Over the years, Cory Croll and his senior teammates have experienced their share of success in the Northampton hockey program in the Lehigh Valley Scholastic Hockey League (LVSHL). Lately though, the Kids have been on the other side.

With their 11-2 loss to Parkland last Friday night, the Kids remained winless in four games (0-3-1). They have been in a freefall after a 5-0 start and now are in a battle for a playoff spot.

The Kids will begin the week with an overall 6-4-1 mark, behind Parkland and Phillipsburg.

"We made a lot of mistakes against Parkland and we didn't play the way we are capable of playing," said Croll. "It was pretty rough and we have to turn things around.

"We seniors have worked too hard to have our season end on a bad note." Croll acknowledges that he and his teammates know the differences between the start of the season and their recent downward swing.

"We came out playing so hard at the beginning of the season," Croll noted. "We have been coming out thinking we are going to win without trying. We now know we have to start working like we did. "We just have to put forth the effort."

Croll, who has been a standout in the Kids' football program, began playing the sport in third grade, mainly due to the encouragement of friend Andrew Bartholomew. Currently on the backline for the Kids, Croll's younger brother, Chris, is among the team's leading scorers with seven goals.

"I had been playing football, but my friend got me hooked," said Croll. "All of my friends started playing. I started playing as a winger, but then the coaches switched me to defense. I liked playing defense better because it gave me a chance to be physical."

Coach Brian Ruff likes Croll's work ethic.

"He is one of our hardest workers," said Ruff. "Cory has worked on his game and we have seen improvements over the years. He wants to go out winning another championship, and he will certainly do his part."

Croll plans to pursue his football career as well as a degree in either criminal justice or business. Croll is mulling over some Division III football offers and he also has been accepted at Penn State.

Croll hasn't ruled out playing hockey.

"Oh, yeah, I'll keep playing as long and much as I can," said Croll. "There is no doubt. I'll look for opportunities to play.

"Over the years, I have been busy with both football and hockey. If I have some time, I like to go fishing and hunting.

"We certainly can turn this around," Croll added. "We may not have the best players, but we have a group who works hard and plays Northampton hockey."

We know we have a rough road, but we want to get back to the playoffs."