Documentary by Ben Welton, Advanced Digital Communications
Yannik Crete, a Sixth Former, scores against Kent's Hill during the 2011-12 season.
Dedicated and hard-working are just some of the ways to describe South Kent School’s Prep Hockey team during the 2011-12 season. SKS attracts players from all over the world, including many from Canada and across the United States.
Head Coach Eric Soltys worked diligently this season to bring this group of players together into a cohesive team that captured the second place seed in the Small Schools Tournament.
“We try to call South Kent the Red Army because we try to go about our business like the Red Army did,” he said. “Being disciplined in our actions (and) making sure that we stick to our systems on the ice, making sure we’re there as a brotherhood together, having each other’s back on and off the ice is just a small way of putting us into the Red Army.”
Anthony Florentino playing during his recent stint with the United States U17 National Development team in the Czech Republic
Anthony Florentino recently got to impress the hockey world on the U17 National Development team in the Czech Republic.
Anthony, one of four captains on the South Kent Prep hockey team described the feeling of getting called up to play for his country on Feb. 6 to 11.
“The feeling I had when I got called up is something I cannot describe,” Anthony said, “It was the best feeling in the world.”
Coach Eric Soltys, the head coach of the South Kent Prep Hockey team and director of hockey operations, described the pride that the South Kent Hockey program felt after the call-up.
“I think that it reflects on us on the fact that we are really proud of him,” Coach Soltys said. “When you have a player in your program that gets called to go to an international event such as that (it) is a really special thing.”
Sotiri Anthanasopoulos, a co-captain on the South Kent Prep team, describes his reaction.
“I think that he felt like he was on top of the world,” Sotiri said, “Flo is a great guy and a hard worker. It couldn’t have happened to any better kid.”
Anthony also described the experience of putting on his countries colors.
“I felt more than a sense of pride putting the jersey on,” Florentino said. “It was a great honor for me. It was such an honor because not everyone gets to represent their country by playing the sport they love more than anything. It was my dream to play for them.”
Coach Soltys described how special it is for a hockey player to represent his country.
“It’s a special opportunity to be able to wear your countries colors,” Soltys said, “To go over there and compete as an American is an absolute ultimate honor for a hockey player playing in the US, and it could not have happened to a better kid.”
Anthony described how it felt being in the Czech Republic for a weekend.
“My experience of playing in a different country was amazing,” Anthony said, “It was a great experience. I enjoyed it more than anything.”
It is no secret that after this recent stint with the United States U17 National Development team proves that he can go nowhere but up. Anthony is a recent commit to Division I Providence College in Hockey East, a very competitive collegiate hockey league. Coach Soltys thinks that Anthony can do anything he sets his mind to.
“As one of the top players in the United States is certainly a feather in his hat,” Soltys said. “He works hard, (however) he is a very humble boy. He defines determination for me. He is always starving for new knowledge, and I think the sky is the limit here for him.”
He continues to rock the hockey world here on the Hillside playing with South Kent Prep again as the Cardinals work their way into the playoffs.
Ben Welton, right, is the captain of the Varsity Hockey team. Photo by Andy Tang.
Video and Text by Jesse Schwartz
This is a big season for the Varsity Hockey Team. It is a big season because there are many newcomers and veterans on the team. They are already halfway through the year and have a 4-6-2 record.
The month of February will be spent at home with eight games in the next four weeks.
“All in all we’ve been having a good season,” says Coach Rory DeRocco. The head coach is looking forward to winning a championship. He is very happy to see so many new players tried out this season.
The team this year has a very solid top two lines and has depth with the third line as well. There are three hockey teams at South Kent, a first, a second, and a Selects Team. The Varsity team is the second and the Prep team is the first. The Prep team is very strong this year which will allow others to get more playing time on Varsity Hockey, who don’t play as much for the Prep Team.
Ben Welton, a 6’0” right-winger who lives in New Milford, CT, is the captain of the Varsity Hockey team. He is one of the top players on the team as well.
