'They're my brothers:' Altoona youth hockey team preparing to compete for national title

ALTOONA, Pa. (WJAC) — After winning a state championship, one local youth hockey team is now looking to become national champions next month.

In their first year of being able to compete for a state championship, the Mid-State Mustangs took home gold in Pennsylvania, and now they will go on to compete for a national championship in April.

In early March, the Mid-State Mustangs 14U hockey team won the Mid-Am Pennsylvania State Championship in Pittsburgh.

The team practices at Galactic Ice rink in Altoona, and has been training since June, but many of them have competed together for multiple years now.

"It's just such a great feeling that after all those years of hard work, we were just able to win the state championship, and now we can go play nationals. 14U is the first year that teams can compete for nationals. So doing that in our first year is really cool,” said goaltender Ryan Lombardo.

Coach Derek Matthews has been coaching the team since 12U and he says reaching this point is what the team envisioned at the beginning of the season.

“At the beginning of the year, we just had this dream to get it done and make the national tournament. Our ultimate goal is to win the national championship. So, it's a lot of work, but the kids gave it their all, and we're in a great position to be state champs, which is a crazy feeling. And we hope that the dream isn't over,” Coach Matthews said.

The team is now getting ready to compete just outside of Buffalo in Amherst, New York.

Left winger Cole Lucas says hours of practicing towards this goal has made him see his teammates as brothers.

“There are some guys on the team, when I first came here, that I didn't even know at the time, but once I got to know them, they're like my best friends now. They're my brothers. I'd take a bullet for them. I would do anything for them. Yeah, it's special.”

The Mustangs will compete in Amherst in the first week of April, hoping to bring a national trophy back to Altoona.

If the Mustangs go on to win the national title, it will be their fourth championship in program history.

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