The Auburn boys hockey team has all the right moves, it's just a matter of putting it all together and keeping it there.

“We have depth, talent and loads of potential,” Auburn coach Mike Lowe said. “We can do everything well, it's just a matter of doing it consistently.”

With a majority of the team juniors and seniors with plenty of experience, Lowe said they all know how to play at a high level, it's just a matter of focus.

That focus is something that Lowe said will be crucial to their fate as a Section III, Division I team, with a lot of talent to face on the schedule.

“We have to take it game by game,” Lowe said. “We have as good a schedule as anyone in the state, which will help us in the long run because we compete in the toughest league in the state. The schedule makes it hard for us to keep focus, motivation and not get discouraged.”

While the Maroons have struggled to a 2-6 start, Lowe said that it's easy for teams to underestimate them.

“We may be 2-6 but we beat two powerhouses and our losses have come against some top teams,” Lowe said. “We try not to play score bingo. We are a much better team than our record shows. We can play all ends of the ice, we just have to stay focused.”

Auburn beat Shenendehowa 7-2 on Nov. 29 and took down Canton 5-1 Dec. 5.

One team that they will have to keep their focus on is Oswego, today's opponent. The game begins at 6 p.m. at Casey Park.

Lowe said that he knows some of the things that Oswego does year after year and the Maroons are concentrating more on their own game rather than that of the Buccaneers.

“We need to play consistent, concentrate on that and play smart, disciplined hockey,” Lowe said. “This is a big game for us, a league game at home and we definitely need a win here.”

The main goal for the Maroons this season is make the playoffs.

“It is not an easy achievement,” Lowe said. “We have a lot of skill though, and some really talented kids that can put the puck in the net.”

With so much talent on the squad, Lowe said that his main problem every game is trying to find time to get all the players on the ice. But it's a problem any coach would love to have.

“We have such a great amount of depth on this team,” Lowe said. “There is a lot of experienced players and a lot of returnees from last year, plus a few new kids with promise.”

The Maroons' leading scorers are Reggie Townsend with 10 goals and one assist, Matt Festa with eight goals and six assists, Andrew Chadderdon with scored seven goals and three assists and Connor Entenmann with five goals and five assists. Defensively, Steve Komanecky has posted 154 saves while allowing 23 goals.

The new players for Auburn are Logan Jones, Brendan King, Connor Davenport, Kyle Hlywa, Jeremy Marginsky and Ryan Lefevre.

Lowe said that another problem the team has been facing recently is one that he's been lucky to avoid the previous few years - injuries.

“Injuries have been a problem this year so far,” Lowe said. “We have had a few kids getting bumped up and we really need to stay healthy, so that's another thing we need to work on.”

Improving is the focus of the Maroons at every practice, where Lowe said they always focus on the game ahead and not much else.

“At practice we talk about the upcoming game, staying consistent, preparation, discipline, penalties and just refining what they already know,” Lowe said. “The more we talk about it, it will pay dividends. We have the depth, talent and potential we just need to rack up more wins. They are working hard every day to improve so we are definitely not a team to be ignored or underestimated.”