Hudson High hockey team having fun and winning
By Ken Powers Community Reporter

Hudson - The team that plays together plays well together: that's been the unofficial motto of the Hudson High hockey team this season.

"I've been doing this for a long time - 18 years - and I think I'm having more fun coaching this season than I ever have," coach Mike Nanartowich said. "It's fun to go to practice. I haven't always been able to say that. But this year it's fun, every day, even after the losses. It's not as much fun after the losses, but it's still fun."

Nanartowich credits his team for his enjoyment.

"I've got a great group of kids with great personalities," Nanartowich said. "They're always joking around, they've always got smiles on their faces, no matter how much I'm berating them or how many times I make them do drills they really don't want to do. All they do is do what I ask and then ask, 'What's next coach?' The level of camaraderie on this team is unmatched by any team I've ever had."

Leading Nanartowich's band of merry men are senior captains Jon Gould, Steve Huehmer, Ryan Barry and Kevin Christie. They've kept the team, and the coach, on track and headed toward a potentially very rewarding season.

"Those guys are the biggest reason this season is fun for everyone," Nanartowich said. "I can single them out and bark at them and it doesn't even faze them. They're good leaders, especially off the ice. They hang around together in school, on the weekends. They really make us a tight-knit, cohesive unit."

The Hawks entered play this week 11-3-3.

Gould and Christie, along with fellow senior Jeff Chaves, are key components of what Nanartowich calls his white line. Other teams would refer to the trio as the top line or first shift.

"We go completely by colors here at Hudson," Nanartowich said. "There are no first, second, third, fourth lines."

The Hawks' red, or second, line is Huehmer, freshman Cody Smith and sophomore Sean O'Keefe. Juniors Andrew Medeiros and Matt Barry, sophomore Dan Brun and senior Scott Pantalone all see time on Hudson's blue, or third, line.

Nanartowich's gold, or fourth, line consists of juniors Jack Bertonassi and Josh Feinberg and senior Brian Scannell.

The defensive corps for Hudson consists of a fiveplayer core of seniors Ryan Barry and Casey Traylor and juniors Will Murphy, Jeff Derby and Andrew Arbour. Other defensemen who see time include sophomore Bobby Andrews and juniors Brian Smith and Max McNealy.

Between the pipes for the Hawks are junior Derek Vasselin and sophomore C.J. Flannery. Nanartowich said their playing time is almost 50-50, but he would say if either has played slightly more, it is Vasselin.

Cody Smith and O'Keefe are tied for the team lead in goals; each has scored a dozen, but Smith leads in total points, with 26, thanks to his 14 assists as opposed to O'Keefe's 11. Christie has 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists), while Gould has 19 (11 goals, eight assists).

Flannery has allowed an average of 2.17 goals per game, while Vasselin has allowed 2.22.