![Celebrating their landmark victory, the Parkway West Boys Hockey team gathers together on the ice. Over the course of the season, the team grew closer together while pursuing their final goal: winning the coveted Wickenheiser Cup. “[Winning the cup] was awesome. [As] a senior, it was super rewarding to end on a high note. It had to be the most memorable part of my career,” varsity hockey player and senior Hunter Beach said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DSC3974-Enhanced-NR-1200x799.jpg)
On Feb. 28, Parkway West boys hockey became the Wickenheiser Cup champions for the first time in school history. Playing against the Rockwood Summit hockey team in the Centene Community Ice Center, the team secured a 3-1 win. The Longhorns held a record of 19-3-1 during their regular season and went undefeated in the playoffs.
The Mid-States Club Hockey Association Wickenheiser Cup is one of three playoff championships, alongside the Challenge Cup and the Founder’s Cup, awarded each year to the top St. Louis area boys hockey teams. “The Wick,” as the cup has been dubbed, served as the pinnacle of the season for the team.
“[Winning the Wickenheiser Cup is] something that I’ve been looking at all four years. “My freshman year, we made it to the semifinals and then we got out, and then the year after, we didn’t make it far in the playoffs,” team captain and senior Colin McCammon said.
This year, the team had an overall successful season, with close wins and sweeps alike. To advance to the championship game, the Longhorns played two games against Webster Groves High and two games against Oakville High, winning all four games.
“[The most memorable game was] our first game against Oakville. It was a really close game; we won 4-2, but the score didn’t show how close it was,” team captain and senior Ethan Smith said. “It was neck and neck.”
Additionally, West High and Rockwood Summit High had played each other two times during the season, prior to the Wickenheiser Cup final, with one win and one loss for the Longhorns. So, leading into the final, the team wanted to be ready for anything and were anticipating a close score.
“[Rockwood Summit’s team] were good. They were moving the puck a lot, [and] during the game, they’re really physical,” defensive player and senior Connor Brawley said.
Going into the game, the senior team members in particular were excited to have made it to the final and wanted to make it worthwhile for everyone in the arena. Hockey team members advertised their game through social media and encouraged others at school to attend. Over 300 tickets were sold for the game during a lunchtime ticket sale.
“I [wanted to] put on a good show for the fans, and just show all the younger guys how to be a good teammate and battle hard,” Smith said.
Being the first time the Longhorns advanced to the championship game, the moment was a landmark occasion for both the players and the student section in the stands. Before the game even began, the team received cheers from the student section. Students in the stands held up posters and dressed in school spirit to celebrate and cheer on the hockey team.
“We were walking out, and then instantly everybody started waving their flags and cheering. It was unlike anything any of the players [had] ever felt before,” Brawley said. “[It] felt like we were pros.”
With the championship on the line, the final minutes of the game were filled with anticipation. As the clock counted down, the team drew closer and closer to victory.
“The last couple minutes after we got the second goal, I kind of knew [a win] was going to happen. I got to be on the ice right as the buzzer went [off], and it was just sick. We all jumped into the glass, and all of the fans were pushing on it, too,” Brawley said.
The journey to the final game was long but rewarding, filled with personal growth and bonding for all members of the team. Members attended up to three practices weekly and some players also maintained a club hockey schedule simultaneously.
“We practiced so much for all of our games. We’ve all worked so hard for this,” McCammon said. “[Being on the team is] super fun, and it’s a great group of guys to hang around [with]. They’ll always have your back and support you.”
![Holding the disc, senior Nathan Thompson waits for an opportunity to pass to senior Timmy Fry. Parkway United’s ultimate frisbee team is made up of students from each of the four Parkway schools. “The one thing I really like about ultimate [frisbee] is the community because it’s so different from any other sport I've been a part of. [My] national teammates are people who we play against in the regular season, so we see each other all the time. It's always fun hanging out with [them],” Thompson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/C96A6823-1200x800.jpg)
![Senior Josie Grunzinger watches the football game intently from the sidelines on Oct. 18. Grunzinger stood out to the crowd as the only girl on the football team, encouraging other girls who want to play football to take a chance and go for a sport outside of their comfort zone. “If you think you could [play football] and you want to do it, just try it, because all it takes is to actually try it out,” Grunzinger said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Untitled-design-1200x675.png)
![With her arms held high, junior Jenna Rickelman throws the ball across the pool during a girls water polo practice. With hours of practice after school and over the summer, Rickelman saw many improvements in her water polo skills. “When I look at [my] stats, I'm so much better than I was last year,” Rickelman said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Untitled-design-2-.png)
![Putting on his helmet, catcher and senior Tommy Eschbach prepares to get in his primary stance. Despite losing 6-1 against Eureka on April 16, Eschbach didn’t let the tough loss affect his playing or mental health. “It's [so] easy to get caught up in the sport and what you're doing that [after] one bad game or a stretch of games it is hard to remind yourself that your worth as a person isn't directly related to your performance on the field,” Eschbach said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0415-1-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Sports organizations have changed lives on and off the field, improving athletes’ muscle strength, reducing their risk of diseases and building energetic work capacity worldwide. However, many student-athletes struggle to balance schoolwork and athletic commitments, hoping to seek more understanding and support from their teachers and coaches. “To lessen mental strain student-athletes [face] and create a healthier, more comfortable lifestyle, there shouldn’t be any homework. I'm already [at school] for eight hours and [homework] creates a bigger load for student-athletes in AP or honors classes,” track and field sprinter and sophomore Lucy Penton said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0095-1-e1713883278514-1200x847.jpg)
![At the Spring Pep Rally on March 8, boys varsity water poloist and junior Jack Brau stands with the boys water polo team. The group, hoping to include everyone — whether boy or girl, varsity or JV — cheered on the girls water polo team during the sports team runouts. “Even though we all play separate games and have different practices, we like to see ourselves as one big group who represent one water polo [team],” Brau said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_8810-1-1200x800.jpg)
