In this Wolf Pack, 'Will Beats Skill'

Mark your calendar: The Wolves take the ice for their last home game Feb. 4 at 8:30 p.m., at . Admission is free. 

Where there's a will, there's a way to develop skill, said Wolves hockey head coach Jim Sullivan. That's why the local high school hockey club accepts players of all skill levels. 

This year, they even had a few who had never played before. It didn't matter, Sullivan said. The players wanted to learn.

"We develop. That's our main goal," Sullivan said. "Development, and teaching the love of the game."

Sullivan is succeeding in both. The team takes the ice as a strong unit—and that flows off the ice, too. The group not only skates together, they help together. In December they collected donations for Toys for Tots, then hand-delivered them to Hope Children's Hospital. They also contributed to a former Lyons Township hockey player who lost both legs in war.

"Hockey's a very tight-knit community. Everybody looks out for each other," Sullivan said. "That's just the way the sport is."

The 15 players come from , , Argo, Morgan Park Academy and the Chicago Academy of Advanced Technology. They range in age from freshmen in high school, through seniors. One OFHS girl, Kate Janz, also plays for the team. Though they lack a common school, their team spirit is strong. 

"They all come together, they all work together and learn from each other," saidMartina Modracek, mother of Filip, the team's left defense man. 

"We have been in a few different organizations, and this is the most family-oriented, and the kids become friends. We feel really comfortable here. That's what it's all about."

For team captain Cameron Sullivan, Homewood-Flossmoor ice arena is like a second home, and his teammates are like family. 

"I'm glad everyone gets along," Cameron said. "It's a family environment." 

The senior at has been playing with the Wolves since his sophomore year. The club gives local players a chance to hone their skills, he said.

"We're all trying hard, we're all hustling," he said. 

The team atmosphere is a strong draw for local hockey players with no place to play, Sullivan said—or those who have graduated from high school and moved on from the club. 

Scott Austin, 19, skates with the team as a mentor, and to stay in shape. He looks back on his time with the Wolves as a learning experience. Austin knew little about hockey when he started with the club, but moved up the levels to become captain by his senior year.

"It was always really laidback, everyone was welcome," Austin said.

For Argo High School junior Filip Modracek to play with the Wolves, his parents drive 40 minutes each way from Summit. They attend every practice and game. 

"We love it here because of the people, and all the kids," she said. 

The team plays 20 games each season—which includes 5 exhibition games. Their last home game is Feb. 4. 

They will also host a Skate with the Wolves event, at H-F ice arena, at 8:30 p.m. on March 3. Anyone is welcome to skate with the team.