SYLVANIA, Ohio — Northview High School held a send-off for the hockey team Friday morning before they made the trip down to Columbus for the state final four.
"I'm so happy for these kids," head coach Steve Elliott said. "They get to experience all this. The weather had a chance of canceling school, but we got to come out here and enjoy the student body. They've been great to us. Everyone's fired up."
The Wildcats are aiming for their first state championship since 2014, and players say the community support always helps.
"It feels great," senior captain Landon Elliott said. "We've come so close the past few years, so to finally be able to get everyone in here and do this, it's really special."
Students were encouraged to make the three-hour trip down to Columbus and wear white in support of the team.
"It feels awesome," senior goalie Austin Nowak said. "We know our student body has always got our backs, so we really appreciate them showing out all the time for us."
The team is facing a familiar opponent in University School in the semis. The two teams have faced off three times this season, with the Wildcats going 0-2-1 against them, but players say this team is capable of winning it all.
"I think we've proved that we can beat anybody when we play our game," Nowak said. "It's just a matter of going down there and playing our style, and I think we'll be pretty successful."
The Wildcats are the early game Saturday. Puck drops at 9 a.m. at Nationwide Arena.
If Northview wins, they'll play for the state championship on Sunday.
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