On Jan. 27, The Lakers hosted senior night, where they took on the Carmel Corsairs. With a very large crowd packed with friends and family, the Lakers were excited to perform in front of everybody.
The Lakers currently have 13 seniors on their roster: Jacob Tomassetti, Vincent Steffens, Alex Frank, Sam Hanes, Jack Davidson, Josh Monge, Sebastian Phillips, TJ Halvorsen, Aydin Zakroczymski, Max Bouma, Joey Rivas, Joey Deutschmann and Max Schwoerer.
Before the game, a ceremony was held to celebrate the senior’s season coming to an end. Each senior skated out onto the ice under a tunnel of sticks formed by the remaining players on varsity and the entire JV team. As the seniors’ names were called, they would greet their mother with flowers and take a family photo. This moment was very emotional for players like Grant Community High School senior Jacob Tomasetti, as many realized their high school hockey career was coming to an end.
“I’m sad, but I’m also happy because it’s getting a little old but sad because I’ve made a lot of great memories along the way, and I enjoy hockey,” Tomassetti said.
After the pre-game ceremony, the team went back into the locker room and got fired up for the game. The players knew they would have a large crowd, so they got hyped up to entertain all of their friends from multiple schools across the NLCC.
The game opened up with the starting line being the five skaters who have played with the Lakers the longest. This was to honor the seniority and amount of time and dedication the players have had with the team.
In only the second shift of the game, Grayslake North senior Max Bouma shot the puck on net where Grayslake Central senior TJ Halvorsen was there to bury the rebound, giving the Lakers an early 1-0 lead. The crowd was electric, cheering the loudest they had all season. Halfway through the first period, Carmel would score to tie the game at one; however, Antioch Community High School junior Keith Watkins drove the puck hard to the middle and snuck it in to get a 2-1 lead. A few moments after the Lakers’ second goal, ACHS junior Ethan Mendelke ripped the puck into the back of the net to end the first period with a 3-1 lead.
“It was a good feeling, especially with all the fans here and it felt great hitting the celebration at the end,” Mendelke said.
Heading into the second period with a solid lead, the Lakers knew they had to pot a couple more goals and continue the show for their fans. Halfway through the second period, Tomassetti fired the puck from a tough angle where it would get tipped into the net for the 4-1 lead.
Each team would then take their intermission between the second and third period for the zamboni to resurface the ice and allow the teams to recuperate. The Lakers were fired up and had the lead heading into the final period. They recharged and hit the ice, flying, getting ready for the last period.
Shortly into the third period, ACHS junior Will Karasek ripped the puck into the back of the net to up the lead to 5-1. With the building electrified, it was clear that everyone was excited to see the Lakers perform so well on senior night.
After the Lakers took a 5-1 lead, the game got a little chippy on both sides as tempers began to flare. Watkins reached the penalty limit of four penalties and was ejected from the game. The crowd was very unhappy with the referee’s decision, as were the coaches and his teammates.
Although things were getting ugly, the Lakers did not let the nonsense get to them, as they finished the game strong. As the buzzer rang, the whole team skated to the glass to celebrate in front of their student section. The Lakers had taken down Carmel 5-1 to take the win on senior night.
After the game, the boys were ecstatic and feeling accomplished with their win. The team celebrated with friends and family in the lobby afterward, where they were congratulated on their game. The student section had an infectious enthusiasm for the Lakers and had the building buzzing.
“It was like super electric, energy was super high. Everybody was feeling good, and it was just a good time. It was a very big game,” Phillips said.
With the boost in confidence, the Lakers look to use their momentum at their next home game, Saturday, Feb. 17, as they take on Chicago North at 7:30 p.m.
