Cardinal Mooney hockey player leads fleet of Admirals

Patrick Kenefick didn’t choose his club hockey team based on its name, but it fits him perfectly.

The Cardinal Mooney senior plays for the Manatee Admirals of the Lightning High School Hockey League. An admiral, or a high-ranking naval leader, represents Kenefick well for a few reasons. Two are purely hockey related: Kenefick is the captain of the league-leading squad and was tied for the league lead in points (47) as of Dec. 13.

Kenefick, who also plays lacrosse for the Cougars in the spring, has never been much of a showman. He just wants the team to do as well as possible, he said, no matter how many points he racks up himself. An assist lifts his spirits more than a goal. On Dec. 15, Senior Night against West Manatee, it was his and the team's aim to get each senior at least one point. They succeeded, and won 8-0. 

He remembers last season’s final game all too well because he feels the team didn’t reach its potential. The Admirals lost 6-1 to Wiregrass Ranch on Feb. 21. Kenefick saw the seniors on that team leave the ice with tear streaks on their cheeks. He doesn’t want to put himself, or his teammates, through the agony of losing their final high school game.

This year, Kenefick took it upon himself to change the Admirals’ culture.

“We’re working on more systematic play,” Kenefick said. “Before, we were just having fun. Now we’re putting work into it, doing the best we can do.”

It’s all about attitude. In the past, if the Admirals fell behind a goal, the team would be crestfallen. Now, a feeling of “We’re going to get the next one” pervades the bench.

He’s led them to a 17-2 record, and the team has scored the most goals in the LHSHL. 

The other reason the Admirals are the perfect team for Kenefick? It’s been a lifelong dream of his to attend a service academy, particularly the United States Naval Academy. He wants to give back to the country that has given him so much, he said. In the future, he hopes to be a naval aviator. No matter where Kenefick goes next fall, he’ll be playing hockey, whether it’s on an NCAA or club team, he said. He can’t imagine living life without it.

“We’re working on more systematic play,” Kenefick said. “Before, we were just having fun. Now we’re putting work into it, doing the best we can do.”

In another state, a performance like Kenefick’s would be good enough to get him collegiate scholarship offers. He’s in Florida, though, and that means most colleges don’t even know he exists.

It’s a disadvantage, Kenefick said, but that's life. He hopes the tide of hockey recruiting will change and teams will stop overlooking Florida. Brothers Michael and Nick Pastujov, from Bradenton, are currently a freshman and senior at the University of Michigan, and Andrew Peeke, of Parkland, is a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame. It’s not a lot of Florida representation at big-time programs, but it’s a start.

For now, Kenefick is focused on the Admirals. He may not have control over his recruitment, but he has it over his play, and that's enough to keep him satisfied. 

"I'm physically in the best shape of my life," Kenefick said. "I love hockey. I just want to get better."