Simsbury's Bantam A youth hockey team recently won the Tier II State Championship and clinched a spot at USA Hockey Nationals.
Simsbury defeated New Canaan in March to earn the chance to compete in the national tournament, which will take place in McKinney, Texas.
"I mean, you get to play against some of the best teams in the world," said Simsbury center Colby Wilhelm.
"It's more about the experience," added Simsbury goalie Mitchell Buckley. "It's fun to go and play hockey, a sport we all love. What makes it special is being with the guys, hanging out."
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
"There's good barbecue down there," said Simsbury defenseman Ming Wen Shen. "It's going to be fun."
Simsbury went undefeated, persevering through a season that was halted in the middle for two months due to the pandemic.
"It was definitely a lot different than a normal season, but we were able to work through it," said Simsbury defenseman Mason Buckley.
Local
"It would be amazing to win it all," said Simsbury defenseman Andrew Mikan. "That's the main goal going in but [we want to] just have fun."
The USA Hockey Nationals runs from April 29 to May 3.
