Last year’s hockey season, of the West Anchorage Eagles advanced all the way to the championship game against the South Wolverines. Even though we lost 4-1, that was the first time West has made it to the championship game since 2010 where they took state. This hockey season, their goal is to make it to state and win! Even though West has lost some talented players over the years, our team just keeps on getting better, and better.

Dawson Ellingworth, a senior and captain of West hockey team, is very excited about this season. After asking Dawson what he is most excited about, he says, “Winning state, that’s what our goal is.” Compared to last year’s team, the team this year is mostly underclassman. Dawson says, “Our young guys have been playing together for a really long time, they’re all on the same comp team, and they’re really stepping up not playing like underclassman.” Being the captain of the team, Dawson is going to follow through with our after school workouts and “push the kids harder than they were pushed last year.” Last February, West made it to the championship game against South, and lost 4-1. This year, our goal is to beat South and take state.

West this year has five seniors, six juniors, eight sophomores, and four freshman, making our team mostly made up of underclassmen. Even though our team is young, West’s record currently is 5-1 with one loss to South. West head coach Nathan Shasby, and assistant Sumner Stetson think that this year, West has a good chance to make it to state and hopefully win the championship.

Dmitry Hamm, a junior, is most excited about growing together as a team, and “everyone becoming better at the best sport hockey.” Dmitry has been playing hockey for a little more than 13 years, and is currently playing right wing for West. “I love our team, we’re all pretty good, and we’re very successful,” says Dmitry. In our first game against East, Dmitry thought the game was going to be pretty close, but we ended up out playing them, and beating them 7-3. Next year, when the current seniors are gone, Dmitry and his brother, Roman Hamm, will be ready to lead the team and carry the team to victory.

In the past three years, West has gone from not making it to state, to making it to the championship game as of last year. In the 2011-2012 season, West did not make it to state, and we were one of the lower ranked teams. In the 2012-2013 season, West made it to state, but lost the first two games, and tied for third with Service. This 2013-2014 season, last year, West beat West Valley in overtime, beat Wasilla the second game, and advanced to the championship game. The game was against South and sadly, lost 4-1. This 2014-2015 season, West’s record so far is 6-1, and this year, West will hopefully take state and become the state champions.