Troy United hockey continues stellar turnaround

TROY — Troy United’s boys hockey team has already clinched a first-place finish in the OAA White with a month left in the season as the program continues its incredible improvement.

Troy’s roster this season has a lot of upperclassmen, and the seniors specifically have a unique perspective on the program. Four years ago, when the current seniors were still freshmen, Troy recorded one win the entire season with just 14 total goals scored and 190 goals allowed. The team had six wins the following year and 16 last season.

At press time, Troy has a perfect 7-0 record against other OAA White opponents, which guarantees a first-place finish in the division, and the team has just two losses on the year.

“Our standards were raised. Expectations are a little bit higher,” said Josh Brown, the head coach for Troy United. “It’s just about getting to the next step as a program for us.”

In terms of production, Troy has had forwards Kaiser Ascencio and Ben Dumas filling the net at an unbelievable clip, as both are averaging around two points per game. 

However, goaltending may be the biggest difference in the team when compared to previous years, as Noah Dumas has statistically been one of the best goalies in the state.

“We got new goaltending this year,” Brown said. “It changed the whole dynamic for our team. It changed our defensive zone structure and how we play in our own zone now. … It’s been unbelievable.”

At press time, Dumas has a goals against average of just over 1.50 goals a game, and he has only been in net for one regulation loss.

Two players on the roster were freshmen on the one-win team four years ago and are now captains this season. Alternate captain Matthew Van Raemdonck and captain Joey Clark have seen Troy United go from last place to first place throughout their high school careers.

“Taking a chance to be a part of a varsity program in their freshman year is tough,” Brown explained. “Seeing them now and how they compete together... It’s a good dynamic that we have, and a good culture that they’re building.”

At press time, Clark is third on the team in points and is averaging over a point per game on the season. His evolution as a player is a microcosm of the team’s development as well.

“My freshman year, even though we weren’t the greatest, we still went into every game playing hard,” Clark said. “Now, we treat all our opponents the same, and we don’t take anybody lightly. We’re still just trying to play our best.”

 Another key factor that people within the program attribute to the turnaround is the bond between players. There are very few teammates in the state that can truly understand what the last three to four years have been like for Troy United, and that’s only made the players closer.

“The bond through the players: Every player on the team is close with every other player, and there’s no one that feels left out,” Clark explained. “Everyone looks out for each other, on and off the ice.”

Not only has the program improved exponentially on the ice, but the players have continued to grow outside hockey, as well, changing the identity of the program they represent.

“Growing up with this program is great. It’s just really exciting to see how exponential our growth has been,” Clark said. “Our hard work has paid off… We didn’t just change the record. We changed the identity of Troy United to the state.”

The regional playoffs will begin after the conclusion of Troy’s regular season on Feb. 14. For more information, visit mihshockeyhub.com.