So, I found myself thinking about Blackstone Valley Tech hockey the other day. Don’t ask me why, maybe saw something online or just popped into my head. Anyway, I figured, why not actually go check out a game? Haven’t been to a high school hockey game in ages.
Drove over to their rink. Took a bit to find parking, place was busier than I expected for a high school game. Got inside, paid for my ticket, standard stuff. The rink itself, you know, typical local setup. Cold bleachers, that specific smell of ice and maybe a little bit of stale popcorn. But the energy was definitely there. Lots of parents, students, seemed like a real community turnout which was cool to see.
Watching the Warm-up
Found a seat and watched the Beavers warm up. They looked alright, skating looked decent. Always interesting seeing high school teams, skill levels can be all over the place but the enthusiasm is usually high. They were doing their drills, passing, shooting. Nothing super fancy, just getting loose.
The other team came out too, can’t remember who they were playing honestly. Looked pretty similar. You could tell it was gonna be one of those hard-fought games, maybe not the prettiest hockey, but intense.
Game Time Observations
Puck dropped and they went at it. Pretty fast-paced right from the start. Lots of back and forth. BVT seemed to have some speed. Couple of guys could really move. Defensively, well, it was high school hockey. Some good plays, some moments where you just kinda shake your head. But they played hard, lots of banging along the boards.
- Saw a couple of decent goals.
- Goalie for BVT made some really solid saves. Kept them in it during one stretch where the other team was just peppering him.
- Few penalties, usual stuff, tripping, hooking. Power plays weren’t exactly NHL level, but they tried to set things up.
What really struck me though… it wasn’t even about the hockey specifically. It was watching these kids, balancing the tech school focus with sports. It’s a different path than the regular high school route I knew. Made me think about focus. Like, these kids are learning trades, real hands-on skills, and then they’re out here battling on the ice. It’s a grind.
Reminded me of this one time, years ago, working on a project. We had all these supposedly smart people, right? But getting everyone to pull in the same direction? Impossible. Felt like we were speaking different languages. Just chaos. Watching the game, even with the mistakes, you saw flashes of teamwork, guys backing each other up. Made me think how crucial that simple stuff is, whether you’re building something or trying to score a goal. It’s funny the things you think about sitting on cold bleachers.
Final Thoughts
Anyway, BVT ended up winning, I think? Or maybe it was close. Doesn’t really matter. It was just a solid night out watching some decent, energetic high school hockey. Good atmosphere. You see the effort, the parents cheering, the players giving it their all. Can’t ask for much more than that. If you’re around the area, it’s worth catching a game sometime. Just bundle up.
