While the TABC Hockey season has unfortunately wrapped up following a loss in the semi-finals to the DRS Wildcats, it’s important to recognize what a great season TABC had both on and off the court.
The TABC Varsity Hockey team went 11-3 this year, with its only losses coming against DRS once and Frisch twice. This season was typical of TABC, as it continued to assert its dominance in the Yeshiva League by reaching the Semi-finals for the 18th straight year under Coach Mo Fuchs and his Assistant Coach Yak Appelbaum.
TABC had a star studded team this year that worked its hardest to achieve success. No team member had more than 13 goals, showing that this season was a true team effort; everyone took part in this incredible season. Although the team lost at the hands of DRS, the season was a win all around.
Throughout the season (and throughout the history of the TABC hockey program), the team has supplemented its constant practices and games with activities off the rink. Every year, the TABC team comes together like family; the players continue to help each other get better as players as well as pursue private friendships.
Guidance Counselor Rabbi Scott Friedman was himself once a player for TABC hockey; he recently recalled his close connections with his former teammates: “I will never forget the moment of winning a championship with my hockey family; the only problem was, after we won it was over and I will miss it forever.”
The TABC Hockey Team has even caused other teams to become jealous of how close it is. Yeshivat Frisch goalie Isaac Markovitz once observed about the squad, “It doesn’t matter if we win the championship. Even if we do we will never have such a strong hockey family like the TABC team does.”
Team Captain Akiva Hain also acknowledged the team’s closeness. “We’re like brothers,” said Hain. “We help each other off the court just like we do on the court and I believe this is the reason we succeed as a team.”
Recently, the Storm spent a Shabbat together as well as a Saturday night activity a few weeks later. The whole team was in attendance, as well as coaches Fuchs and Applebaum.
The coaches wanted everyone to attend this event to build team strength and make sure everyone was on the same page. At these events, the coaches taught both life lessons and hockey lessons in an attempt to help make the team members better people and better hockey players.
During that recent Shabbat gathering, coach Mo Fuchs gave a powerful and moving speech in which he inspired the team to be better and to treat others with respect and kindness. Fuchs told his players that their behavior off the court was a representation of their play on the court, so it was crucial that they behaved respectfully and appropriately in all situations.
Several weeks after this speech, the team had pizza and watched a movie on a Saturday night to continue to build their friendships and increase their already tremendous chemistry with each other.
All in all, this was an incredible season for the team, both winning on the rink and especially off the court with the players developing special friendships and close connections for life. The players and coaches on the team represented a TABC family of warmth and kindness.