Despite having 14 new players, Fenwick hockey coach Dan Wolff was pretty optimistic heading into the 2007 campaign.
But after an up-and-down start in which the Friars have shown glimpses of greatness along with numerous mistakes, Wolff now realizes how patient he is going to have to remain in the coming weeks.
“I was kind of excited at the start of the season, but we still have some players that need to adjust to varsity competition,” Wolff said. “They need to step it up.”
Fenwick (12-10-1) finished the prestigious Loyola Thanksgiving Tournament with a 2-1 overall record this past weekend, but failed to make it out of its group-play bracket.
Wolff’s squad lost to Loyola, the eventual tournament champion, 4-2 on Thursday. After falling behind 3-0, the Friars eventually pulled to within 3-2 on goals from Cam Verbeke and Sean Bossy.
“We lost, but I think we can beat Loyola,” said Wolff, whose team will face Loyola on Saturday in the year-long High School Invitational Tournament. “We came out slow, and they scored two quick goals on us.
“They outshot us (37-11) and outskated us early in the game. But the kids rallied to make it a game. They scored the fourth goal late when we were pushing up for the tying goal.”
Fenwick went on to defeat Marist and Sandburg on Friday and Saturday to finish the tournament on a high note.
“Peter (Szczepanski) and Nick (Chiappetta) played great in goal for us the entire weekend,” Wolff said. “We were outshot big in the Loyola game, but all of their shots were from the outside.
“We didn’t let them get inside, and never gave up in that game. Hopefully that’s something we can build on.”
After heading out to Cleveland in recent years to play in a holiday tournament, Wolff said Fenwick will return to the Blackhawks Holiday Classic at The Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville on Dec. 26-29.
Wolff’s squad, however, will travel out to New York on Dec. 7 to compete in the Long Island High School Invitational.
“The New York trip will be good for us,” Wolff said. “We’re going to see a different style of hockey, and we’ll see where we stand against some of the better teams on the east coast.
“It’s good to get away some times, because it builds team chemistry. We have 14 new players, and we’re still building the right chemistry.”
As the case has been in past years, Wolff continues to experiment with his lines to find the right fit for all of his players.
“We brought in five new players this year that played travel last year, so they are still adjusting, too,” Wolff said. “Cam and Ryan Glazier have been playing great on defense, and Matt Wilcox has adjusted to the forward position nicely.
“But just like last year, we’re seeing what works best for everyone. We’ve come out slow, and that may be because we’re experimenting. I think after the trip to New York, we’ll have a better idea about just how good this team is.”