Biddeford captains Suzette Lamoureux (left) and Taylor Turgeon during warmups Monday in Biddeford.
Entering the season, there was a noticeable rise in freshmen and drop in seniors. As one might expect, there has been a bit of a learning curve so far, especially considering many of the newcomers have just starting playing hockey.
According to coach Ashley Potvin, the focus will be on the development of these young players.
“We are a really young team this year, we only have two seniors and a handful of juniors so this year we are really going to be focused on our overall development,” said Potvin.
So far things have gone according to plan. After a slow 0-2 start, the Tigers were able to earn their first victory over the weekend against Portland/Deering.
Although it was not part of the original plan, many of the freshmen have already earned Potvin’s trust and have made an impact early on.
“We have seen some of the freshman get action in varsity games which we were not planning, but they have really stepped up and done a fantastic job so far. We are going to need that going forward,” said Potvin.
Captains Taylor Turgeon and Suzette Lamoureux have been pleased with the younger girls’ performance, stating that the improvement since day one has been evident.
“Compared to day one you can already tell they are better. They have been getting better with skating, stopping, taking shots. We already have had a freshman start, everyone is better since the first day,” said Lamoureux.
The two captains believe that Potvin’s presence has played a major role in the development of these young players, and have also helped their progress over the last few years.
“She (Potvin) has been here since we were freshman so it’s been fun playing for her; she has really helped everyone this year. She’s tough, but she’s a great coach and she pushes us,” said Turgeon.
There is an undeniable sense of optimism throughout the team, and Potvin believes that consistency will determine their success.
“It’s going to be about development and consistency. We already have faced some adversity with injuries and illnesses and our players have managed to get through it, that’s the way it’s going to be moving forward so as a team I think consistency is the key,” said Potvin.
The two captains also believe things are looking up for this team moving forward.
“We’re a young team so the games have not gone very well so far, but overall things look good. I think things look promising, we have been getting better each and every day,” said Turgeon.
Lamoureax believes that effort will also be an important element in the development process.
“I think as a long as we keep trying and playing hard we will get the end result we want. Some games will be tougher than others, but we will be good,” said. Lamoureux.
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