hockey

The Statesmen celebrate a goal during the 2023-24 season, encapsulating the team’s theme for the year, mudita, the Buddhist concept of joyfully celebrating others’ successes.

A Winning State of Mind

STORY BY MACKENZIE LARSEN ’12
PHOTOS BY KEVIN COLTON L.H.D. ’23 AND ADAM FARID ’20

Repeating a standout performance is never easy, especially in sports, but the Hobart hockey team came into the 2023-24 season with a better chance than most and a mindset to match. With 25 of 27 players returning after the team’s first ever national championship last season, the Statesmen embraced a philosophy this year that revolved around a shared joy and appreciation for one another’s achievements. With the concept introduced by Mason Family Hobart Head Hockey Coach Mark Taylor, this Buddhist-inspired outlook made certain that the team took time to enjoy each moment, win or lose (though mostly win), as they became the first team in the country to clinch back-to-back DIII men’s hockey titles in more than a decade.