Getting cut is the harshest lesson for a potential high school hockey player.

After years of playing traveling hockey, you’re suddenly told that you’re not good enough to make that final step. It’s enough to make most players hang up their skates for good.

As sophomores in the Wayzata High School program, Brock Sorenson and Alec Waszczenko received the dreaded pink slip from former coach Carl Davis.

Not only were they not on the varsity roster, but there was no room on the junior varsity either.

“There were about three sets of cuts,” recalled Waszczenko. “I got cut in the first one. I was pretty disappointed because I had some expectations.”

Current Trojans’ coach Pat O’Leary, who was an assistant under Davis at the time, encouraged the pair to not give up on their dream, no matter what had happened during their first varsity tryout. He wanted both to play Junior Gold hockey.