BEST OF THE WURST: Hun School boys’ hockey player Bobby Wurster, right, goes after the puck in recent action. Last Thursday, senior defenseman Wurster chipped in an assist and provided some rugged play on the blue line to help Hun top Princeton Day School 6-1. The Raiders, who improved to 6-0-1 with the victory, are next in action when they compete in the Purple Puck tournament in the Washington, D.C. area from December 28-31. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

With the Hun School boys’ hockey team clinging to a 2-1 lead at Princeton Day School last Thursday, Bobby Wurster took matters into his hands.

“We needed to get that next goal so I just threw it on net,” said Hun senior defenseman Wurster.

“Pat Brake got a high tip and it went off Chris Rossi, it was a big game from him today.”

From there, Hun cruised as it posted a big 6-1 win over the Panthers, improving to 6-0-1 before the holiday break.

“There was never a doubt in our mind that we were going to finish this game,” said Wurster.

“It was just a matter of who was going to get it and when. We just tried to stay on them the whole time. I know with coach Ian McNally, his mindset has always been pressure, pressure. Once we get our forecheck going, no one can beat us. We were on the puck. We were getting good shots; we were burying rebounds. We were paying the price to get the little goals.”

It was a major goal for Hun to beat nemesis and defending state Prep champion PDS.

“It is huge,” said Wurster, noting that last year’s meeting between the local rivals was snowed out twice.

“We had this one circled on our calendar for a while. I have to give credit to our fan section. We had probably about 100 kids who came out here to support us. I thought that win came from them. We had the support and we wanted to give them a show and we gave it to them.”

Playing in his final campaign with the program, Wurster is looking to bring maturity and production to the squad.

“I step in with the leadership,” said Wurster. “I have Chris Rossi and Danny Seelagy, the other two seniors on my side. They are there to help me. Coach McNally wants me to step up. I give my best and once the younger kids see I am stepping up, they want to top that.”

With Hun undefeated through seven games, people are stepping up all over the ice.

“It is hard work, every single one of those guys in there has each other’s back,” said Wurster. “There is no fighting in the locker room. Every man is there to protect you.”

Hun coach McNally liked the way his team fought back to get its third goal against PDS, a tally he saw as the turning point of the contest.

“When they scored to make it 2-1, it was worry, worry,” said McNally. “But when we scored to make it 3-1, I was like OK, we are alright. From then, we just did the job.”

McNally is pleased with how Wurster and his fellow defensemen are taking care of their jobs.

“I am very impressed with our overall poise with the puck,” said McNally. “Our defensemen are confident with the puck, they wait and try to pass it to each other and very rarely do they cough it up. Bob is a big part of that. He sees times to jump into the play and be in front of the net and then he will be the first guy back. He is all over the ice but it is with purpose and it helps at both ends. You saw him make a decision on the third goal. He was behind the net and we were stuck. Their guy decided to gamble and Bob was gone. Somebody else probably would have just passed that puck away but he saw a hole and went and we were able to bury it.”

Hun’s intensity all over the ice made the difference in the eagerly anticipated showdown with PDS.

“I think they were waiting for it and they were excited,” said McNally. “I don’t know that we thought this would happen. We said before the game if we work incredibly hard and we play the way we have decided to play with our sound strategies and our identity, then I am pretty confident that we can win all the time. I thought they did that today.”

With sophomore star and offensive catalyst Evan Barratt having not played yet this season due to a knee injury, Hun’s 6-0-1 start is even more impressive.

“We have very much risen to the occasion,” asserted McNally. “There is nobody we are going to play in tournaments or the rest of the year where the kids are going to be scared of losing. That doesn’t mean that we are going to win every game but at least we will go in with the idea that we can win today. That is important.”

Wurster, for his part, is confident that the Raiders will keep rising to the occasion.

“We are not in a league any more and we are playing the better prep schools in the area,” said Wurster.

“We want to make a name for ourselves, starting off 6-0-1 before Christmas is a good start. We have a couple of big games coming up here and we are putting ourselves on the map and a lot of good things are to come.”