Skip to main content

LFA Prep Hockey Forges Strong Bonds Among its Players


The Prep Hockey team at Lake Forest Academy provides its athletes with an opportunity to develop as individuals while preparing them for the next level of hockey after high school. The players are challenged to achieve academic success alongside improvement on the ice both as individuals and as a unit. The team practices five days a week or so beginning in the fall through playoffs in February. The amount of time that the team spends together forges strong bonds among the players. One of the team’s captains, Will Soloway, said his favorite part about being on Prep this year has “definitely been how close our team is.” He commented how the team is “all very committed” and how “this feels like one of the closest groups I’ve been a part of in my entire hockey career.” 

Lake Forest Academy is a member of the Midwest Prep Hockey League, or “MPHL”, with LFA being the only team in Illinois. The other schools in the MPHL are located in Vermont, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Canada. League games are played over weekends when three or four teams meet at one school to play three or more games at a time. The team typically travels nine or ten weekends a season. Speaking about what it is like being on the road, Soloway said, “I’ve never been a part of a team that travels together as we do, whether on the same flight or the same bus.” Soloway emphasized that “there are just some bonding moments you don’t get anywhere else.” Mathieu Fehr, another of the Prep captains, echoed Soloway’s sentiment; “being able to travel as a team and being able to experience that brotherly bond is unique.” 

In addition to the unique on-ice bonds, Prep Hockey players at LFA are asked to be leaders of the school off the ice as well. Prep Hockey players have been School Prefects, members of Co-ax (the student rock band), and the school newspaper. The team regularly attends other LFA events as a group to cheer on their classmates as well as to show support for all athletics at LFA. Further, in the spring, all Prep team players play one other team sport.  Players are expected to follow all school rules and are held to the highest standards off the ice and on.

~Connor Drobny ’23, Prep Hockey Defenseman

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PREP HOCKEY UPDATE 2022-23 - A Season to Remember

  The Prep team usually ends their season by Presidents’ weekend but this year North Dakota University, which is a college hockey powerhouse, invited us to be part of a showcase to end the season in their building. The building, the Ralph Engelstad Arena, ” is incredible and nicer than most NHL rinks and locker rooms. This showcase put us against the top team in the country plus two academies. The top Prince Edward Island hockey academy and the top Alberta academy. Each game was designed like a college game with 3-20 min periods. Going into this, I did it as a thank you to an incredible group of kids that have represented LFA throughout Canada, US, and in the community. Honestly, I did not like our chances to come out of this with a win but once again my team rose above expectations. Game 1 was against Mount Academy from PEI. The guys played an incredible game and battled to the end with a 3-3 tie. Noah Houle , Cole Matthews and Tommy Enrietto scored the goals while Charlie Camp...
Post a Comment
Read more

It's My Team to Protect - Learning to Become a Leader

We received this note from the father of Charlie Campbell ‘23, upon reflection of his son’s 4-year experience at LFA. Up and Downs of academic rigor -  Up and Downs of Hockey and being a Goalie -  Struggle living close to home and still boarding -  My wife and I are convinced Charlie came to LFA as a naive freshman, scared and dependent. Charlie is leaving LFA as a leader, alternate captain, volleyball player, choir participant, fantastic senior year academics .........and above all a man who now understands how to contribute to society and be a leader of a team. We could not have asked for a better experience (except the last game in goal!) I remember Coach Poska telling Charlie last year " You want to prove that's your net to protect ". Charlie walked out and said to me " it’s my team to protect. "    
Post a Comment
Read more
  Feb. 13, 2022 – MPHL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS The Prep team entered this year’s playoffs as the #3 seed and squared off against Shady Side in the first game. Shady Side opened the scoring on the first shift and controlled the first 3 minutes before Ben Snyderman tied the game on a great shot from the blue line. From that moment on the LFA was in complete control. Goals by Mathieu Fehr, Ryan Costin, Ryan Nutt, Masen Culley and Aidan Stubbings with 2 paced LFA to a 7-2 win. Charlie Campbell stopped 27 out of 29 shots for the win. That win put us against defending Champion Ridley College. The game was very fast, physical and big-time goalies on both ends. LFA took the lead on a Mathieu Fehr goal and held that lead until the 2-minute mark when Tommy Enrietto scored on a breakaway to make it 2-0. Owen Hardy then scored an empty net goal before Ridley broke the shutout and the score ended 3-1. Ian Vandenberg made 39 saves for the win. Unfortunately, this win proved costly and we lost Jayson H...
Post a Comment
Read more