There is a difference in the Brunswick girls’ hockey practices from previous seasons. There is puck movement from the point to the forwards, and shots on goal.

“Our first two years we never worked on offense because we never were on offense,” Coach Bill Bodwell said.

So it’s no wonder that Bodwell occasionally stops during a conversation and says, “I’m really proud of them.”

Brunswick has progressed from a one-win wonder in 2009 — “we didn’t score a goal until our ninth game” — to three wins last season, to a contender this year with a four-game winning streak and 7-6-1 record.

Brunswick is one of those models of how girls’ hockey is supposed to be growing. The Dragons have gone from 13 players to 20 last year to 26 this season. They now have a junior varsity team.

With four wins in two years, winning couldn’t have been the attraction.

“As a coaching staff, we really try to stay positive and make it fun,” said Bodwell, who has had two assistants (Mark Wild and Ray Youmans) for all three seasons, and a third (former North Yarmouth Academy player Melody Coombs) join last year.

“The team was very tight that first year. We had a great time and word spread.”

Still, wins were slow in coming. After a season-opening victory against Yarmouth this year, the Dragons went 0-5-1.

Since then, Brunswick has won 6 of 7 games and sits in fourth place in the Heal point standings in the East region. The top four teams reach the playoffs, and Leavitt/Edward Little (6-5-1) is close behind in fifth.

Brunswick has four games left.

“We will probably have to win three of them,” Bodwell said. Two of those four games are against No. 2 Winslow and No. 3 Greely.

There are three reasons for Brunswick’s improvement.

One is experience. Three of the Dragons’ top players are juniors in their third year — forward Annie Kelly, and defensemen Suzannah Smith and Caroline Wild.

Reason No. 2 is commitment. Players practice longer if extra ice time can be found. Plus there are off-ice workouts. And players go to camps in the off-season.

Sophomore goalie Erin Gay learned how to skate last year. She’s worked hard on her craft. In Brunswick’s six recent wins, she carried a .900 save percentage and 1.50 goals-against average.

“Erin is pretty amazing,” Bodwell said. “She’s committed and her play has been a big part of this.”

The third key to success is young talent. Brunswick’s two leading scorers are freshman Jennfier Machin (10 goals, seven assists) and sophomore Rachel Moroney (13-5), who never before played organized hockey.

“(Moroney) never played more than a shift or two in our first couple of games,” Bodwell said. “I was reluctant to move her up. But I’ve never seen a player pick up the sport so quickly.”

In a recent game, Bodwell switched Moroney from wing to center. Before a faceoff, she skated to the bench.

“Coach, I don’t know how to faceoff,” she told Bodwell.

Bodwell, who has witnessed a hockey awakening at his school, smiled.

“Just do it. You’ll learn.”

GIRLS’ HOCKEY has just over two weeks left in its schedule. St. Dom’s, Winslow and Greely appear playoff-bound from the East.

In the West, Scarborough, York, Cheverus and Falmouth look to be the four postseason teams.

The Yachtsmen (6-7) have made quite a turnaround after a 1-6 start. Falmouth won five straight games before losing 1-0 in overtime to Greely on Monday.

The most anticipated game of the season is Monday, with St. Dom’s playing Scarborough at the University of Southern Maine arena.

IN BOYS’ HOCKEY, two unbeaten teams remain. Biddeford (6-0-2) is the established power in the West, while Lewiston (7-0-1) is cruising in the East.

The teams tied at the beginning of the year and don’t meet again until Feb. 16 in Lewiston.

Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or at:

kthomas@pressherald.com

 

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