On March 5th, 2021, the Bernard’s high school hockey team won the Charette Cup. BHS won with a score of 4-3. This ice hockey team consists of students from Bernards, Middlesex, and also Somerville. Winning a championship is not easy, especially considering the fact that the team did not have many practices throughout the season. A championship must have felt rewarding.
Eddie Berman, second-year captain from the BHS hockey team, spoke about not only the championship, but also the entire season and what problems the team faced in an interview with the Crimson. The hockey team did not have many practices throughout the already tough season, which definitely added to the difficulties. When I asked Berman about the challenge of not having many practices he said, “No excuses.” He also stated how they viewed it as a team and simply said, “We’re going to be sloppy at times, but we’re not dealing with anything the other schools aren’t also dealing with.”
Another topic we discussed was how the team not only consisted of BHS students, but also students from Middlesex and Somerville. Due to not having many practices, it was difficult to get to know your teammates, which would definitely make it harder once it was gametime. Berman talked about how it was a challenge because you didn’t really know your teammates and that “there’s no assurance you’ll see them every day.” Later on he talked about how he liked representing multiple school districts. Berman stated, “The ability to represent not just my district but the school districts of two very disparate locations is special to me. Our cultures may be very different but we play for one Jersey because we share a common goal of garnering pride for our respective and each other’s towns.”
Most likely the biggest problem for not only this hockey team, but many high school sports teams, was Covid-19. With shorter seasons, less practices, cancellations, and even cancelled seasons in some schools, Bernards high school’s hockey team seemed to come together and fight through the season. Berman said that a lot was placed on the players to make sure they were prepared, as stated earlier there weren’t many practices. “The coaches had to place a lot of trust in us that we would learn all the systems, watch all the film, and properly warm up by ourselves before every game.”
All in all, winning the championship was definitely a proud moment for all the players. “We care for one another and having won the championship has left us feeling extremely proud of not just ourselves but the people we play with.” This quote from Berman shows how the team gelled well together and really wanted to win. They didn’t let anything get in their way and faced the challenges head on.
