It was a snowy cold day in February of 2015 when I saw a picture on Facebook of a group of young men playing hockey on a frozen pond. Their season was over, but they weren't ready for it to end. As their opponents in the Delaware Scholastic Hockey League, Delaware Military Academy and Avon Grove prepared to play in that evenings championship game, they took the ice with dreams of their own. It wasn't the first time I had saw the group, but it did strengthen the optimism I had felt, after seeing them play earlier the previous fall.
St. Mark's has fielded ice hockey teams since the 70's, and while most have been competitive, few have achieved the highest level of success. The 2007 team won high school hockey's version of the state championship in an era that may have been the programs best. The Spartans made the final three times in a six year period between 2006 and 2011. Twice they played for the title under Coach Dave Norsworthy, beating Avon Grove in 2007, after losing to the Red Devils the previous year. Coach Bob Teevan, who took over for Norsworthy, led the Spartans to the title game in 2011, but fell short of winning the program's second title, with a loss to A.I. DuPont.
The program's fortunes would take a turn for the worse following the 2011 season. The Spartans would only win one game over the next two years, going a combined 1 - 33 - 0. That futility looked to be continuing with the 2014 team who posted a 1 - 12 - 1 record. But this group was different. As one would expect they got better as the season progressed. However it wasn't the group's play that fed my optimism, it was their youth. Seven of the teams fifteen players were freshman. And while there is no certainty in sport, at least the potential for improvement was there.
The 2015 season would bring another youth infusion with seven more freshman joining the team. Still they improved, going 6 - 6 - 2 and qualifying for the playoffs. With an experienced squad they entered the 2016 season with high expectations, which were only partly met. After struggling through a 5 - 6 - 1 year, they salvaged their season with a playoff opening win. With a shift in the Delaware Scholastic Hockey League that had left them competing in a two team division, they opted to compete in the Inter County Scholastic Hockey League the following season. The move would bring a step up in competition, further complicated by the loss of their starting goalie. One of the original seven freshmen, who had backstopped the team for three years.
Unfazed with the loss of a key player, and facing a tougher slate, the Spartans attacked the 2017 season with purpose. The addition of talented younger players to support what had become a veteran team, turned St. Mark's into a formidable unit. They shot to the top of their division, announcing their arrival with a win over an old nemesis. While their 5 - 0 victory over Delaware Military Academy was just another game in a season filled with many, it was a seminal moment for the team. The Seahawks, who they had not defeated since 2011, and regularly suffered double digit losses to, represented who they had hoped to become.
It came as no surprise that the team went into a slump following that win. It was something the group had never experienced, a lesson they needed to learn. A point Delaware Military Academy pounded home in the 10 - 1 beat down they put on the Spartans in the rematch. Hockey like baseball and basketball, is a fickle sport. Any team can truly win on any given night, it's why they play seven game series to determine championships. With that lesson learned, the Spartans head into the postseason. They will open against Interboro on Monday, and if they advance would likely face their old nemesis once again. For the 'original six' it's the chance to realize the dream they started on that frozen pond four years ago. And this time they won't have to shovel the snow off to play.
(Editors note: the records used in the article reflect the records for league play listed on the respective league's sites. This may or may not reflect the team's overall record for a given year.)
(Editors note: the records used in the article reflect the records for league play listed on the respective league's sites. This may or may not reflect the team's overall record for a given year.)