The McQuaid Varsity Hockey team will have to wait until 2021 to compete in hockey games due to hockey being deemed a high risk sport by Governor Andrew Cuomo. Despite this discouraging news the hockey Knights are still excited for the upcoming season.

Last season, the McQuaid Varsity Hockey team finished the season with a 9-10-4 record, their season ended in a devastating loss to Fairport in the section V semi-final. The Knights look to bounce back this season, and bring the section V championship title back to McQuaid.

With the departure of Dave Battisti (G), Luke Masaschi (F), Joel Braunschweig (F), and other seniors, winning the sectional title will be no easy task; but the Knights are still optimistic for the upcoming season. The Knights will have plenty of returning talent from last year’s team, with 14 returning juniors and seniors, and young talent coming up from the junior varsity team; the Knights are looking towards having an amazing season.

“Although it is bittersweet to lose the Class of 2020, I know that those young men are working toward their personal goals and I am confident that they are making McQuaid Jesuit proud through their efforts. The Class of ‘20 will be missed for their efforts both on and off the ice, but the younger players in the program now need to take the next step in continuing to build on the positives established by departed Seniors. Now it is up to the younger players to embrace that challenge and develop, compete, and excel within the program,” said Coach Joe Dugan, ’08. 

With COVID-19 cases rising in Monroe County and the season getting postponed until 2021, junior Jack Oehling weighed in on what the team’s mentality was going into the season 

“Our mentality going into this condensed season is to get out on the ice during these hard times, and to just have fun. However, in the back of our minds we want a sectional title,” said Oheling ‘22.

The McQuaid varsity hockey season is set to start with tryouts on January 4th, 2021. With this year’s promising team, the McQuaid hockey Knights look to win McQuaid it’s tenth hockey sectional championship this season.