The Westerville Warcats, which are a joint team between Westerville South, Central, and North defeated the Newark Hockey team on their own ice Thursday, Oct. 21. Newark hockey has always been a tough competitor; the Warcats have not beaten Newark since 2016. 

Junior Nicholas Crone from South, a defenseman for the team said, “I think the key to winning was everyone committing to their role on the team. No matter how large or small that role may be. Understanding your role and committing it  allows for great success.”

Scoring a huge 3-2 win over Newark added great momentum to the team who went on to win many more games following the victory in Newark. “We definitely saw a boost in team morale probably the most all season,” stated Crone.

Riding off of such a big victory, lessons were definitely learned of what works on the ice, Crone stated, “I think we learned that we really have a chance against any team. Every game is winnable when we play to our full potential.” 

Looking at the rest of the season, the Warcats had a 11/14/2 record, which shows a lot of improvement from even last year’s team. Crone said, “I would say that compared to this point last year we are in a better place. We have seen improvements such as beating Newark.” 

With almost half of the season still remaining, the Warcats are optimistic about the future, with optimism come high goals. “The goal is to go deep into the state tournament and prove ourselves as a top competitor,” stated Crone. 

Unlike other high school sports The Warcats are not just South and are also composed of rival schools Westerville North and Westerville Central.  “I don’t think that any negativity comes from the rivalry. We know that cooperation is conducive to success so we focus on what we have in common rather than our differences.”

Having a more successful year, the Warhawks have a worthy shot at playoffs this year, according to Crone. “I believe that we have a good shot at the playoffs;  we have shown that we are one of the top teams in our league and have a chance against any team,” Crone said.

With the success of this season, the credit belongs to the changes made at the beginning of the season. “Since last year we have seen some coaching changes as well as the natural changes to the roster. But overall the morale and motivation of the team is greater than last year,” Crone added.