High school hockey sounds out of place in the desert. However, not at Brophy College Preparatory.

The Broncos prepare to climb to the peak of the Arizona High School Hockey Association’s Division I league, elevating their game with a new head coach and a resurgent veteran roster. 

In the 2018 pre-season seeding tournament, Brophy went 3-1-0 with commanding victories against Horizon, Desert Vista and Desert Mountain. The Broncos tied for third place with Notre Dame Prep in the standings with six points and ranked among the top four teams in goals for and goals against. 

Broncos head coach Michael Grams takes the helm in his first season behind the bench. With the performance in the tournament, Grams holds high expectations for the team to take their game up to the next level. 

“In these pre-season tournaments, we find out what we have as a team and we also learn what we need to work on for the regular season,” Grams said.

Through the 2017-2018 campaign, the Broncos had a hard time finding the back of the net, averaging 3.25 goals, which ranked fifth in the league. However, this season shows signs of potential as Brophy scored 21 goals over the four-game span.

Senior forward Nick Thomson looks to spark the Broncos offense with an electric start to the year, tallying a team-best seven goals in the tournament. The alternate captain hopes he can guide his team to reach the pinnacle of the playoffs in his final year.

“My goal is to lead this team to a state championship,” Thomson said. “It’s my last year and I want to make it to the end and have fun along the way this year.”

Coming off his junior campaign as Brophy’s top scorer with 20 points, Thomson possesses a high hockey IQ and exceptional versatility on the speedy first line with Dean Angelo and Jack Allen.

The second line promotes size and strength with forwards Jack Peterson, Michael Hardie and Dawson Dewar establishing a strong physical force and aggressiveness in their style of play. Through the third and fourth offensive pairings, Brophy picks up their up game with a sense of urgency and belligerency.

Despite the physical play, the Broncos have been troubled by penalties, a weakness noted throughout the pre-season tournament. Grams aims to keep penalty-filled contests down to a minimum this year.

“It was clear to everybody that we need to figure out a way to stay out of the penalty box,” Grams said. “You can’t be successful in any sport if you’re not playing even against the other team.”

On defense, the Broncos blueline follows under the leadership of senior captain Joey Grams. Last season, Grams put up four goals and five assists as the highest-scoring defenseman on the team. Dawning the “C” in his final year, the son of the head coach motivates the Broncos not only as a veteran defenseman, but also as an uplifting leader.

“I have definitely a lot more responsibility this season. I have to lead the team by example and it’s a great privilege,” the captain said.

Joey does not do it alone on defense. His counterparts provide a swift and stonewall support to the Brophy blueline.

Defensemen Brendan Hoogesteger and Connor Hill are dynamic two-way threats who poise as sturdy staples when protecting the goal. The backend of the Broncos defense lacks speed and skill, yet it demonstrates focus and perseverance through each shift.

Goaltenders Benjamin Shouten and Nathan Mazur look to earn a fair share of ice time. The two netminders combined for a 3.50 goals against average and a .886 save percentage in the pre-season tournament.

Recording a shutout against Desert Mountain earlier in the tournament, Shouten hopes to maintain quick reflexes and a sharp mindset as he defends the Brophy goal.

“I try to keep my cool, stay calm and not get worked up,” the senior goaltender said. “Being a goalie is a tough mental game and it all goes back down to that.”

With a successful pre-season tournament in the books and a fresh start to the season ahead of them, the Broncos look forward to competing at their highest level with ambitions of winning the state championship for the first time in school history.