Unmatched and confident, the Hawthorne Sundevils roller hockey team goes into the 2013 season playoffs undefeated.

With a record of 14-0, the Sundevils are the top seed in the Senior Division. High hopes and confidence is what veteran player, Tyler Conlon, has for his team. “We have such great chemistry,” Conlon said. “The fact we have not yet lost shows that.” The squad has many players, just like Conlon, who have been playing roller hockey with Hawthorne for several years.

Ronald Schimmenti, another veteran starter, expects to finish strong. “This is mine and a lot of other player’s last year here with the Sundevils,” Schimmenti said. “What we would all love is to finish our Hawthorne career with one last championship under our skates.” Richard Grofsick, a first-year player and starter for the Sundevils, claimed, “This is my first year with this team, and I’ve loved every second of it.” Grofsick explained that the camaraderie between the teammates is what makes this squad special.

The Hawthorne Sundevils is a recreational roller hockey team in Hawthorne. Other players who do not have roller hockey in their town can play for Hawthorne. The Sundevils are not connected with Hawthorne High School, but the rink and the facilities that they use reside within the high school sport complex, next to the baseball and football fields. The roller hockey league that the team is in has three age group levels: midget, junior, and senior. The senior age group ranges from 15 to 18 years old. Ed Costello is the head coach for the Hawthorne Sundevils senior team. HHS students who play for the Senior Sundevils include, Ronald Schimmenti, Ian Cabello, John Castelvi, Tyler Conlon, and Richard Grofsick.