Oakville Varsity Hockey Credits Team Unity for Wins

Oakville Tigers varsity hockey team beat Rockwood Summit in their last season away game 4-1 Friday night.

Rockwood scored the first point early, but the Tigers dominated the score board for the rest of the game.

Check out our Facebook page for more photos of Friday's game.

Players say Oakville’s winning streak started after captains called a team meeting to discuss the Tigers’ less-than-stellar start to the season.

“We were not playing well,” said captain Luke Hassler, a senior. “We had a talk. We said, ‘We’re not a team. We’ve got to start acting like a team. Don’t take this as a joke.’”

After deciding to bring more cohesion and professionalism to the ice, the team’s defense strengthened, and the front line started scoring more and more goals, Hassler said.

Coach Derek Stephens said after that team meeting, his players really “stepped up.”

“All the tools were there,” Stephens said. “The skills were there. They systems we play, the game plan—everything was there. There was just that little piece missing, one of those dynamics, the buy-in that they believe in each other.”

Now, the team is the winner of their division and looking forward to playoffs. Tonight is their last home game of the season, against Chaminade.

“They’ve got to play for themselves and for the guys they’re sitting next to every night,” Stephens said.

IF YOU GO

Catch the Tigers' last home game of the season at 9:15 p.m. Jan. 19 at Kennedy Recreation Complex.