After getting cut from the baseball team freshman and sophomore years, Sawyer Reithinger ’27 found an unexpected opportunity on the hockey team, soon becoming an integral part of the team.

Reithinger quickly became a key player on the hockey team. “Just this past weekend, he had a .96 save percentage over two games—stopping 48 of 50 shots,” Mrs. Stringer said.

Throughout his time at Brophy, Reithinger tried out multiple sports, such as football and track. However, he found his true passion when Mrs. Shelby Stringer, Assistant Junior Varsity Coach, recruited him for the hockey goaltender position.

Reithinger entered the sport with no prior skating experience, approaching it as an entirely new challenge. Learning the fundamentals of the position allowed him to “build myself up as a goalie from the ground up,” Reithinger said.

Mrs. Stringer remarked on Reithinger’s enthusiasm for hockey. “On the day of the open house, I asked him if he would play hockey for us, and just two days later, he introduced himself in class as a hockey player,” said Mrs. Stringer.

Even Reithinger’s family was skeptical about the shift.  

“They were definitely shocked,” said Reithinger.

However, it wasn’t an easy road to become a great player so quickly. His self-proclaimed biggest challenge was “learning all the fundamentals of being a goalie” and building himself up to a higher level.

“He watched the game, observed how others played, and had the will and desire to learn. Confidence in the net is huge, and he developed it quickly,” said Coach Mr. Steven Schillig ’15.

“I wanted to improve for myself and for my team,” said Reithinger. He showed up to practice every day and played tournaments with the team on weekends. 
With continued offseason training and plans to play full-time next year, Reithinger’s development in the net will be a key factor for the team moving forward.