The Hampton Talbots Hockey team started its season strong, beating both Armstrong and Plum. After losing six senior stars in Luke Reiser, Jake McGee, Ben Cutuli, Ryan Koprivnikar, Christian Cerrone and Ian Sullivan, the boys proved they could hold their own. Coach Luke Leya expressed his confidence, “This is the strongest team that Hampton has had in years.” 

Unfortunately, the next three games didn’t go as well. Hampton lost to Franklin Regional (10-2), Armstrong (7-3) and Penn Trafford (8-2). Amidst frustrating Covid-19 restrictions, players seemed to lose their ability to play as a team.

With shifts in school, new masking regulations, and the uncertainty of what’s to come, The Talbots feel like they’re on thin ice. But coolly, they’re keeping a positive outlook. Kenny Troy says of the upcoming game, “It isn’t over till it’s over. We need to play like this is our last game.”

The season is early and Hampton still has near a dozen games left. At practice, Assistant Captain Adam Demboski said, “Sometimes you do hard work and set the table, but somebody else eats the meal. That is okay; we just need to come back for the dessert.” 

The next game is at the Frozen Pond, a place that seems to give the Talbots a little edge. This should help the dawgs and bring them a much-needed win. In spite of their losses, the players have a great attitude, the kind needed more than ever right now for athletes all over the country. Asst. Captain, Mitch Hurst sums it up best: “We’ve learned what we were lacking as a team, and since it is still so early in the season, we know our weaknesses better and can adjust accordingly.”