WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Cypress Creek High School has a new team to root for this season. The Coyotes added new varsity and junior varsity teams.
The newly established Cypress Creek hockey team got off to a hot start, winning four of its first five games.
“I think we are definitely overlooked a bit,” Cypress Creek forward Michael Lutes said. “We’ve all been playing forever. We all know each other from around the rinks.”
The Coyotes are part of the Lightning High School Hockey League, which includes teams from Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, and Manatee counties. Not every school has enough players to form a team entirely made up of its own student-athletes. The Cypress Creek team also includes Sunlike and Pasco.
“It helps build chemistry a lot because you have kids from multiple schools within the same county,” Cypress Creek right-wing Giovanni Gelli said.
Being a first-year team also comes with a stereotype the Coyotes are trying to shake.
"The stereotype is that we are not that good,” Gelli added. "We beat the back-to-back champs. I think the stereotype of inaugural teams can't compete, I think it's a bit old because we are showing we can compete.”
Since the scorching start to the season, Cypress Creek (4-8) has hit a skid. But they’re still lighting up the scoreboard.
“I would say we are a high-scoring team,” Gelli said. “In most games we play, we’re putting up a large number of goals…we’re winning games 8-0, 7-3.”
“We score a lot,” Lutes added. “The defense is pretty good, and our goalies are pretty good. We kind of got it all going for us.”
Cypress Creek practices at the Nest Hockey Academy in Wesley Chapel.
