Rutland Herald Sports Guide Winter 2018/2019 | Page 19

Rutland Herald Winter Sports Guide 2018-2019 Hockey Preview Continued Wideawake, Taylor Surething and Alexis Patterson are the other returning players. The Raiders’ new forwards are Elise Lind- stone, Molly Abatiell, Tessa McLaughlin, Sydney Wood and Isabel Crossman while Steupert plans to use Abigail Stoodley and Alyssa Kennedy at forward and defense. “I have asked some of them to do two things because my job is to put the best, hard-work- ing players out there,” Steupert said. The Raiders have their fi rst scrimmage on Monday (Dec. 10) at Stowe and will open the season at home next Saturday at 4 p.m. against Hartford. Katherine Pate, a four-year player at the Uni- versity of Vermont, is Steupert’s new assistant and he feels blessed to have her on board. “She’s done an outstanding job,” Steupert said. Coincidentally, she is charged with helping Steupert get the Raiders back to the fi nals at her old ice sheet at Gutterson Fieldhouse. But that’s not really on the radar just yet. “My thing is because of the big freshmen class is they have to be comfortable with the team,” Steupert said. “We’re taking one game at a time. I just want them to get better from day one to the end.” [email protected] Rutland High’s Ben Simpson in action during a recent practice in Spartan Arena. ALBERT J. MARRO / STAFF PHOTO 285$8',(1&(,6:$,7,1* 72+($5$%287<285 (9(17 3$571(5:,7+