Better Together: Siblings Star For Severna Park Ice Hockey

Hockey is a game played six at a time. Three offensive forwards, two on defense and, of course, the goalie. Chemistry between these six players is important to win, and the Severna Park Falcons hockey team knows that.

No one person has the chemistry that siblings do. Brother and sister Pierce and Maya Brenner, along with sisters Elizabeth and Kristina Jones, experience that firsthand.

Pierce, a senior, and Maya, a freshman, have always loved playing hockey together, even if it was not on the same team. With Pierce playing as a forward and Maya as a goalie, competition has been at the forefront of their hockey career.

“Over the summer, she puts her goalie pads on, and I’ll take shots at her, it helps both of us,” Pierce said.

Pierce finished the year with 15 goals and 14 assists, while Maya compiled a record of four wins and one loss and even added one assist.

“I made a play with the puck … I didn’t even notice it, I just saw my dad cheering for me,” Maya said.

Even with them being at opposite ends of the ice, they both feed off each other’s feedback. That is something that they have over most other players. The understanding of what to say and when to say it is what makes playing with a brother or sister so advantageous.

“Having him on the ice means I get that really good support; we support each other all the time,” Maya said.

For seniors Elizabeth and Kristina Jones, playing together means a lot. Whether it is playing forward or defense, the Jones sisters just love going out on the ice and winning together.

“Whatever the coaches need, we can play both forward and defense,” Kristina said.

Elizabeth added, “We have that chemistry together and like playing with each other.”

While both players love the competition during games, it is in practice where they can sharpen their skills against the person who knows their tendencies best.

“The goal is always about having fun, no matter who you play with, that’s what we try to say to each other,” Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth finished the season with one goal and eight assists on offense, while Kristina added one goal from the defensive end.

Off the ice, mom Lori Jones loves watching both her girls and the team win. Being a parent of two players in different positions can seem difficult. But watching both her kids succeed on the ice makes it all worth it.

“It’s exciting to watch them play,” she said. “As their mom, I really enjoy watching them play on whatever team it is.”

The pairs of siblings compete on Severna Park’s Maryland State Hockey League (MSHL) team, which competes with other regional high schools in the MSHL Eastern conference. The Falcons finished 9-6-0 this season, a great outcome considering some early obstacles.

“Our normal ice rink in Bowie was getting renovated, so getting together to practice was difficult sometimes,” Pierce said.

Working with siblings can oftentimes be difficult. With how the Brenners and Joneses handled playing together during this past season, they showed that the people who know you best can also become your greatest teammates.