(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption: SAVINGS ACCOUNT: Hun School boys’ hockey goaltender Travis Potts makes a save in a game last year. Last Monday, senior goalie Potts recorded 56 saves but it wasn’t enough as Hun fell 2-0 to defending state Prep champion Morristown-Beard. In upcoming action, Hun, now 2-1, plays at LaSalle High on December 10 and then hosts Calvert Hall Academy on December 12.

Led By Core of Battle-Tested Veterans, Hun Boys’ Hockey Off to Solid Start

Bill Alden

Steve Norman and the Hun School boys’ hockey team faced an opening night gut check as they battled Princeton High last Wednesday.

After jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the early stages of the game, Hun found itself locked in a 2-2 nailbiter early in the third period.

Senior star Norman acknowledged that the Raiders felt a sense of urgency after PHS knotted the game with eleven minutes left in the third period.

“At the end there after their goal, the whole team just got fired up,” recalled Norman.

Turning that urgency into production, Norman helped Hun break the tie. With just under four minutes left in regulation, the feisty forward fired a shot that rebounded to the stick of Geoff Rogers who slotted home the puck in what turned out to be the game winner in a 3-2 victory by the Raiders.

“Geoff and me have been playing together for the past two years; we have developed a good connection between each other,” said Norman.

“We just knew instantly when we got on the ice without talking to each other that we were not going to get off the ice without scoring. We would not accept losing the puck. The best way to score a goal is to put it on net. When I took that shot, I saw Geoff in front and I just kind of threw it low. I was hoping somebody would get the rebound and I knew he would. Geoff was there and he managed to put it in successfully.”

Norman acknowledged that Hun got a little overconfident when it jumped out to its early lead over PHS. “We did think it was going to be one-sided,” said Norman.

“[Coach] Bourbeau always goes against that; he always says no matter what team we play, you have to play your hardest. Sometimes we fall back on that a little bit but when it matters, we buckle down and do what we need to do to get it done.”

While Norman was happy that Hun ultimately got it done, he realizes that the Raiders need to raise their level of play.

“We have an incredible amount of room to improve on,” said Norman.

“We are at a very good level right now. We can definitely improve on the basics of passing, shooting on net, skating hard, and passing tape to tape.”

As one of Hun’s most experienced players, Norman feels a responsibility to set a good example for his teammates. “I do my best to inspire the players on the ice,” asserted Norman, who helped Hun edge Academy of New Church 2-1 last Friday.

“I do my best to skate as hard as possible every single shift. If I don’t, I feel as though I have let the other players down. I feel that when I do, it helps pick the team up. They want to do that little bit more; that little bit extra like taking one extra stride to get to the puck before the other guy.”

Hun head coach Francois Bourbeau was happy with the way his veteran players gave a little extra down the stretch in the win over PHS.

“I think the veterans stepped up; they were more aggressive, more intense,” said Bourbeau.

“We got our backs to the wall; I think that woke them up and made them more intense. In the third period, we were more often in their zone and it showed. I think my guys played with a little more of their positioning; getting more opportunities.”

Bourbeau’s guys gave him some anxious moments as the game tightened up.

“With a two-goal lead, I think I was having the same idea as my players, getting too confident,” said Bourbeau, noting that Hun beat PHS 8-0 last season.

“I was thinking about last year. They started coming back and then I got worried. My guys came out strong again; it was a good sign. I wish we had kept that lead so I don’t die of a heart attack.”

Hun senior goalie Travis Potts showed plenty of heart, thwarting several PHS scoring opportunities.

“He’s the backbone of this team, I expect nothing less out of him,” asserted Bourbeau of Potts, who made 56 saves in Hun’s 2-0 loss to defending state Prep champion Morristown-Beard last Monday as the Raiders moved to 2-1 on the season. “He’s my main goalie; he’s always doing a great job. It was a normal game for him in my expectation.”

Norman, for his part, is expecting Hun to build on the win over PHS.

“A win at the start of the season is definitely a good boost of confidence but especially a tough game like this that goes down to the wire,” added Norman, who will look to help keep the Raiders on track when they play at LaSalle High on December 10 and then host Calvert Hall Academy on December 12.

“It will show us where we need to improve. We’ll look at the tape and we’ll see exactly what we need to do better and improve on.”

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