A player in a blue jersey gains possession of the puck along the left boards, drawing pressure from two defenders. He threads a pass to his teammate streaking down the right wing, uncontested. The winger winds up and fires a slap shot into the upper-right corner of the net.
Goal scorer Connor Vance (‘28) then circles back towards his own goal, celebrating with his teammates.
Connor loves ice hockey and has played the game for most of his life — and he is among the few students at Bishop’s who play, including Theron Shultz (‘27) and Dominic Anello (‘29).
Bishop’s itself does not have an ice hockey team, so the players, along with those from other schools in San Diego, funnel into one team organized by La Jolla Country Day School, according to Connor. The team, known as the Torreys, practices at the Westfield UTC mall and plays games against other schools in the region every Saturday in Anaheim.
This season, the Torreys’ Varsity team has a 2-10 record, but is still ranked as California’s 25th best team out of 50 high school teams, according to MYHockeyRankings (MHR). In Division Two, they are ranked 15th out of 21 teams.
Most ice hockey players at Bishop’s were introduced to the game at a young age. Theron’s dad grew up in Buffalo, New York, where ice hockey is especially popular, and introduced the sport to him. Dominic grew up in Virginia, where the game is also popular. “I saw people playing, and I told my parents I wanted to play. I got into it and developed a love for the game,” he explained.
Connor’s career began at age five years old because, he said, “I was always dragged along when my sister was ice skating with her friends. And I was just sitting there, and I wanted to do something, but I thought ice skating was too girly, so I just decided to play [ice hockey].”
The Torreys practice on the ice seven times a week, along with weekly strength training and film sessions to review video of their opponents. However, despite the players’ commitment, Dominic explained, “ice hockey deserves a lot more attention.” Theron added, “It’s different. When I’m playing baseball, it’s a whole school thing,” and said, “It would be cool to have the school-sport feeling.”
The desire for a feeling of school community in ice hockey also drove Dominic to wish Bishop’s had an ice hockey team. Although made challenging by small school size and the lack of an ice rink, playing the sport for school would “create a tight-knit group of guys,” he said. He added, “Also, if you played on the team, you’d meet a bunch of friends.”
However, all three players also agreed they enjoy playing for a team with athletes from many schools. Connor explained, “It’s nice to see some other faces outside of Bishop’s,” adding, “I’m glad we go to different schools for some new scenery.”
Playing ice hockey requires toughness. Connor said that he gets “a good number of bruises after every match and sometimes after practice.” “The intensity is really just how much you’re looking for,” Theron said. “If you’re a skilled player, you can largely avoid contact. But if you like to get physical, then you can go and create contact.”
Connor portrayed himself as a more skillful player. “I feel like my vision and hockey IQ stand out,” he explained, and Theron echoed this, saying, “[Connor] knows how not to get killed out there.”
In describing his own skill set, Theron said, “I used to be pretty technical, but I realized if I wanted to survive in high school hockey, I would have to be more physical.” Dominic highlighted his own strengths as physicality and speed.
Although the physicality would scare most people away, Connor, Theron, and Dominic have learned to play through the pain. After taking a hard check, Theron said, “You can either hop off the ice and onto the bench quickly if you’re feeling bad, or you just have to play through it.”
As Connor concluded, “Aggressiveness is just a trade-off of the sport. And so because I love playing hockey so much, I can deal with all the pain of it.”
Fighting, although against the rules, is also an undeniable element of ice hockey. Theron explained, “We had big guys on our team, and they would get into fights like every other game.” But personally, Theron said, “I’ve only been in one.”
However, while not seeking out fights, Connor and Dominic are willing to get involved to back up their teammates. Dominic, unfazed, described the conflicts on the ice as “little brawls.” Connor said, “I usually try to stay out of fights, but if it comes to a point where I have to get in a fight, I won’t hesitate.” So far, fortunately, all three players still have all their teeth.
Connor, Theron, and Dominic admitted that sometimes they do get intimidated on the ice. Connor said that he recently played against twins who were six foot three and 250 pounds each. In facing frightening players, Connor explained, “You have to just analyze if they have a weakness or not. And if they do, then exploit that. That way it doesn’t become as scary.”
Connor said, “My favorite memory is honestly just spending time with my friends. I remember winning a championship in Vegas, and getting to share that with my friends was so much fun.” Dominic remembered traveling to Quebec, Canada, the birthplace of ice hockey, for a tournament. Despite the intense competition, “We played well,” he explained. “ I missed two weeks of school,” he added, “but it was really fun.”
Looking towards the future, Theron said, “I’d like to play in college, either recreationally or with the school.” Dominic also had aspirations to play collegiate ice hockey and potentially professionally. Connor explained, “I don’t know if I want [hockey] to take me anywhere. I’m just doing it because I love to play.”
At Bishop’s you might not see bruises, hear blades cutting across the ice, or feel the chill of the rink. But Connor, Theron, and Dominic continue to show up anyway, showcasing their commitment, resilience, and heart. For them, it’s not only the destination of their ice hockey journey that matters, but also their love for the game.
