SWAMPSCOTT — Coaches often rave about their coveted four-year varsity players because it’s not often that an athlete excels at that level throughout an entire high school career. When they come in as freshmen, they require coaching and improvement, but as they gain experience they grow into all-stars. Such is the story of Swampscott senior goalie Dan Johnson’s varsity hockey career.
Johnson, a four-year starter for the Big Blue boys hockey team, took on a big role as Swampscott’s starting goalie as a freshman. Over the past three years, he’s gained the necessary skill set and experience to become one of the top goalies in the Northeastern Conference.
“First and foremost it’s his competitiveness,” Swampscott coach Gino Faia said. “Dan’s a real competitor. He loves to compete. He gets better and better with his skill set each season. We have a young team this year, so he’s seeing a lot of pucks but he continues to get better. He’s the anchor of our team.”
A two-time NEC All-Star, Johnson checks off a major box for Faia and the Big Blue. For most hockey coaches, building a winning team begins with having a reliable goaltender.
“Goalie’s one of the biggest positions on the team,” Faia said. “If you have a solid goalie, you always have a chance to win. That’s what Dan does for us. He has the ability to steal you a few games because he’s such a good goalie.”
Joining the varsity team as a freshman with limited experience presented no shortage of challenges for Johnson, who also plays soccer and tennis at Swampscott. Over the past three years, Johnson has learned the ins and outs of goaltending while building confidence.
“The experience helps a lot,” Johnson said. “Once you’ve been playing so much you know what to expect. You learn to cope with different situations. If I let in a soft goal or if we’re down in a game, I tend to stay more patient than I did as a freshman.”
Coming into his senior season, Johnson had his sights set on leading the Big Blue to a state tournament run. Swampscott rose to the top of the NEC standings last winter and earned the No. 1 seed in the Division 3 North bracket. In a disappointing loss, the Big Blue were bounced in the quarter final by No. 9 Lowell.
“We still talk about that game,” Johnson said. “If we need motivation we pull out the video from that game. We want to work harder so we can work our way by that. It definitely still lives on with us as a team.”
In order to get back to the state tournament, Johnson believes the Big Blue will need to adapt to a game-by-game approach. Instead of thinking about bringing home a banner, Swampscott aims to keep its focus on the next opponent on the schedule.
“We just have to take it one game at a time,” Johnson said. “Last year, we thought we were a state championship team, and we probably were. We thought we were going to blow past Lowell and we didn’t. This year we’re taking it game by game and hopefully we go deep in the state tournament.”
Johnson also made it a priority to make improvements on his game as a goalie. He credited Swampscott assistant coach J.J. Doherty, who works with the team’s goaltenders, for working closely with him throughout his career.
“Coach Doherty has been a huge help,” Johnson said. “The commitment he gives to the program is really special. He’s always helping me get better. He has helped me progressed to get to where I am today.
“The biggest thing is the mentality, staying in the game,” Johnson added. “I’ve improved on that the most. We lost a couple guys from last season so that’s important. I also put on a little bit of size, which helps.”
In addition to keeping his net clean and holding opponents off the scoreboard, Swampscott looks to Johnson for his leadership abilities. Prior to the start of the season he was voted a team captain by his teammates. Johnson also serves as captain of the soccer and tennis teams.
“It’s a huge honor to me, as well as the other captains,” Johnson said. “We’re taking it as serious as it can get. It’s special. It’s one of the biggest accomplishments for me, knowing that my teammates voted me to be a captain. It’s an honor to know that my teammates trust me.”
Through eight games, Johnson and the Big Blue are 3-2-3 this season.
“We’re just now starting to get our full team,” Johnson said. “We’ve had some guys in and out through the first five games. We’re still building chemistry and getting our guys in shape. We’re going to need that because we have to start pulling out some wins.”
Johnson and the Big Blue are back on the ice on Wednesday night (7:30) when they host Beverly at Salem State’s Rockett Arena.