After falling short to the Pioneers twice last year, the Eagles were looking to avenge themselves as they faced their rivals on Saturday, December 10th.After a long off-season, the boys were prepared to face Pioneer on Saturday, December 10th.
“This game is crucial to our season,¨ said Ben Begosso (‘26). ¨Stakes are high due to the rivalry.¨
For the Eagles, scoring goals off of power plays was a key factor. Skyline also needed to take advantage of Pioneer’s weaknesses to secure a third win on the season.
¨Pioneer is a young team, so they don’t have too much experience,¨ Begosso said.
The team felt if they could stop Pioneer from getting too many shots and shoot more themselves, they would come out victorious.
The Eagles started off hot, scoring an early goal within the first minute which came off of a rebound from a deflected shot. Pioneer was able to pounce on power play opportunities resulting in three of their four goals. Skyline took the lead three times but Pioneer came back with one of their own each time.
Midway through the final period, the Eagles took the puck down the ice. An impressive set of passes forced the Pioneer goalie out of position and left defenseman Shane Roberts (‘24) open. He slotted it between a gap in the defense to give Skyline a 5-4 lead. The latter half of the period was a physical show of defense by the Eagles. The Pioneers took out their goalie to give them a 6th man on the ice, but Skyline was able to fend off Pioneer’s intense attack for the last five stressful minutes to secure an important win.
This win bumped Skyline’s record up to 3-4 on the season. But the team knows this isn’t their ceiling. They still need to improve on and off the ice to reach the level of play they know they can.
¨We could’ve played better. We have lots of talent, but the team doesn’t have a good connection just yet. Our teamwork is not there yet… We need to be more cooperative with each other and not point fingers,” said Nico DeYoung (‘26). “[Pioneer] seized 3 opportunities off of penalties, but we stuck through.”
