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The Greenwich High School boys hockey team continued to struggle on Saturday evening, receiving a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of a dominating New Canaan team. But the score hardly mattered. The presence of the three Macken brothers at the Darien Ice Rink was enough of a victory for the Cardinals.
Craig, Eric, and Paul Macken returned to the ice for Greenwich just four days after their older brother, Brian, died at Indiana University. Craig, a senior, who spoke on behalf of his brothers, said it was a relief to put on his skates and a much-needed return to some semblance normalcy.
"My brothers and I were at the hospital for almost a week and we wanted to clear our heads somewhat after what happened. It was really good for us to get back to hockey," Craig said. "It has been really hard, but everyone has been so supportive. A lot of the guys have been stopping by the house and sending text messages. It's nice to know people care so much about my family and my brother."
Greenwich head coach Bob Russel said he was comforted that the brothers wanted to return to the ice so badly.
"When something like this happens your prayers go from [Brian] to the family," Russel said. "I know the Mackens very well, so to see the boys out and wanting to play is a great feeling. It didn't even matter if they played well tonight or not, but they did. Just listening to their conversations before the game I can tell they're ready to start to mentally move on."
All three brothers contributed on the ice, with Eric getting most of Greenwich's shots on goal. Craig and Paul also provided some scoring chances for the Cardinals.
Russel said he was close to Brian Macken, who graduated from GHS in 2009, calling him a great contributor to the team in the time that he played.
"Brian was a very upbeat and energetic player," Russel said. "He jumped right in, even as a sophomore, and was part of a great core of kids."
"Brian stopped by the rink just a few weeks ago and I got a chance to say hi to him. I would have loved to have told him how much he meant to me when he was a part of the team. Always say those things when you have a chance, because stuff happens."
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