Edwardsville's hockey team returns two top players - Hinterser and Schaeffer - from dream season
EDWARDSVILLE – Last season's Edwardsville hockey team had a season most teams can only dream of.
The Tigers went unbeaten and untied throughout the Mississippi Valley Club Hockey Association's regular season, then swept their way to the championship of the league's Class 2A while the Class 1A team also won their league title. Only Mid-States Club Hockey Association champion CBC was able to defeat the Tigers, handing them their only loss in a one-game playoff to determine who would get an automatic bid to USA Hockey's high-school tournament that was held in St. Louis last spring.
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This year's Tigers will have a bit of a different look, but in one way, things will no doubt stay the same, thanks to the return of their two top players, senior Tyler Hinterser and junior Tyler Schaeffer.
“We graduated 13 seniors from last year's team, so there will be a bit of a turnover,” said Tiger coach Jason Walker, “but our core group is back.”
Hinterser (46 goals, 26 assists, 72 points in 2014-15) and Schaeffer (48 goals, 42 assists, 90 points) will provide most of the firepower for the Tigers this season, and Walker thinks that, thanks to summer camps, the duo may be even better this season. “You don't get two players as good as Hinterser and Schaeffer back that often,” Walker said, “but at the same time, there's also a good group of players that will make a good contribution this season too.”
Among those back for EHS include senior Jake Aurelio, junior Carson Lewis (who will the captain's C this season), Trevor Henson, who led the Tigers' 1A championship team last season, and Lucas Tucker. “We're thinking we're going to have some big things coming this season,” Walker said. “We've got a lot of depth in our program and we have a lot of good kids who are in the program.”
While last season was certainly a special season for the Tigers, Walker knows that to stay on top, Edwardsville will have to keep working hard. “One of the things we do here is to challenge ourselves, to keep working and playing our best,” Walker said. “We're excited about the season; we relish the challenges that we'll be facing.
“We've got a veteran group here and we'll be as prepared as anyone for the season. We've got good leadership and we're excited to get going.”
The Tigers won their season-opener Tuesday night, downing Alton 11-2. Next up for EHS is a game against Bethalto at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday at East Alton Ice Arena, followed by a game against East Alton-Wood River at 7:15 p.m. Nov. 12, also at East Alton.
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