By Henriikka Niemi
Staff Writer

On Tuesday mornings at 5:45 a.m., the 18 players on the Coppell High School varsity hockey team are at Dr Pepper Star Center in Valley Ranch ready to work.

The team does not get as much attention from student fans as other sports would. Hockey at CHS is not a UIL sport; playoffs are based on the number of teams that form in the area and not every school  has one. In addition, their home games take place in Farmers Branch, about a 10-15 minute drive from Coppell.

Senior Clare Madden is one of the few students at CHS who has attended numerous games.

“Hockey is under appreciated,” Madden said. “It may be partially due to the fact that it’s not a UIL sport and that there obviously isn’t a hockey rink in town. However, the team does really well, and many people don’t know much past the trophy case in the hall and the occasional announcement.”

This is not for lack of success; last year, the hockey team made it to the division finals, losing their last game to Plano West. More recently, this past summer the team won the league championship. The players simply showed up on game day and hit the ice without holding any practices beforehand.

“We were playing as a team and we were clearly the best team out there because we were winning every game by like five goals,” junior Morgan Scheetz said.

Undoubtedly, there is a huge presence of natural talent on the team but in the end their hard work is what will take them far. The team practices for an hour, focusing first on warming up with shooting or skating drills then transitioning to team based drills. The end of each practice is devoted to game play.

“We make sure that the last 15 or 20 minutes we let the guys have fun and enjoy the game so that each and everyday they come to the rink, they’re excited to come practice,” varsity coach Brett Blatchford said.

For many of the players, the team provides a chance to become involved at CHS while practicing a sport they pursue at a club level and potentially as a career in the future.

“I believe the whole team experience builds character, friendships and camaraderie. It also develops leadership skills and great work ethics,” parent Beth Scheetz said.

Though its 2013-14 season has just started, it has gone well so far. The team beat both Richardson and Rockwall, losing only 1-0 to Jesuit.

“This group is talented enough to win a state championship, I really do, especially with some of the leadership with the older guys coming back,” Blatchford said. “They are able to show the younger guys what has made Coppell hockey successful in the past, and this will be crucial for reaching their potential.”

This leadership, as pointed out by Blatchford, includes juniors Scott Brownrigg and Matt Lasky along with seniors Andrew Keane and Alex Smith.

The team typically plays on Thursday nights each week, with the season lasting until the early months of next year.