TOPSHAM — Team members and parents clapped and cheered Thursday after the School Administrative District 75 school board voted unanimously to change the status of the Eagles Girls Hockey Club to a high school varsity sport.
Eagles coach Ron Hutchins stood before the school board with half the members of the girls hockey club to make his presentation.
Hutchins said that when he went to Mt. Ararat High School in the late 1970’s, “There were two things about hockey. One was, they weren’t too smart,” he said of the players amid laughter. “And the other thing was, girls don’t play hockey. And, here I am here today with a group of young women that have proven me wrong. Most of these girls are on the honor roll and every single one of them can play hockey.”
Brooke Shea, the team’s captain for the past two years, told school board members, “I have watched myself and others come such a long way in the past couple of years.”
“Hockey has taught me to be more mature and pay more attention to detail,” Shea continued. “I believe it gives a young female more confidence for themselves and others. I know a group of females that will not play for the boys hockey team because of the checking and the lack of playing time. A varsity girls team puts us all on an equal playing surface.
“This team has meant so much to me,” Shea added. “I’ve met a lot of new girls and made some great friendships out of it. Watching a new teammate learn and progress into a hockey player is a great experience … I believe having a girls team will give more girls that don’t join in a winter sport, a fun and exciting new challenge.”
Hopefully, the end result is more girls trying out for the team.
Hutchins said there are many parents who helped make the club possible. One of those parents sent him a note, which read in part, “Having a separate girls ice hockey team gives an opportunity for girls to get real ice time and build their skills in the sport. Here’s a chance for girls to build teamwork and camaraderie with others, and additionally, it allows girls to develop a confidence and tenacity a physical sport like hockey brings without the drama and competition of combining the two sexes.”
Hutchins told the school board that “the opportunities at the college level for girls that can skate today, is phenomenal. There’s a lot of schools out there that are adding girls ice hockey as a varsity sport and they are scurrying everywhere they can to find girls that can skate.”
Hutchins also expressed concern that the team would start losing players to other schools that do have varsity girls teams. “We’re here to ask, not for money, but for status so that we can join the MPA (Maine Principals Association) and play some real hockey.”
Possible co-op?
Kim Totten, chair of the school board asked if there would be the possibility to have a co-op with Lisbon players as does the boys program.
Mt. Ararat High School athletic director Colin Roy, said this option hasn’t been explored yet, but added, “the potential could be there if that was something that was felt to be helpful and important and increase numbers as well.”
Hutchins said there are enough players to have a team next year based on what is coming up through Mid Coast Youth Hockey and the seventh and eighth-grade. “So, we know that for two years we have an opportunity to really go out there, try to promote the team and go after the middle school and get kids to play. Kids that play lacrosse, soccer — some of those more physical sports — they don’t have anything to do in the winter so this is a great opportunity for them,” Hutchins said.
Hutchins, in answer to a question by Superintendent Brad Smith, said only grades 9-12 would be eligible to play after the change so there are some students playing now who wouldn’t be able to play on a varsity team.
Hutchins said he serves on the Maine Girls’ Ice Hockey Association, which is looking at forming area teams. There would be a Topsham team for the purpose of development of girls hockey skills — rather than having a jayvee team when there aren’t enough players for that to be viable.
There were two girls playing on the boys varsity ice hockey team, Hutchins said, and Smith asked if they would still be able to play on the boy’s team.
“Once you develop a varsity women’s hockey program, then all girls must play in that program,” said Roy, according to MPA rules. The two girls were among the members who attended the school board meeting and indicated they are supportive of the move to a varsity team.
“I’ve watched some of our girls play on the varsity team this year,” Roy added. “The girls that play are highly skilled.”
Board member Scott McKernan broached the funding and budget implications and asked if there is any money from the school’s budget to support the team, which Hutchins said is currently 100 percent self- sufficient. Hutchins said the additional costs of being an MPA-sanctioned sport would only cost a couple thousand dollars more than what is raised now.
The girls’ club team was founded two years ago by Blair Shea and Hutchins, two parents and lifelong friends who wanted to provide their daughters and other girls the opportunity to play ice hockey in high school.
In the last two seasons the Eagles have played in 43 games with an overall record of 22-18-3. They have raised over $15,000 to pay for their insurance, ice time and jerseys.
Mt. Ararat will be the newest member of the Maine Principles Association (MPA) High School Hockey League and will now play other MPA teams such as Brunswick, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Scarborough, York, Lewiston, St. Dom’s, etc.
“This new status also comes with greater challenges both on and off the ice,” said Hutchins. “The girls wanted a more consistent and higher level of play. With that comes a big price tag.”
According to Hutchins, with school budgets being tight and no funding available, the girls will need to raise $14,000 to pay ice fees for games and practices, uniforms, referees, and provide their own transportation.
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