Following the Nov. 21 win against St. Paul Academy, senior and captain William Pinney reflected on what the early victory meant to him.

“It’s an early game and it felt really good to get a win on the first day, our first game,” Pinney said.

Coach Andrew Sackrison said although the team has not practiced much before this first game, the team played hard.

“We (have) literally only had two practices,” Sackrison said. “So within that time frame to come out and find a way to win against a hard working team, I thought the guys played together and got it done. It’s pretty impressive.”

According to junior Drew Boyum, the team’s good chemistry translated into success when it came to movement on the ice, especially in the defensive zone.

“I was moving the puck really well and my team as a whole. (We) did very well at moving the puck and moving our feet,” Boyum said. “We move the puck really well. In D-zone we got it out. We’re just buzzing.”

According to Sackrison, the team discussed that victory comes from pushing harder than their opponent.

“We just talked about as a baseline average, we have to outwork the other team. That’s it. I think (Park) grinded it out. It wasn’t pretty but a win’s a win at the end of the day,” Sackrison said.

Sackrison said it’s important for players to understand the role they play in the team.

“We just we have to play smart,” Sackrison said. “There’s a lot of stuff to go over in a short amount of time, so we’re just trying to (make sure) everybody (is) understanding their job and their roles, so I think we’ll get there.”

According to Pinney, the team will work to strengthen its playing dynamic before its next game.

“We’re going to try to keep the tempo going and get better at playmaking ability, so we’re going to try to work on that for the next game,” Pinney said. “We need to get better at playing all 51 minutes of the game.”

Sackrison said he is optimistic about the future of the season.

“(I’m looking forward to seeing) what this group is capable of. (They) come in, on short practice, able to do that,” Sackrison said. “As we get better, it’ll be fun to see what they can accomplish as a group.”

Pinney said he is looking forward to bonding with his teammates.

“I really like the group of guys we have,” Pinney said. “I’m really excited to get to know them better and hang out with them every day in the locker room. It’ll be really fun.”

The next game will be against Armstrong/Cooper 7 p.m. Nov. 23 at New Hope Arena.