Centreville High School Hockey Ends Season With Victory

By Steve Marks

The Centreville High School Wildcats Ice Hockey Club (CIHC) wrapped up their 2012-2013 hockey season on a high note, defeating the Herndon Hornets, 7-3, on Feb. 8 at SkateQuest of Reston. An enthusiastic crowd of fans and supporters helped the team celebrate Senior Night; honored students included Centreville students Ian McCormack, Nathan Marks and Matt Miller. 

Both Marks (2) and Miller (1) scored goals in the game, and all three players were on the ice for the final minutes of the third period, during which the team scored twice.

This season the Wildcats combined their roster with the Fairfax Rebels to compete in the Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League (NVHSL) as a provisional team. The team played at the varsity level in the Adams Division, which included teams from Langley, Madison and McLean high schools, among others.                  

While the team struggled overall, ending the season with a 2-8 record, there were several contests that could have gone either way, including an 8-7 loss to Osbourn Park to start the season back in November. 

The team’s other victory came against Bishop Ireton on Jan. 7, an impressive 8-4 tally. The team included several pairs of brothers playing together, including Miller’s younger brother, Christopher; McCormack’s younger brother, Corey; and Gus and Gary Canals. The team was led by first-year Head Coach Alex Heidt, whose son Kyle was a major contributor on offense as a freshmen.

While the Wildcats did not qualify for the NVSHL playoffs, they were represented in the League’s All-Star Game on Feb. 20, at the Ashburn Ice House, by Wildcat Senior Nathan Marks. Marks played forward for the combined Norris-Adams team, which lost in OT, 7-6, to a combined team from the Smythe-Patrick Divisions. Marks scored with two minutes left in regulation to tie the game and force overtime. He also had an assist and was selected as his team’s Most Valuable Player.

The Wildcats plan to play at the junior varsity level in a spring high school league at the Ashburn Ice House. This league will include several practices starting the week of March 11, and a series of 10 games through early June. 

The team is actively recruiting players for the spring league, as well as next season; rising freshmen who are interested are invited to contact the team at cihcteammanager@hotmail.com.