The Newark Generals will compete in the Buckeye Cup this weekend in Cleveland.

The club team is made up of many schools around Licking County. including Granville, Heath, Licking Valley, Sheridan, Lakewood, Newark and Newark Catholic.

Eight Granville students are on the varisity team: Mikey Chaykowski, Matt Chaykowski, Miles Eckenrode, Johnny Roush, Hayden Locher, Alex Williams, Nathan Krieg and Ben Schilling.

The Generals have been the go-to Hockey team for Granville students for a very long time. This club organization provides an opportunity for them to play hockey when it is not provided as a school sport.

“It’s where you can go and leave school behind and just be there for the team and play for what you really want,” junior Matt Chaykowski said.

The team has had a lot of success in the past, and hopes to make it even further this year.

“Our goals for the season are to win the CBJ cup and then get a ring by becoming state champions,” senior Alex Williams said.

Their current record is 8-7-3, and they are ranked third in their league. They have gone against good competitors and have shown improvement throughout the season.

“Our team is a very building team. We grow and improve off of each other,” Chaykowski said.

The team is extremely motivated to compete for a state title, they play around 2-3 games per week and practice on the days they are not playing.

“Most days it’s constantly moving, barely standing still for almost 2 hours,” Chaykowski said. “It’s straining on the body because we play game after game.”

Due to how demanding the sport is, many kids have questioned why it can not count as a physical education credit.

“I would like it to count for school credit so I wouldn’t have to take gym but I like how it’s not school regulated,” Williams said.

That is one of the only downsides they have found with it being run as a club and not through school. The team has expressed that playing with other schools adds a lot to the experience.

“I like that it’s a club sport because you create relationships you wouldn’t have otherwise if it were through the school,” junior Miles Eckenrode said.

The Newark Generals Hockey Team is hoping to go far in their tournament, and will continue to work hard towards their goals.They are very grateful to be given the opportunity to play hockey and meet all new people.

“It’s just a bunch of schools coming together and playing the one sport they love,” Chaykowski said.