Moeller Hockey is Poised with Leadership
The 2019-20 Moeller Hockey season is well under way and there is a lot of buzz going around. The head coach Brad Gibson and captains Dain Casselman, Daniel Drach, and Brennan MortonStrauss are looking to lead the Crusaders to another successful hockey season.
Through the first three weeks of the season, the Moeller Hockey team is 3-5-1. The team started off hot winning three of their first four. They have struggled as of late losing five straight but are looking to pick things back up as they have some big upcoming matchups. Senior forward Jaxson Perkins admitted that it had been a tough start to the year but said, “The team can only go up from here. We will continue to grow together and become a better team, I believe we will make it to state and upset some people.” This upcoming weekend they play a pair of solid Columbus teams and then next Thursday the take on St. Xavier at US Bank Arena. This matchup at US Bank is always a classic and Moeller hopes for a big win and a big momentum builder for the back half of the season.
Dain Casselman is the only senior captain on the team and when asked about how honored he was to be selected as a captain he said, “I am very honored. I have worked incredibly hard all Summer to be a captain.” Dain also said, “I plan on making sure that everyone on the team is always on the same page and that everyone works together towards a common goal because being selfish will get a team nowhere.” Clearly Dain has his goals in line and is going to keep his teammates in check. Fellow seniors Jaden and Jaxson Perkins had something to comment about what a great job Dain and the other captains are doing. Jaxson said, “Not only are they leaders in the locker room and on the ice but they set a good example off the ice as well.” Jaden commented, “They have led by example since June, and not just Varsity players look up to them, everyone in the program does. They show what it takes to be dedicated to the sport.”
The chemistry of this team is off the charts and it is evident amongst the players. Dain said, “My favorite part about Moeller Hockey is definitely how close everyone is. The Moeller Hockey family has always been super tight, and I feel like that is what keeps us going.” Jaxson agreed by saying, “My favorite part is the atmosphere of the team, everyone is friends, there are no groups or cliques on the team, we are all one big family, coaches included. I love being around the guys.”
As the season moves on, make sure you keep an eye on the Moeller Hockey squad because Dain said, “Our goal for the rest of the year is to put up big numbers. We want to create more scoring opportunities and be able to finish our games with the same the energy and intensity we started them with.”
Moeller Hockey is still in the early stages of their season, but as you can tell they have the character and poise to make a deep tournament run this year. This tight-knit group is determined and hoping to play well into February.