WENATCHEE, Wash. - Even on the days where the scoreboard wasn't too exciting to look at, Wenatchee Wild Hockey Academy 14-and-Under head coach Jarrod Boman knew there was progress being made during the 2024-25 season, and so did the players under his leadership.

Wenatchee wrapped up this past season with nine wins in Boman's first year as the program's 14U head coach, with five wins coming just between Thanksgiving and New Year's, and three more in the last week of January. The schedule saw the group make several trips to Canada, including to Calgary for a Canadian Sport School Hockey League showcase to close out the year, in addition to tournaments in Denver and Chicago early in the year.

"We've played some very, very tough teams," said Boman. "Overall, I think at the beginning of the season to the end of the season, [it's a] night and day difference. The team that we put out there at the beginning of the season is 100 percent not the team we put out there at the end. That's the overall goal - the score sheet is not the end-all, be-all. It's the growth and development - that's the main focus."

Alex Haglund scored more than a point per game for Wenatchee, notching 42 points in 38 games. His 22 goals and 20 assists also paced the team, while Mason Richardson came in close behind with 19 goals and 14 assists. Jack Rolland won six of the team's nine decisions in net. Many of Boman's players made the jump to a Tier I AAA program for the very first time this season. Many of this year's players will be looking to make the jump to the 15-Only level next season, or even to a 16U program.

"It's a huge jump," said Boman. "I have two players that started last season on Tier I and had some experience, but for the most part, guys were on their heels to begin with. The overall expectation, I think is the biggest shocker for them, and the biggest adaptation that they have to overcome. At Tier I, your expectation is huge - you show up, you're ready to compete, and you're giving it your all every time, at practice, off-ice, and during games. At A and AA hockey, you can take shifts off, and the expectation is not there as deeply as it is for Tier I. It's something to adjust to, but I think we've done pretty good at it, better than OK."

The Wenatchee Wild Hockey Academy announced earlier this month that Boman will return as the club's 14U head coach for the 2025-26 season, while assistant coach Spencer White has been promoted to the program's 15O coach for next season.