WEBSTER GROVES — Webster Groves High senior Ethan Keane is looking forward to hockey practice again.

Winning has a way of improving the practice atmosphere, and Webster has done plenty of that. 

“Everybody is happy to show up here instead of like recent years where it feels like some sometimes you don't want to come,” Keane said. “This year, we all want to be here. We all want to work hard. We all want to achieve the same goal at the end of the year, which is winning state.”

The Statesmen earned a 7-0 victory Tuesday against Clayton in a Mid-States Club Hockey Association Central Division game at Webster Ice Arena

Webster Groves improved to 6-0, its best start since it was 5-0 to kick off the 2002-03 season.

That team lost in the Challenge Cup semifinals. First-year Webster coach Tim Keenan was a forward for Webster and was a senior on the 2001-02 squad.

“We knew we had a good group, but the attitude needed to improve around what their goals are and keeping them focused,” Keenan said. “We also restarted some things that I did when I played on this team, which I thought helped a lot with team bonding.”

One of those things are team dinners. There also is a horn that sounds when Webster scores and a vocal student section.

“We've got we've got a nice big posse this year,” Webster senior Brayden Mackie said. “We got people that show up to cheer for us. It's like a whole different environment around here. We got the horn. We got music, it's just fun.”

Webster already has matched last season’s win total before the calendar flipped to December.

“The way practices are, there’s much more intensity and a lot of different drills we're running and we're running more plays in practice, which I like a lot,” Webster senior Max Boland said.

Keane scored twice and had a pair of assists, and Boland also netted a pair of goals Tuesday. Avery Lang had a goal and an assist, and Daniel Leahy and Kyle Mager also scored. Mackie made 16 saves for his first shutout of the season.

Aoife Mahoney made 26 saves for Clayton (1-6-1).

Webster had the lone goal of a wide open first period as Boland put home a rebound off a Keane shot just 87 seconds into the game.
Each goalie stood tall as the teams combined for 21 shots in the opening frame.

Mahoney kept Clayton in it early as the Statesmen had the first five shots of the game on net.

Clayton got its forecheck going after the slow start, but Mackie wouldn’t let the Webster lead slip away, making saves on point blank chances from Clayton’s Owen Williams and Blake Feinstein.

“I'm pretty used to a slow start for us,” Mackie said. “I wasn't too worried. I know my boys normally get it going in second or third period.”

Webster kept Mahoney busy in the second period, outshooting Clayton 15-3.

Leahy made it 2-0 Statesmen, poking home a loose puck amid a scrum in front of the net just 19 seconds into the second period.

Keane gave Webster a three-goal lead with 6:42 left in the second, cleaning up the rebound off a Thomas Leahy shot.

Keane made it 4-0 Statesmen, chipping in his fifth of the season with 14 seconds left in the second.

“They're very soul crushing to the other team,” Keane said of getting late goals. “I think it gives us some momentum moving into the next period.”

Mackie continued to dazzle with a sprawling save to rob Feinstein as the Clayton forward was unmarked at the side of the net late in the second.

Mager, Lang and Boland added third period goals as Webster put the game out of reach.

“That team does a lot of things the right way,” Clayton coach Cory Cannon said. “They keep the game simple. Hockey's not a very complicated sport. You get pucks out, you get them in deep, you get them on net, you're typically going to be successful, and they did that tonight. They're very well coached team.”

Webster hopes to make the winning ways commonplace.

“Just keep the positivity up,” Keenan said. “Keep working, stay focused, take it one game at a time. The attitude is great in the room and around the rink. It's really positive overall. If they keep that attitude up, we'll do great things.”