Alex Vogel ’26

The 2025-2026 boys Varsity Hockey season was a step in the right direction. When everyone came to campus in September, immediately, the guys built chemistry, trust, and memories with each other. As we started hitting the ice we had even more fun together; skating and working out in the mornings before school gave us yet another place to bond. Our first challenge of the year was tryouts. Unexpected cuts and moves were made and it shocked some people. However, as time passed, both teams A and B took the selections in stride and began working towards their seasons. It wasn’t a smooth start for either team, as they both lost their first games. But A ended up winning their very next game against Proctor, and B finished the year with a winning record. Varsity A’s season was filled with lessons and quite a bit of adversity, as we had a severe loss in Cliff Hedges as he got injured in late January and was unable to play the rest of the season. As well as one of our top scorers, in Jeremy Lavoie, had to leave the team in the later half of the season due to family reasons. However it was quite amazing seeing how the team rallied together in the last half of the season despite losing two key players. 

Personally for me, it was tough. I was never captain of any team before and was thrown into the fire a bit. But with the help of many trusted faculty on campus like Mr. Smart, Ms. Stokes, and Mrs. Nadeau, I can happily say that I did everything in my power to be there for my teammates whenever they needed me. This team also finished 2nd in the Holt Conference in the regular season, which goes to show the type of persistence our players had. Despite a loss in the quarterfinals against Portsmouth Abbey, this team has a lot to be proud about. 

With all of the cards that this team was dealt, and watching how everyone faced adversity, I can confidently say that these young men will go on to live meaningful, successful, and rich lives after Hebron. Playing on the ice with this team was awesome, but this year, the true privilege was being able to become close friends with so many great human beings.