Deerfield’s Varsity Boys Hockey and Lacrosse Captain Lance Roberts ’25 has been commended by many coaches and teammates from both teams for his leadership and constant positivity.
Dean of Ethical and Spiritual Life and Philosophy and Religion Teacher Jan Flaska has coached Roberts both on the lacrosse turf and in the hockey rink. As the assistant coach for both teams Mr. Jan has been able to observe Roberts’ leadership as a whole, not just on one team.
Mr. Jan commented on Roberts’ personality, saying, “Lance is kind of a man of few words…He chooses his words wisely. I think he does not draw attention to himself, and I think he does his job.”
He recalled how Roberts’ displays leadership both on and off the rink. “Leadership, actually, it’s action. It’s off the ice, it’s in the locker room, it’s in the classroom, it’s at sit down meals,” he said. “I think the players look up to him in a way; he puts points on the board, but I don’t think that’s why. I think it’s the other stuff that’s not necessarily on the ice, that’s what allows him to derive value and leadership qualities.”
When asked about Roberts and his interactions with other players, Mr. Jan said, “Lance is certainly loved.” He further highlighted the fact that Roberts chose his locker in a position such that, instead of being next to many other returning seniors and upperclassmen, is next to newer members of the team. This locker choice has given him the opportunity to get closer to and get to know more of the younger players, helping create a closer team dynamic between all grades. Mr. Jan said about Roberts’, “He wants to reach out.”
Roberts commented on how, as a leader, he relies on his other two captains, Justin Tavares ’25 and Ryan Diffley ’25. He said, “We have a strong leadership group.”
Roberts also further highlighted that the hockey team’s successful performance thus far can be attributed to the multitude of seniors present on the team: “We have a lot of seniors this year ,and I think that leadership aspect has carried throughout the entire team…I think we’ve started off as a team really strong.”
According to Roberts, another factor contributing to the hockey team’s success with eight wins and three losses, is their close-knit community. When asked about any special traditions the team may have, Roberts commented that the team has not done anything differently than they have in past years but “[is] a lot closer than [they]’ve ever been.”
He attributed the team’s close bonds to many players living in nearby dorms, allowing them to hang out together outside of practice, team dinners, and staying in hotels together during preseason and tournaments. Roberst spoke to the team’s closeness, saying, “I feel like the hockey team is probably one of the closest teams I’ve ever been a part of.”
On another note, Roberts will be taking on the role of captain for the lacrosse team in the spring. He credits his co-captains Tavares and Will Wright ’25 to organizing many lacrosse captains’ practices. The three hosted captains’ practices on Sundays during the fall, and during the winter organized conditioning training at least once a week on top of the weekly captains practice on Tuesday. As a result, while Roberts has mainly been participating in hockey this winter, he has also continued to be involved with the lacrosse team.
After Deerfield, Roberts hopes to continue pursuing hockey by playing in the USA Junior Hockey Leagues (Juniors), a hockey league that high school students typically go to for one or two years after graduating to prepare for competition at a higher level (college or the National Hockey League). Roberts hopes to continue competing in hockey at the collegiate level.
