Herndon Hockey – they do not have enough players from one school to field 3 lines, but they play well enough with 2 to fire up their fans ! The Washington Post Jeff Nelson’s article “Herndon Turns Things Around” tells the some of the story of this remarkable local team.

“Any program having a down season — or a down history, for that matter — can look to Herndon for proof that things can get better, no matter how bad they’ve been. The Hornets did not finish above .500 in their eight previous seasons as members of the Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League, but they are 6-1 and atop the North division entering tomorrow’s game against Loudoun Valley.

When it became apparent early in the season that the Hornets were good, the benefits of being competitive helped make them better. “Everyone tries a lot harder at practice because we know we’re not going to get slaughtered on Friday nights,” said Andrew Norman, the team captain and coach’s son. “We actually have something to play for.” Even if the Hornets don’t win their division, they are in a position to secure one of the league’s eight wild-card berths. “It’s definitely a lot more exciting,” Andrew Norman said. “We’ve got bigger crowds than ever and more fans throughout the school since we’re finally winning games this year.”

By Jeff Nelson, Special to The Washington Post, Thursday, January 22, 2009; E06