The NVD Ice Hockey team is back and better than ever, and this year the Norsemen Nation will give them more recognition. 

The ice hockey team has been on the smaller side for years at NVD. Because of this, the team has decided to transition to a shared team with Old Tappan and New Milford. Despite not knowing each other, the players bonded quickly and discovered flourishing friendships. 

The players and coaches all share a common love for this sport, and they continue to put in their best efforts on the ice. Although the players are in challenging situations at times, they make sure to persevere and remember their love for the sport. 

Sara Genena, a sophomore varsity player, says, “Hockey has always been fun to me, so when times are hard, or I get busy, I turn to hockey to change my mood, which has helped motivate me to play.” 

One of the three coaches of the ice hockey team is Coach Michael Henry. He has big goals for this team and hopes to make those into a reality throughout the upcoming years. 

“We are a young team, so our future is bright. Our goal is to improve on last year’s record,” Henry said.

 Even though the team is made up of players from different towns, they have been able to bond with each other quickly. This allows the combination of NVD, Old Tappan, and New Milford to go very smoothly, making this change successful. 

“One of the biggest challenges we face is having a generally small team, even though we’re joined by two other schools (OT and New Milford). However, we make up for it by having really experienced lines with great chemistry, allowing our offense and defense to work more fluidly for a good outcome,” Genena says. 

Although Genena is one of two girls on a boys varsity team, the team is very inclusive, with everyone sharing a common interest in their love of being on the ice. Even combined with three towns, the team is still generally small, but that doesn’t stop them from making the best out of what they have. 

“This year, one of our greatest achievements would be beating Clifton with only 11 players on the bench. We pulled away with a 5-2 comeback win, with only half of our already small team,” Genena said. 

Since six people are allowed on the ice, five players and a goalie, they only had five other people on the bench for substitutes. Everyone on the team, including the coaches, loves this sport and works hard to make the team great, deserving recognition for making NVD’s ice hockey team possible.