The Wisterian WINTER SPORTS WRAP-UP The Comeback

“I saw a guy coming to hit me, so I lowered my shoulder into him to hit him back,” Matt Giordano, a senior at La Salle College High School, said “At first, it felt like a normal hit but then I realized something was wrong I went to the hospital and X-rays showed I had broken my collarbone ”

Giordano sustained this injury playing for his club hockey team The ice was particularly choppy that day and Matt said he had a challenging time skating on it “Gio,” as his friends refer to him, claims he still remembers hearing the bone pop out of his shoulder He is a longtime hockey player who enjoys all facets of the sport

“I have always enjoyed playing hockey I have loved being out on the ice with my teammates competing to win,” Giordano remarked “I have been playing since I was five Hockey has always been around my family since I can remember ”

Giordano excels in school, as well as on the ice He is applying to some of the most prestigious universities in the country, including Georgia Tech and Stanford Matt was named a National Merit Scholar, a recognition given to those who finish in the top one percent of their state, after receiving stellar SAT scores Schoolwork has always been his main priority in his life with hockey coming right behind it However, his collarbone injury has greatly affected his ability to complete his schoolwork

“School was a challenge, as I could only type with one hand and could barely write because of my sling,” said Giordano “I had to be in a particular position to be able to get any of my work done, it was something to adjust to for sure ”

Matt is just now beginning to recover from the injury and get back into game shape so he can eventually play again for La Salle He has been staying active, running almost every day, and is just waiting for the bone to heal Matt drinks a glass of milk daily as the calcium helps his collarbone heal faster

“There is not much you can do for a broken collarbone as physical therapy is not offered,” admitted Giordano “All I can do is stay positive and keep myself in shape, so that when I do come back, I am ready to go ”

There is definitely some nervousness in Matt’s return to the ice as he is worried about the injury occurring again Last week, he was able to do some non-contact practices, but he knows that is completely different than being ready to go into a full-contact game Giordano is hoping to return shortly to give an extra boost to his team

“I am sure during my first game back I will be way more timid than I usually am, ” Giordano mentioned “My main concern is getting my legs back under me so I may have to take some shorter shifts when I first come back ”

Last season, the hockey team suffered a heartbreaking loss in overtime to Saint Joe’s Prep, which ended their season short of the ultimate goal: a state championship The tears streaming down the senior's eyes have motivated Matt and his teammates to win it all this season Matt wants to be back on the ice as fast as possible to help his team reach their desired destination

“I have a few games circled for sure on my schedule The Malvern and Saint Joe’s Prep games are two games we really want to win this year, ” Matt said with determination in his voice

Matt’s work ethic is something that will help him excel in his comeback from a major injury He has been working all offseason for a state championship ring and will not let this kill his season or his mood for the year

“I am just ready to get back to work and be focused on the team, ” Giordano declared “I am ready to win a state championship ”

Even some of Matt’s teammates have noticed the work ethic he has displayed over time with his injury

“He really is the hardest worker on our team, ” Ryan Desmond ‘23 said “He’s a great leader on our team and we all feed off of his positive energy ”

-Colin Dunlap '23

Whether you play them or not, sports are undoubtedly a highlight for many high school students That is certainly the case for the students at La Salle College High School

One of the biggest athletic programs at La Salle is the varsity basketball team Sadly, the team has been struggling lately, going on a 5-game losing streak and an upsetting 9-11 record Regardless, the players will not let that affect their mentality

Will Ryan ‘23, a guard on the Varsity team, stated, “the mentality has to be next play The past is in the past; we just need to keep our heads up and execute the next play The goal was to make the PCL playoffs going into the season ”

Tim Jennings ‘23, a center on the Varsity team, said “I know everyone wants to win every game, and we know that it takes all of us to realize that goal So, while at times we might get down after we lose a game, it’s encouraging that we are sticking together and working our asses off to finish the season strong ”

With only two games left, the team must fight an uphill battle to make the PCL playoffs Despite a difficult season, the players are doing their best to keep pushing forward and improving each day No matter how the team finishes, the La Salle brotherhood has their backs and will continue to support them

The upcoming games are against tough opponents and the players need to be on their A-game if they want to come out on top The team will need to come together, and each put in 110% effort Will Ryan said, “We’ve got Archbishop Carroll and Archbishop Ryan to finish the season Those teams are respectable and tough With that being said, we understand that every game is going to be tough I think if we can put together a complete game, win or lose, it’s progress for us ”

-Michael Capperella '23

The La Salle Explorers Varsity Wrestling team matched up against Conwell-Egan High School for the PCL Championship for the second consecutive season The match was held on January 30th at 6:00 PM EST at Conwell-Egan High School

Conwell-Egan is known as a wrestling powerhouse in the state of Pennsylvania and the Explorers knew facing off against the defending PCL Champions would be a great challenge

“A lot of [Conwell-Egan's players] have been wrestling their whole lives It is tough to overcome that experience I give a lot of credit to our guys for showing up and working as hard as they do given the fact that most of them never stepped foot on a wrestling mat before high school,” Head Coach Mr Benjamin Courtney ‘07 said Conwell-Egan managed to gain advantages over La Salle and the Explorers fell to the Eagles 40-30 in a hard-fought match

“A pivotal point in the match was when

Egan forfeited against our best wrestler Cormac Morrissey ‘24 They put their kid up against the weight class above Cormac This gave them the opportunity to avoid [Morrissey] and get a pin,” Captain Andrew Brennan ’24 said La Salle is nothing short of a successful program themselves Over the past five years, Coach Courtney has managed to build a small program into one of the biggest in the state He and his captains, Morrissey, Matt Wiley ’23, and Andrew Brennan ‘24, plan to continue their 2022-23 campaign on Thursday February 2nd in the District 12 AAA Championship at Northeast High School A win would launch a state playoff birth in Hershey, PA

“[I am so proud of] how hard they work,” remarked Courtney “Lots of guys around this school work hard, I get it, but wrestling is a grind Our guys show up every day and work their tails off, overcoming a lot of adversity along the way ”

-James Bartchak '23