If this year’s dominant Whitman hockey team has sent one message, it’s that opponents would have an easier time skating in high heels than they would trying to find a weakness in the Vikings’ line rotation. While most high school teams in Maryland see a considerable drop-off from their first line of forwards to the next, this year’s squad has set itself apart with their exceptional depth. 

“In my three years on the team, I think this is the deepest team we’ve had,” says forward Daniel Berman, whose 22 points on the year are tied for second-most on the team. “We have three lines that can pretty much compete with any line in the state, so we don’t have to worry when any particular line is on the ice.”

Even the team’s scoring leader is impressed by the depth.

“Our depth is important because it allows us to play more lines than other teams, which keeps all our guys fresh,” says forward Lucas Karron.

While not one of the biggest squads in the Maryland Scholastic Hockey League (MSHL), Whitman rode its deep lineup, along with its superior speed and finesse, to a 10-1-0 league mark, the No. 1 seed in the Montgomery County regional playoffs and a Wednesday showdown with Wootton for the county title.

With their season-long success, which includes a staggering 111 goals for and eight against, the Vikings’ confidence is soaring.

“We feel that if we play our game we should win states,” Berman says. “Top to bottom, we think we’re the best team in the state.”

And indeed, the team has good reason to be confident. Beyond its goals for-goals against ratio, the Vikings handily disposed of their two biggest in-county rivals, Churchill and two-time defending state champion Wootton—who, until the loss to Whitman, had not lost a game in two years–during the regular season. Even better, the No. 1 seed allowed them to avoid going through the gauntlet of both Churchill and Wootton again.

Should they defeat Wootton, the Vikings would move on to the state tournament, which consists of the champions from each of four regions.

If they get there, Berman lists the toughest likely obstacles to a state title as Huntingtown, Glenelg and Linganore, three teams with just one loss between them. Still, players say, they can hold their own with any team in the state, as long as they don’t fall victim to old weaknesses.

“We don’t always stay as grounded as we should,” Karron says. “Sometimes we try to be a little too fancy with the puck.”

Berman noticed another psychological issue in the team’s sole defeat this year.

“Mental toughness,” Berman says. “We had one loss this year and it was to a team we should’ve beaten. We got down by a few goals and sort of fell apart in a game we should’ve won.”

With so much skill on the ice, Whitman is able to spread the wealth, which shows on the stat sheet. While Karron led the team with 24 points in the regular season, seven players were within eight points of the team lead. Four players—Karron, Berman, forward Aidan Neustadtl and defenseman Zach Wolfe—were above the 20-point mark, and six more had over ten.

With an impressive amount of scoring coming from young talent, there is reason to believe the team will remain a contender for years to come.  But because of this year’s depth, Berman thinks this could be the best mix for a while.

“This is the best chance to win we’ve had. We’ve had some good talent on the other teams, but none this deep,” Berman says. “We feel like this is our year.”