By the Numbers
3 wins 5 schools represented 6 coaches 9 Haslett players 22 players total
The whistle blows and two players glare at each other, face to face. The puck drops and the game begins as the Eastside Stars hockey players strive for yet another win. Starting off with a record of 3-1, the hockey team has a promising season ahead of it. Not only does this seem better than last year, but also is the greatest starting record since joining with other schools to become the Eastside Stars. Senior Drew Martin attributes this success to the team players. “We have alot of good guys,” Martin said. “The new guys and freshmen have good potential.” Since last season, Eastside lost four seniors leaving only six seniors, a decent amount of underclassmen and two Haslett freshmen. However,
this lopsided roster doesn’t worry Martin. “The younger players will create a good team for future years to come,” Martin said. “They’ll learn strategy early and by senior year can dominate the ice.” Assistant captain junior Ryan Tyrer feels the same and is hopeful for his successors. “Having a young team will be good,” Tyrer said. “If they can play more they’ll be top players in the future.” Along with these new additions, the team as a whole functions well together. “We have good chemistry,” Tyrer said. “The new guys fit in well and are more focused on winning.” Not only do the players have their heads in the right place, but the coaching helps as well. The coaching staff consists of
multiple coaches experienced in different areas. This includes goalie, offensive, defensive and dry land coaches. Martin he finds assistant coach Kris Horn most inspiring. “He gives great game say speeches,” Martin said. “This really helps before we go out on the ice.” Along with adult help, the team captains lead as well. Senior Chris Hagan from East Lansing is the head captain followed by Tyrer. “A captain has to be a team player, make the right plays and lead by example,” Tyrer said. Martin agrees, pointing out how captains shape the team’s work ethic. “It’s impossible to see them slacking off,” Martin said. “They’re great leaders.” For now there is much to
expect, yet for Martin this season will come to a sad close. Martin mentions the fact that the team is like a great family. It constitutes as more than just a team for the majority of the players and he’s sad to leave it behind. “I’m going to enjoy this season,” Martin said. “But it’s the last time to play organized hockey, the last chance to play with this close of a group.” On some Fridays the guys who belong to team are dressed up for the game that night. As Martin quotes from their coach the importance of dresssing up. “If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, you win,” Martin said. And win they do.
Winter fishing: braving the ice
RHL: A different type of league
by laine ALEXANDER
As the snow trickles down on the ice, bodies are flying everywhere, and the ice is covered with blood. With sticks scrapping the ice and the puck bouncing around, many may think this scene is being played out by the Eastside Stars hockey team, a team consisting of kids from Haslett, East Lansing, Laingsburg, Bath, and Williamston. It is not. It is being played by the real hockey team in Haslett, from the growing Rich Hockey League. Although that previous statement may be a slight exaggeration, the RHL is growing among students looking for winter activities around the area. The RHL is named after senior Jordy Rich, who along with some of his friends began the league two years ago. “My family had made a ice rink in our backyard a couple of years ago and my friends and I decided to put some nets up on it,” he said. “We also have a pond behind my house where we play games too.” The rules of the league are simple, with the teams using the same sticks and pucks that you would find in any college or NHL game. However there are still a few differences between the RHL and regular hockey rules. For one thing, skates are not required, and in fact frowned upon in RHL games.
As the temperatures drop, Michiganders gear up for the winter months and the ensuing festivities. Sledding, snowboarding and skiing are all popular winter sports. but for senior Patyon Warner, ice fishing is the way to pass time. Warner's home on Lake Lansing allows him a prime location to fish. "Me and my buddies go ice fishing to pass the time in the cold winter months," Warner said. Many people often wonder what the small wooden houses out on Lake Lansing in the winter months are. Ice shan-
ties. Which are small wooden portable sheds used as shelter for fishermen braving the cold to make a catch. Warner explains the involved process of drilling a hole in order to fish. "You have to check the thickness of the ice before drilling. It must be at least six inches thick for safety reasons," he said. An auger or ice saw, whether powered by an electric motor or manually, is then used to dig a hole about eight inches in diameter, giving the fisher a hole to begin the hunt. The average person might assume that ice fishing is a
graphics by eric FROBOM and lauren HOOPER
rather mild sport, but few are educated on the dangers of braving the ice. Ice can be deceptively thin in some areas, due to the current moving under the water. Although the dangers of ice fishing are much less severe on Lake Lansing, winds have been known to break off large chunks of ice in the Great Lakes, leaving fisherman stranded for days. In 2009, 100 fishermen were stranded on a block of ice on Lake Erie and had to be rescued by the Coast Guard. "There is a certain aspect of danger, but that makes it kind of fun," Warner said.
by adam FOREN
R
“Without the skates it makes it more entertaining going for the puck and trying to keep your balance,” senior Quinton Lemanski said. Another difference in RHL games are the length of the games. “We usually play for about an hour and whoever is in the lead at the end of the game wins,”Lemanski said.“It gets pretty intense by the end of the games.” What started as a small game with friends has morphed into a 20 player organized league. "We are going to have a draft with four teams of five people," Rich said. "We will have two games going on at once, on the pond and on the ice rink in my backyard." Even people who are involved in winter sports have joined the RHL madness. Sam Rathbun, a hard hitting center for the Eastside Stars, is a newcomer joining the league this year. "I heard about the league last year and wanted to join with my friends this year," he said. Rathbun sees a few differences between his real hockey team and the teams of the RHL. "The RHL league is not as intense as my real hockey team and we dont wear skates," he said. So as winter comes into full effect, the RHL will be up and fully running.
H
L
SL
Wrestling: 0-3 Hockey: 3-1 Swimming: 1-1 Basketball Boys: 1-2 Girls: 4-1
AOT M MONTH
by lauren HOOPER
ports
OF THE
Stars start off season strong
S SPORTS LOG
December 16, 2011
ATHLETE
10
Makenna Ott Basketball
Position: Foward What are your thoughts on the team: Young but talented
Favorite pre-game meal: Noodles What do you want for Christmas: Best buy gift cards Favorite team to play against: DeWitt