Sheridan Hawks Junior Hockey Team Start 2025-26 Season With Losses At Rapid City

The Sheridan Hawks Junior Hockey Team did not start the new season the way they wanted to this past weekend.

The team lost both games at Rapid City, by scores of 3-2 and 4-2.

Head Coach J.J. Santagata says the Hawks thought they were ready, and the opposition showed otherwise.

“Friday was just a complete lack of effort. Totally underestimated the team, just took everything for granted. We thought it was going to come easy. Just completely embarrassing. Hopefully that never happens again. Saturday I thought we bounced back pretty well. I thought we played a solid 2 1/2 periods. Some mental breakdowns, some really bad changes. It’s early in the season, we just can’t let it happen, can’t let points slip right now, so just got to regroup and have a good week right now.”

Coach says at this early juncture of the season, Sheridan is trying to figure out which groups of 5 work well together, and the sooner that the players figure that out, the better.

“With 15 returners, you’re trying to get through that learning period a little bit quicker, so hopefully by the end of this weekend, by the end of next maybe, we won’t really have to be testing things out anymore. We have 15 guys that are returning, they are all playing. We have 14 forwards, we have 1 goalie returner, so it really shouldn’t be a matter of gelling, it should be a matter of just doing your job.”

The Hawks play this coming Friday and Saturday at Gillette.

The puck drops both nights at 7:05pm.