For the first time in school history, the coaching staff of the CHS hockey team has decided to create a second varsity team, adding to the previously existing JV and varsity teams.

Recently, the team has seen an influx of skilled players, and thus, a second varsity team was added to accommodate all of the additional talent.

“I like this better than two teams, especially with the amount of talented kids we have,” said varsity-two junior Sam Beloff. “No one who is a varsity-level player is forced to play JV.”

The teams are divided solely based on merit, with the top 15 players on the varsity-one team and, the next 15 on varsity-two and the remainder on JV.

According to varsity-one head coach Ray McKenzie, the addition of another team “was simply a matter of numbers.”

The supplementary varsity team allows younger, developing players a chance to gain valuable in-game experience and additional ice time against more challenging opponents than they would face at the JV level.

“There are a lot of good kids that tried out this year,” said senior and varsity-one captain Ross Allen. “Having two teams is a good way for everyone to not only get time, but also improve their hockey.”

The new team has helped younger kids grow up and quickly develop into varsity caliber players.

According to Beloff, they go into every game expecting to compete, even against top tier teams.

The varsity-one team is off to a 4 -0 start, including a 6-1 victory over the reigning state champion Wootton varsity team Nov.14. The varsity-two team is off to a 1-2-1 start, having lost to Wootton varsity 5-2.  Both teams play in the same varsity league, but varsity-two is not eligible for playoffs.

According to Allen, a key to the varsity-one team’s success is its chemistry, which has developed over the past few seasons of playing on the same team together. The team’s only goal this season is to win a state championship.

The varsity-two team will give the younger players the chance to develop into a winning team with similar bonds.

The additional team will be reevaluated at the end of the season, but it will most likely be continued.

“It has been phenomenal for the development of our players, especially the freshmen and sophomores on the varsity-two team,” McKenzie said. “They receive much more playing time and against the best competition.”