley said the team exceeded expectations, placing second in the tournament Dec. 28-30.

“In past years we were competing to not get last place, and this year we were competing for first place,” Keseley said. “Our defense played a big role in our success.”

Sophomore defenseman Luke Mobley said he believes the tournament signals a turning point for the team.

“We started playing more consistently, and our team defense really improved. We kept ourselves in the game,” Mobley said. “This tournament really helped bring us together as a team and show us how to play for each other.”

According to Keseley, they had one goal scored against them the entire tournament.

“Because of our aggressive defenseman, we were able to produce scoring opportunities and keep it out of our zone,” Keseley said. “We had one goal scored on us the entire tournament, which shows that the team was doing a lot of things right.”

According to senior Patrick Bordewick, the team feels satisfied with its performance.

“Going into the tournament we were looking to compete, and I think that is exactly what we did,” Bordewick said.

According to Mobley, the tournament benefits the season.

“The tournament helps bring us together as a team. We all became closer, which is important to create a group dynamic,” Mobley said.

Keseley said the tournament is a good test to see where the team stands in terms of competition.

“In previous years, when we played teams such as Hudson, we would get beat by a lot,” Keseley said. “This year we matched up more with these teams and each game was really close.”

According to Bordewick, finishing in second place exceeded expectations.

“We got second place to St. Paul Academy and we only let up one goal. We have been improving each day,” Bordewick said. “We have become more comfortable playing tough teams such as St. Paul Academy, Duluth and Hudson because we can skate with them.”

The team’s next game takes place at 7 p.m. Jan. 14 at the New Hope Arena against Robbinsdale Armstrong.