The Northland Pines boys hockey team nearly returns its whole roster from last season. Returning letterwinners include, from left to right. Back: Ryder Will, Michael Schmidt, Easton Otto, Morgan DePuydt, Nicholas Boxrucker, Josh Graves, Tyler Busha, Julian Mershdorf, Milan Chobanov and Evrett Leslie. Front: Ben Plank, Anderson Kielty, Collin Reynolds, Sam Shrock, Dylan Kleffman, Carsen Saari and Sage Olson.
With a new staff, combined with a nearly similar roster to last year, the goals are sky-high for the 2024-25 Northland Pines boys hockey team.
The coaching search remained close to home, and the team only lost one senior from last year’s roster. Zach Otto was named the new head coach of the program earlier this year. Otto was a former Pines hockey player during high school and also played with the Eagle River Falcons.
Otto chose former teammates Nic Weight and his brother Mike as assistant coaches.
Otto also chose his brother, Lucas, along with friend and former teammate with the Falcons, Todd Koritzinsky, and goalie coach Graydon Skok.
The Eagles welcomed back 17 letter winners to the ice from last season.
“We have good senior leaders like (defenseman) Morgan DePuydt who will do a really good job in that role,” noted coach Otto. “Numbers-wise, you can’t complain. We have a ton of kids out here and a lot of good talent, so we are really excited.”
Otto says the team will strive to outperform every team in the Great Northern Conference this year.
“The main goal is to be one of the hardest-working teams in the league,” he said.
The Eagles finished last season with an 11-14 record and were 3-8 in the GNC, good for sixth place out of eight teams.
Players expect that to change this year as teams like Tomahawk, Lakeland, and Antigo have been tough on the Eagles in recent years.
Josh Graves, who had 20 goals and 25 assists as a sophomore, says that should be different this year.
“I think we can make a run at conference and through the playoffs. Anything can happen and I think we can be among the top teams,” he stated.
On top of the upperclassmen’s experience, Northland Pines saw some younger players develop as freshmen.
Everett Leslie entered the crease in his first year after an injury to starter Eli Kerner and ended up as an honorable all-GNC selection after stopping 88% of shots faced.
Sophomore Sam Schrock found his scoring touch about halfway through his freshman season and tallied a total of seven goals and 16 assists, where he finished second on the team in total points.
The Northland Pines boys hockey team will travel to Antigo on Thursday for a 6 p.m. scrimmage at the Langlade County Multi-Purpose Building.
The 2024-25 regular season for the Eagles begins Tuesday, November 26, with a 7 p.m. game at D.C. Everest High School in Schofield.
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