As winter rolls around, the Lexington High School boys varsity hockey team has wasted no time jumping into its season. 

Within the first three days of finalizing the varsity roster, the team found itself off to the Martha’s Vineyard tournament, where they played their first three games over the course of just two days. 

After returning to Lexington, they were on the road again, competing against Shawsheen and Burlington. With an abrupt start to the season and high expectations for the players, the team’s preseason preparation and team bonding have played an big role in their success.  

In the weeks leading up to the season, they hosted captains’ practices and team dinners to foster camaraderie amongst the players.

“The sense of community and knowing the people who you’re on a line with or just playing with in general, can really help to, elevate your game, and also forms trust,” Timmy Rinaldi, a junior and the team’s starting goalie, said.

Players attribute the team’s early success to the work they put in during the off season.

“I played summer hockey. I do a lot of work with my goalie trainers, so I see them quite often. I played club hockey this fall just to try and stay in shape and get more experience, more time in the net. That’s where the preparation comes from. [Always] just practice as much practice I can get,” Rinaldi said.

As a goalie, Rinaldi sees leadership as part of his role on the ice. 

“It’s just trying to keep everybody positive. Sometimes it was a tough game. We’re complaining about the refs, things that didn’t go our way. And you just got to try and speak up and keep the boys a good note,” he said.

Another factor in the team’s successful cooperation on the ice can be traced back to their past. 

“Ryan [Jenness], Connor [O’Leary], and [Brady] have been playing on the same team since they were little, and so they have really good chemistry. And you can tell, if you watch captains practice, they’re passing well, they’re in the right spot,” Rinaldi said.

This year’s roster includes eight new varsity players, making trust and communication crucial.

“We’re all experiencing ups and downs, wins, losses. So it’s a close knit group. And a lot of these kids have played together since we were little with Lexington youth hockey,” Rinaldi said.