The Naperville North Hockey team is in the middle of the team’s most successful season since 2013. Take a look back and see how they have managed to improve so much this season in the latest Team Profile, presented by Molly Maids of the Aurora Naperville Area.
The Past Leads to the Future
The 2013 Naperville North Hockey Club had a fantastic season, the team went 24-14 and finished in 2nd place in the Illinois West Playoffs. The Huskies advanced all the way to the Round of 8 in the Blackhawk Cup before falling to Sandburg in overtime. Despite the success of the 2013 team, only four players with varsity experience were left after graduation and none had even scored a goal on the varsity level. After only 13 players came to tryouts for the 2013-14 season, the varsity club team actually went dormant for the next two years.
Tough Road Back
The varsity program started back up in the fall of 2015, but it was a tough road back to relevance for the Huskies. Over the past four seasons, North has not finished better than 9th place and has been under .500 every year.
But Head Coach Bill Driscoll and the Huskies have turned things around this season. Right from the start, the North Hockey Club established itself as a forced to be reckoned with in the Illinois West. The long awaited success has been especially gratifying for long time team members like Connor Ryan and Peter Mandarino.
Looking to Improve
Experienced returning players like Dan Boscarino, Liam Curtin and Gavin Klaisle, combined with exciting first year players like Ithan Delorenzo and Connor Deturris has given the lineup a boost. In the first two months of the season, the Huskies defeated Glenbard, Hinsdale Central, Maine, and the defending state champion Warriors Hockey club, proving that they could compete with the best in the conference.
By the end of the regular season, Naperville North stood tied for third with a 17-4 record, qualifying for the Illinois West Round Robin playoffs for the first time since that 2013 season. But now, the Huskies have laid a strong foundation to keep the program competing for the Illinois West crown for years to come.
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