Lincolnview boys excel on the ice

VW independent staff/submitted information

Ask any Lincolnview Lancer fan about their favorite sport and you’re likely to hear baseball, basketball, volleyball, cross country, softball, and so on, but that’s not the case for Lincolnview Elementary School students Dylan Rank and Wyatt Slusher.

The two recently competed in the CCM Nations Cup, which is a USA vs. Canada hockey tournament, held November 25-27 in Detroit, Michigan. Both boys represented Team USA and each won their respective age divisions over Canada.

Slusher, a fifth grader, loves the Tampa Bay Lightning and has been playing hockey for three years. His favorite part is spending time with his teammates.

“I became interested in hockey after I went to a Fort Wayne Komets game,” he explained.

He has traveled far and wide to pursue his favorite sport and dreams of playing in the NHL someday. Wyatt is right wing on his team and looks forward to his three hour practice sessions.

Rank, a fourth grader at Lincolnview Elementary, is his team’s goalie and has played for five years. He began playing hockey because he thought it would be fun. He cheers on the Columbus Blue Jackets. He especially enjoys skating outside at his house and the friends he’s made through the sport. Though he routinely quotes hockey stats for the entire NHL, his favorite player is Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzilkins.

“He moves quickly in the crease and is a really competitive player,” Rank shared.

In their spare time, the two boys are straight-A students and devoted to their friends and siblings, and it was noted they bring the teamwork they’ve learned on the ice to Lincolnview Elementary.