True grit is Old Rochester hockey’s goal this season
From left to right: Elliott Grant, Sam Long and Chase Almeida prepare for a drill at a Friday, Feb. 2 practice at Tabor Academy. Photos by Mari Huglin
Nanthan Tanque listens at practice. 
Ethan Silveira gets ready for a drill. 
Goalie Tucker Roy blocks a puck. 
Assistant Coach Pat Aalto explains a drill to Matt Tobin. 
Temesgan Galligan, left, and Chance Donahue, right, wait for a drill to begin. 
The Old Rochester hockey team skates at Tabor Academy in Marion. 
Old Rochester athletes scrimmage at practice. 
Liz Kilpatrick, the teams' only female player, takes the ice. 
Goalie Michael Lecolst blocks a shot from Robert Flynn. 
John Galavotti watches as Sam Long takes the puck up the ice. 
Sam Long takes control of the puck. 
Liz Kilpatrick skates through a drill. 
From left to right: John Galavotti, Matt Tobin, Sam Long, Gavin Estevez and Elliott Grant scrimmage eachother. 
Liz Kilpatrick watches as a scrimmage goes on.
From left to right: Elliott Grant, Sam Long and Chase Almeida prepare for a drill at a Friday, Feb. 2 practice at Tabor Academy. Photos by Mari Huglin
Nanthan Tanque listens at practice.
Ethan Silveira gets ready for a drill.
Goalie Tucker Roy blocks a puck.
Assistant Coach Pat Aalto explains a drill to Matt Tobin.
Temesgan Galligan, left, and Chance Donahue, right, wait for a drill to begin.
The Old Rochester hockey team skates at Tabor Academy in Marion.
Old Rochester athletes scrimmage at practice.
Liz Kilpatrick, the teams' only female player, takes the ice.
Goalie Michael Lecolst blocks a shot from Robert Flynn.
John Galavotti watches as Sam Long takes the puck up the ice.
Sam Long takes control of the puck.
Liz Kilpatrick skates through a drill.
From left to right: John Galavotti, Matt Tobin, Sam Long, Gavin Estevez and Elliott Grant scrimmage eachother.
Liz Kilpatrick watches as a scrimmage goes on.
MARION — Grit and continual improvement are the biggest goals for Old Rochester Regional High School men's varsity hockey team this season.
Coach Zach Ledogar has led the Old Rochester team, which includes players from Fairhaven High School, for seven years. Set back by multiple injuries earlier this season, the younger team is now hitting their stride.
“Right now we're hitting a good spot where everybody seems to be on the same page,” Ledogar said.
He said he hopes to teach his athletes success comes from playing hard and working together. His main goal is for each player to end the season better than when they started.
He said his team is good at putting the past behind them and moving forward even after losses.
“Putting the past behind us, growing from our mistakes and maturing on those mistakes has been the biggest thing that we have,” Ledogar said.
He said this has been easier once the game is over, as the team sometimes lets penalties or bad shots get in the way of a competitive end.
The team’s current record is 5 wins, 8 ties and 2 losses. Last year, the team lost to Hanover High School in the semifinals during the state championship tournament, but are looking to make it further this year.
Ledogar said their toughest competitors are Sandwich and Bishop Stang High Schools.
Senior captains Chase Almeida and Connor Foley said their team is young but talented, and is capable of more wins.
“We got off to a rough start but we're building the pieces back,” Foley said.
They are honored to be captains their senior year, something they said every player dreams of. The two agree the position is a big responsibility, but they have grown into it through the season.
Both captains said they want to build a team with grit and many wins, but at the end of the day they want to continue to build good character in every player
Foley said they need to work hard and “play our hearts out every game.”
The captains named Bobby Flynn, Ben Bartholomew and Matt Tobin as some of their hardest working players who have stepped up this season.
They said they have enjoyed watching the team come together throughout the season and see the younger players grow.
“We have all the talent in the world, it's just who's willing to be the great guy in the corners and winning face offs and that's what it comes down to,” Almeida said.
