By TEAGAN MERRIMAN – The Indiana boys varsity hockey team clinched their playoff spot this past March in the PIHL Class A division.

The team will be playing for a chance to win the Penguin’s Cup, a championship title they were just shy of snagging last season.  Indiana was set to play Thomas Jefferson in the final round last year when things were stopped cold due to COVID.

Junior Korbin Wilson stated, “We have all been working harder than we have last year, putting the team before ourselves, working day in and day out to ensure that we get another shot at winning the Pen’s Cup, which got cut short last year due to COVID.”

Losing their chance at bringing home the Cup has only inspired the team.  “Getting cut short motivated us even more to get back to that moment again, and hopefully win our school’s first Pen’s Cup,” continued Wilson.

Many players have been putting a lot of attention into finishing the season as strongly as they started it.  Senior Danny Williams mentioned, “We have really been focusing on playing our game as we get close to playoffs.  We know that if we play our game there’s not a single team that can beat us.”

As playoffs approach, the seniors are reminiscent of their many years of playing hockey, all while trying to soak in the last of it as much as they can.  With such weird circumstances for their senior season, the idea of it all ending soon hardly seems like reality.  

“As a senior, I’m going to miss the push for playoffs, coaches hyping us up, and the excitement before games.  I’ll also miss spending quality time with my friends and just being on the ice in general,” said senior Tanner Agnello.

The IHS community is excited to support the hockey team as they move into this first round of playoffs, which will be played on April 6.  Hand painted posters have been hung around the school and in the upper commons with encouraging messages for the players. 

[Photo by Digital Media Students under the direction of Erik Puskar]

Photo Caption: “IHS hockey players skate back to the bench after a goal.“