The moment of Jackson Fox’s MVP award winning performance against Marquette in the state finals last year as a sophomore, head coach Anthony Cappelletti knew that a special player was in the making that could withstand the pressure of the big stage.
Junior hockey players Jackson Fox and Joey Buzzetta will be headed to play hockey in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) for the end of this hockey season and next season in Fairbanks, Alaska, and Chippewa, Wisconsin.
“They’re always learning new things and wanting to learn,” Head hockey coach Anthony Cappelletti said. “If I tell them something to do, they don’t think twice, and they’ll go out there and do it to the best of their ability.”
Jackson Fox is playing for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, a team in the Midwest division of the NAHL where he is the youngest player on the team.
“I’ll definitely learn a lot from the guys on the team,” junior hockey player Jackson Fox said. “My ultimate goal is to commit to a D1 school.”
As a forward, Jackson Fox scored seven goals and eleven assists throughout the 2024-2025 season, ranking 10th all time in total points scored for the school’s hockey team with 33.
“He’s a power forward type player, he’s a big, strong kid,” Cappelletti said. “He’s got a great shot and hockey skills, so that’ll help him move onto the next level.”
Jackson Fox and Joey Buzzetta have both contributed to 3 total state titles, winning their first one as freshman on varsity. In 2024, as a sophomore, Jackson Fox was awarded the MVP of the state championship game against Marquette.
“They’ve both emerged as leaders and become more and more confident on the ice,” Cappelletti said. “They’ve shown the younger guys that you can play both club hockey and high school hockey and develop your skills in both ways.”
Joey Buzzetta led all defensemen in goals for the school’s team this season with four goals and five assists. He was originally recruited to play for the Chippewa Steal in nationals in April of last year while playing for the Saint Louis Blues U18 team.
“He’s developed as a guy who’s almost impossible to beat one-on-one,” Cappelletti said. “He’s one of the biggest competitors we had on our team.”
Joey Buzzetta is heading to Chippewa, Wisconsin to play for the Chippewa Steel, a team that plays in the same Midwest division of the NAHL as the Fairbanks Ice Dogs.
“My biggest challenge will be getting used to the pace of the Juniors and making smarter plays,” Buzzetta said. “If I have a bad shift, I just need to forget and have a better one.”
Fox and Buzzetta have already begun playing for their NAHL teams, with Fox playing three games and scoring a goal and Buzzetta having played in five.
“My advice for them is to not change the way they play and try to do things they’re not,” Cappelletti said. “Just do what they can do and they’ll be more than successful.”
