The bright, cold ice arena, the pucks hitting the ice as skates go right by them, the fans are ready for another Leyden hockey game.

The Eagles played two games over the weekend against the Spartans and won both, 2 to 1 on Friday and 3 to 1 on Saturday. The games started slow, but the team got better as they went. The wins added to their streak, and now they have won seven out of the last seven games. After a rough start to the season, the team feels like they are finally playing the way they should.

Assistant captain Christian Sulka said the team did well, but there were still things to fix. “I think we played a well rounded game, there were a couple things we could fix, especially the first period, but we won both games which is always what we like to hear.”

Many players agreed that the first period is the biggest thing the team needs to work on. The coaches said the same thing and want the team to start strong instead of waiting until later in the game.

Assistant coach Adrian Kuzbik said, “The team should not get comfortable. We can definitely improve.” Kuzbik said, “We should not settle for less, but overall two wins is good and we are happy with that.”

The team started cleaning up their defense, moving the puck better, and pushing the pace. The puck movement got smoother, the breakouts stopped looking rushed, and the scoring chances got bigger as the weekend went on. With more players stepping up, the team looks more confident and connected than earlier in the season.

Freshman Mason Johannes said this weekend showed the difference. “It was the first time we played a full three periods of hockey. We played better this last game than the first one.”

Mason Johannes is one of the leading freshmen in points with two points so far this season.

Junior Dominic Berardi said, “Once the team woke up everything clicked. We started off slow, but we picked it up and played better as the game went on.”

The Leyden Hockey Club is a combined team with schools such as Ridgewood, Niles North, Niles West, Elmwood Park, East Leyden, and West Leyden.

Senior assistant captain Matyas Balcar said, “The season did not start great, but the team is improving fast.” Balcar said he has been setting up plays even while going through a scoring slump. He likes how much cleaner the team looks compared to the first half of the year.

With the Eagles currently being in seventh place, they have high expectations for playoffs, hoping to move up a couple spots in the rankings to get the best playoff odds.

First year goalie Gavin Dylan said, “I think this team has potential. We can go far if we keep playing how we are playing.”

Leyden’s next home game is December 13 at the Franklin Park Ice Arena, and the team wants to keep the streak alive. If they fix slow starts and keep improving, they could be one of the strongest teams in the league. Be there.