The New England Wolves, by winning the NH Tier II state championship in November, will be headed to Buffalo, NY on Wednesday March 29th to take part in USA Hockeys National Championships held at the Northtown Center At Amherst, 1615 Amherst Manor Dr, Williamsville, NY.
“We are incredibly proud of this group of athletes.” commented GM Andrew Trimble. “Coach Guerin and Coach McKenzie have been coaching this group of athletes for several years and this opportunity comes after years of work and dedication.”
The U16 Wolves enter the tournament as the first ever youth team from the Lakes Region of New Hampshire to qualify for Nationals. Once there, they will play 3 games within their round robin bracket against teams from Indiana, Virginia and Montana. If they emerge from their bracket they will compete against the other winners to determine a national champion.
The years of hard work have paid off handsomely for this group, many of whom started in the Wolves program 4 years ago, playing at the U14 level. They continued to develop, training with both their local High School this winter and doing skills each Thursday with EHL Head Coach Tim Kunes. Several were part of the BG state championship team this winter after completing their fall season with the Wolves which saw them sport a 20-3-1 record enroute to the NH state championship.
Tier II nationals will be a test at an even higher level and something none of these athletes have experienced before. “If they stay focused on what they can control, and play the way they played all fall… I like our chances.” said GM Andrew Trimble
For more info on Nationals check out the USA Hockey website- 2023 Chipotle-USA Hockey Nationals