“The season is going well. We’ve got a lot of returning talent, a lot of newcomers, and a lot of great day students,” he said. Ben displays his leadership skills by working well with all the players on his team.
“We’re doing well and there are big expectations,” he said.
Luc Chatelain, a 5’10” left winger out of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is the leading goal scorer for the Varsity Hockey team. “Chats,” as people call him, has 13 goals and four assists in eight games played, which is an average of over two points a game.
“We need to improve our power play, penalty kill, making good passes, (make) no turn overs in the neutral zone, high man, and not give up fast breaks,” said Luc.
Varsity Hockey has only home games left in its schedule this year. The next game will be Feb. 8 against Brunswick.
The U16 Selects Hockey team is making big strides this season.
The Selects Hockey Academy has made a positive impact on the ice, throughout the community in their first year, and the future is bright.
Head coach of the Selects Hockey Academy U16 team is impressed with the season so far.
“It’s going pretty good,” Coach Devin Rask said. “We have a really talented group. They are committed to the Selects program and making South Kent a better place. We have won a few tournaments, and a couple of kids are getting college looks.”
Coach Eric Soltys, the head coach of South Kent’s Prep Hockey team and director of hockey operations, is also impressed with what the Selects have done so far this year.
“I think they came in here as a first-year club and couldn’t of done any better,” Soltys said, “They are up in that top 20 pack of the best U16 teams in the country, as far as 95’s and 96’s are concerned. A lot of scholarships aren’t handed out, (and) three kids from this team already have scholarships.”
Roberts Smits, a player for the Selects U16 hockey team and a Fourth Former, is also impressed with his team’s performance so far this year.
“I think we are doing pretty good,” Smits said. “We had some tough losses, but we got up from them and we are back on track for the rest of the season.
Coach Soltys has high expectations for focused on the rest of the year and what he expects out of them to finish the year strong.
“For the rest of this year I expect them to continue to compete and battle hard,” Soltys said, “They will continue to make us proud and defend our hillside on the road.”
It is no secret that the South Kent School hockey program is changing drastically after this year. South Kent hockey will be changing to a U14, U16 and U18 team format. All three teams will be playing in highly competitive AAA hockey leagues throughout the United States. As far as Coach Rask and Coach Soltys are concerned: the sky is the limit.
“I think it’s a great opportunity,” Coach Rask said, “for both the school and the players coming in, it is beneficial. It combines high-level hockey with high-level academics, which is what it takes to get to the next level.”
“I think the sky is the limit,” Coach Soltys said. “We are up and coming, growing and getting bigger, and starting to get commitments from some of the top players in the country.”
The future is bright for the Selects Hockey Academy, not only for the rest of this year, but for the many years to come. The Selects have their next home game on Feb. 2 against Northwood.
Anthony Florentino is a valued member of the Prep Hockey team.
Anthony Florentino has proved himself to be one of the hardest-working athletes on this campus. He took the opportunity to come to South Kent to play hockey and pursue his dream of moving to the next level. As a member of the Prep Hockey team in 2010-11, he proved his stuff right away. As the defensive partner of Union commit Shayne Gostisbehere, Anthony too looked to commit to a good school by the end of the year. With offers coming in the door, Anthony decided on Providence College. This season is a big year for him and he looks to continue his good work for the Cardinals.
The Richard M. Cuyler Ice Rink before the ice went down this fall.
Almost a month ago, the ice of Cuyler Rink was supposed to go down at South Kent. However, the skating surface wasn’t available as planned and players voiced their opinion loudly about the ice going down late.
As of mid-November, players have only been able to skate six times.
“The main advantage of having ice early in October is that the team could prepare themselves by working on skating, shooting and stickhandling,” said Sotiri Athanasopoulos, a captain of the Prep ice Hockey team said,
“You do not have much time to work on skills when the ice is down later in October or early November, because tryouts are around the corner.”
