The West Hills High School roller hockey team recorded a third-place finish in last season’s CIF-Metro Conference Kiwanis Cup championship playoffs.
The Wolf Pack is shooting to win it all this season.
“We will be able to compete with anyone this year,” said coach Steve Baldwin, whose team finished 17-6 last season. “We won our league last year and placed third in the CIF playoffs. Our goal is to win our league and win CIF (this year).
The West Hills High School roller hockey team recorded a third-place finish in last season’s CIF-Metro Conference Kiwanis Cup championship playoffs.
The Wolf Pack is shooting to win it all this season.
“We will be able to compete with anyone this year,” said coach Steve Baldwin, whose team finished 17-6 last season. “We won our league last year and placed third in the CIF playoffs. Our goal is to win our league and win CIF (this year).
“We barely lost to Rancho Bernardo and Cathedral Catholic — both considered top teams — during the preseason with only five skaters and missing our two top ice hockey players. As a result, I believe we will be very competitive this year.”
Top returners include seniors David Baldwin, Brad Majeski, Cody Boyer and Zach Peters and juniors Ryan Vanoni and Ryden Kerr.
Baldwin, an all-league forward, scored 25 goals and 40 points in 20 regular season games in 2011-12.
Majeski and Kerr return as the team’s top defensemen. Majeski netted 13 goals and 21 points last season.
Boyer (17 goals, 25 points), Peters and Vanoni are all expected to contribute heavily to the team’s scoring potential this season.
The elder Baldwin noted that all of the above have travel ice hockey experience and all were key varsity players last year.
The team’s lone newcomer is Cody Manteufel, who played at the junior varsity level last season.
The CIF-Metro Conference, which remains the lone high school roller hockey league in the state officially sanctioned by the California Interscholastic Federation, faces off its 13th season with all 18 teams returning from last season.
West Hills is the defending Central League champion and will battle league rivals Cathedral Catholic, St. Augustine and La Jolla Country Day.
Poway defeated Westview, 6-5, to win last season’s Kiwanis Cup championship.
