Going up north can always pose some struggles, but FHC would have no fear with a little road trip.

Hockey season is officially back, as the Ranger skaters got back to their natural habitat this weekend. FHC would face both Bay Reps and Traverse City West for the opening weekend, and it was looking to accomplish many different goals. The Rangers will look to continue their play of strong defense like years prior and build and develop a strong offense. This was also a chance for the boys to get to know each other more as the year starts, and head coach Bill McSween was enthusiastic about the opportunity to bound up north.

“I think the boys got to know each other a little better and it was fun to be together on the road,” coach McSween said. “We also learned that lakes are cold in November.”

To begin, the Rangers would drop their game versus Traverse City West on Saturday. Michael Schermerhorn would start things off with the first goal out of his three for TCW, as the opposition would never look back and take the win, with goals by seniors Connor Defouw and Lucas Jeffreys for FHC.

Likewise, FHC would be stuck in a nail-biter Friday versus Bay Reps. The Rangers came out firing on all cylinders when junior Sammy Mielock hit the back of the net for his first goal on the season. Bay Reps would come back with two goals of its own in the second, but FHC didn’t let go as Jeffreys scored once, and senior Josh Smith would find the net twice to send the game to overtime.

“It was a back-and-forth game, and we kept our composure,” coach McSween said. “We handled adversity well and stuck together. If we do that, we will have another successful season.”

Those are the words of a coach who knows how to get the job done. Senior Noah Smith skated onto the ice with purpose in overtime, as he would net the game-winner to help secure the first victory of the season for FHC. This game gave three goals to the Smith brothers on the day, as their impact helped lead to a long, yet successful first win.

“I think that having three seniors come out and score on the first game will help us lead the newer players coming in this season,” Smith said. “It’s cool when you get to see something nice happen, for both you and your brother in the same game.”

The Rangers will now move to 1-1 on the year, and they will face Forest Hills Northern/Eastern on  Saturday, November 28. For all students who show their student IDs, entry is free.