“I believe it helps a lot for team chemistry because everyone gets a feel of how everyone plays and everyone knows where they stand on the team,” Sotiri says. “Everyone has a certain job on the team and that is why it is important to play together earlier in the year.”
Even with the season right around the corner Sotiri says, “The team will work on conditioning drills, and various battling drills in order to get in shape. Everything falls into place as it gets later in the season.”
“The ice at SKS is always a topic of discussion,” Coach Eric Soltys said. “Unfortunately, it is out of our control. The weather plays the biggest factor in when we can lay the ice.“
An improved rink is in the works and Mr. Rich Brande, the new director of hockey development, is responsible for raising money to “winterize” the Cuyler Rink, Coach Soltys said. “His main goal is to have open ice for the players from day one of school. With the new structure of Selects Academy at South Kent, it’s a must,” Coach Soltys said. Winterizing the rink will help hockey players in the years to come at South Kent School.
“The advantage of having the ice down is two-fold,” Coach Soltys says, “First, no matter what you do, nothing puts you in hockey shape except for hockey. Secondly, the friendship and team bonding right from the start helps every member get to feel that brother hood early on at school as a member of the South Kent hockey program.”
Coach Soltys feels the players’ frustration.
“I think the students of SKS that play hockey would love the ice to go down a.s.a.p.” But, Coach Soltys also sees the other side of the argument. “I also think they realize that we control what we can control and regardless that we are at the mercy of mother nature, the show must go on and we must find a way to be ready for Nov. 19 when Hill comes into our house!”
Coach Soltys sees pride in the red army.
“No one leaves with points from our house! Be it day one of school or mid January. The RED ARMY will defend our home with courage and honor,” Coach Soltys says.
“During the early fall season, the ice cannot be put down.” Mr. Mike Gawel, the rink manager said. “The temperatures are too high, and the ice is unable to freeze. It is about a weeklong process to get the ice to freeze, (and) the weather just was not cooperating.”
Now the ice is down, and hockey season is right around the corner. Players have been waking up at 5 a.m. starting to practice for the season. The ice is down at South Kent, and South Kent is ready for some hockey.
The Prep Hockey team has big dreams this year to capture the New England championship. Even with the high competition level in the Division I, the Cardinals think that this year is going to be successful for the team.
Prep Hockey is currently 14-5-1 overall. The team had its first official home game Dec. 4 against Avon Old Farms School, which is the number one ranked hockey team in the division. The Cardinals fought to win throughout the whole game. However, South Kent lost in overtime, 3-2. But the players think that Avon could be the rival to beat in playoffs and they are ready to beat Avon this time.
Forward Sotirios Athanasopoulos, who is a Sixth Former from Canada, said Prep Hockey has come together as a team.
“I feel like we get along well and that will just help us on the ice with good chemistry,” he said. “We have the potential to go all the way.” The Cardinals have the potential to beat any other team, and they are motivated to win the championship, he said.
The team has eight international students, five from Canada (Joe Deveny, Holden Anderson, Joseph Manno, Alex Murray and Sotiri Athanasopoulos), one from Germany (Steve Maier), one from Finland (Miika Majava) and one from Italy (Gianluca Vallini) and this international mix of players could be the right combination that will lead to success.
Forward Zach Fox, from Sandown, NH, thinks that the team could win the championship.
“The team is really good this year, and we have the potential to go all the way” he said.
The hockey players are very motivated to work hard for the Coach Eric Soltys, who is able to shape the Cardinals from the beginning of the year. The players also recognize their coach is working hard with the team to achieve the championship goal. The players feel good with the coach, Zach said.
“I think the team has a real chance on winning this year, because (of the) recruiting Coach Soltys did, and I think he is a very good coach. He knows the ring of hockey really well.”
Also, they like the training sessions, because they think that are very helpful for the team, and they are trying to have a better ranking in the nation this year.
