On Friday, Jan. 12, the joint Heritage Pride/Rock Ridge Phoenix ice hockey team and the Madison Warhawks went head-to-head at the Ion International Training Center, resulting in a nine-to-one victory for the Warhawks. Ranking fifth in the Norris division of the Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League (NVSHL), the two schools played together for the first time this season. “Two different schools can be a bit of a challenge, but considering it’s Loudoun [County], most of [us] have already met or know of each other so it isn’t really hard to get to know everyone and build up that chemistry,” junior forward John Lunn said. 

Starting strong in the first period, the Warhawks took control of the game early, scoring twice with 15 shots on goal.  The Pride/Phoenix got a brief breakthrough in the form of freshman forward Ethan Hong. Hong put his team on the board by scoring shorthanded, meaning there was one less player on the ice due to a penalty, and unassisted. “That goal was a lucky break; we got it out of the zone and then one of our better players got it up [with a] nice shot,” Phoenix sophomore defenseman Connor Bultema said.

The second and third periods led similarly for the Warhawks. They outscored the Pride/Phoenix 9-1 and outshot them 43 to 14 by the end of the game. 

Despite a tough loss, senior goalie Declan McGinley shined, stopping 34 out of 43 shots on goal. “Declan’s an all-around amazing goalie, 43 shots and only nine in is pretty amazing, especially with only eight of us,” Lunn said. “As a [team], we were really looking to get pucks out of our zone, we don’t want them getting any chances whatsoever. Good defense and puck control help with that a lot.”

Being part of a growing sport, ice hockey players in Northern Virginia have a unique point of view compared to areas where the sport is more prominent. In recent years, there has been more love for the sport from schools and players. “I think it’s great that [hockey] is growing, and it needs to be an official school sport so that we can get more recognition,” Pride junior defenseman Grant Brosnan said. 

With the Washington Capitals, the team that many residents in the DC/VA area support, winning their first Stanley Cup in 2018, the sport has started to garner more attention. The opportunity to play has come for many students in a joint team, the Pride/Phoenix team being one of nine joint teams. Hockey being a smaller sport in the area means smaller crowds and less support for these teams, something many players hope will change in the future. 

“I’m happy that [hockey] is getting more recognition, it’s a great sport and it’s sad to see not a lot of places and people like or know about it,” Lunn said. “I like that more people are trying the game because this area could use a lot more teams and people playing the game.” 

The Pride/Heritage will play Herndon/South Lakes on Jan. 26 at ION Arena.

Gallery • 9 Photos

Shivu Sathe

Junior forward John Lunn skates away from the Warhawks’ goal. “Two different schools can be a bit of a challenge, but considering it’s Loudoun, most of them have already met each other, so it isn’t hard to get to know everyone and build up that chemistry,” Lunn said.