The Walter Johnson Hockey club skated victoriously to win the state championship against Churchill at the Laurel ice rink on February 28. Although Montgomery County cancelled school and all activities, the WJ Hockey club, a member of the Maryland Scholastic Hockey League (MSHL) is unaffiliated with MCPS sports.

The team finished the season with a winning record of 12-2. They played with strong defense and managed to defeat Churchill 2-1 after a loss earlier in the season. Varsity coach Matthew Chalker helped the team strategize how to dominate the game. The first goal was scored by sophomore defenseman Josh Leibowitz with an assist from sophomore forward Mike Simenauer. The winning goal of the game was scored by senior forward Geoff Thompson with an assist from senior captain Josh Cohen. Freshman goalie Ryan Ulf played exceptionally well as he stepped up at the last minute to play goalie with short notice. Ulf showed his mental and physical strength as a new player this season. Other key players in this championship game were sophomore defenseman Avery Hackett, junior defenseman Isaac Snyder, and senior forward Arie Stock.

With the recent loss of star player Rod Bower, the hockey team dedicated this season to their friend and teammate. Throughout the season, they each wore a patch on their jerseys in memory of Bower.

Co-captain Arie Stock is very proud of the hard work and success of WJ’s team this season. As for next year, Stock is confident that the returning players will lead the team with exuberance, enthusiasm and their talent. Stock said, “Each individual player contributed to this victory. Without us working together as a whole, we would not have been so successful this season. You always have leading scorers and miraculous plays, but you need a team to win a championship.”