Girls Prep Hockey

[radicalride50]

I have to agree about Lawrence also. With the new coach, Laurie Baker, some great players, such as Kim McManus, whose sister plays at Brown, Maggie Joyce, Brittany Lamond, Bianca DeSantis, just to name a few. There goalie this year is only a freshman and very small.

I am not sure about the schools in Connecticut although I know that Choate has a very good goalie in Nichole Stark, who was at the National Goalie Camp.

Andover does not have a strong team, but O'Hara Shipe is another Goalie that went to the National Goalie Camp and if anyone watched her this weekend play in the Assabet tournament knows that she is excellent.

Tabor Academy has a couple of very good players in Sarah Feldman who just signed with Boston College. Liz Gallinaro
compliments Sarah. Tabor has an excellent goalie, Emily Ford,
who was a teamate at the National Goalie Camp with Nichole and O'Hara. She has excellent height at 5'8.

So let the season begin. Every year players just keep getting better and better!

[bauer7326]

Has anyone else heard about CT schools and how they are going to be? I'd be interested to see what people think about other schools in that CT/MA area, with the exception of Berkshire. Taft? Hotchkiss? Loomis? They always seem to be in the battle. Any good players?

[patella33]

Beth Battin who transferred from Lexington High School to Hotchkiss is one player to watch. I know that Taft School has a tournament the end of the second week in December, which has many of the Connecticut prep schools along with a few massachusetts schools.

[SKATNMIASOV]

Hey, I did not teams like Culver or Shattuck St. Mary's listed in the Poll would they fall under other?

You have to admitt than when it comes to Prep School Hockey, Boy's or Girl's, that Shattuck is by far THE National and International Power.

[toots]

I don't agree that Shatuuck is THE national power. Prep schools, other than Shattuck, don't go to USA Hockey nationals (club teams, such as Assabet Valley, HoneyBaked, Cal Selects do).
Shattuck has had some excellent players, but right now it would be hard to bet against Assabet, whose players come from the many Boston area prep schools.

[SKATNMIASOV]

I thought that you were talking about Prep Schools and not club teams. You are right Shattuck is the only Prep school to go to nationals with the team that they played with the entire year. Any state can put together an "All Star" team for Nationals but Shattuck is the only Prep School in the U.S. that will put their School team against any all star team at nationals.

If they other "All Star" players are really that good, then mabey they coulod carry their School team into the Nationals and not bail for Greener Grass when April Rolls around.

As for being "The Power". Shattuck has made it into the Semi's with their schoolteam 5 out of the last 5 years. The boys have won nationals 3 of the last 5 years.

15 girls in the past 4 years now play D-1 college Hockey.
16 after next year when Petrich signs with what ever College she wants.

4 Shattuck boys now on the Nothh Dakota team currently Num 1
2 with Boston College.
1 with Minnesota (1 national Champion)
All 7 right from high school into College
5 nhl draft picks this past June.

If that isn't a Hockey power you tell me what is, besides I was only quoting "Sports Illustrated". " Shattuck St Mary's Prep School is to Hockey, What Harvard is to Law." S/I 50th anniversary Issue page 4- That is where they talk about what even Wayne Gretzky Calls the next "Great One"- Sidney Crosby another Shattuck player.

[toots]

Yep, I blew it as far as saying betting against Assabet (when we started talking national power, I switched in my mind - sorry). I knew it as soon as I sent the message
You quote some amazing statistics about Shattuck players. Not to take any of their accomplishments away (because that is impressive), but here are a few more of my thoughts

I'm not suggesting that they are doing anything wrong, it is just the way it is, but here are some competetive advantages in Shattuck's favor:

I think it is an huge advantage to take the same team that has played together all year, (like the Assabet's, HoneyBaked, etc) but The Prep Schools back east don't compete for the USA Hockey district or regional crown. NEPSACs are their championship. The club teams practice once a week and play games once a week. Any girls that are attending a prep school have other athletic or activity requirements every day after school, so the club teams are strictly weekend. Some club team suspend play and practice during the Prep School season (midNov to end Feb), then pick up again. Some clubs continue and those girls are on the ice 7 days a week, with up to three or four games competing for club and school. I'm sure that is all true of Shattuck as far as being on the ice every day and playing multiple games, but it is the same team. (A curious aside - why do the MN HS teams not compete for nationals? It seems it is about the same situation, with some of those players playing for their HS and then Thoroughbreds, etc.)

I don't have an exact number, but there are many many prep schools back east with excellent hockey programs. I know the midwest has more than just Shattuck (Breck, Lake Forest and others I'm sure), but the numerous schools back east are competing for the same hockey players. I'm an outsider new to the Boston area, but talking with the parents, I don't think Boston area girls even think to look outside of the area where they can go home on weekends (to their detriment for being culturally challenged, but they also have a lot of excellent schools from which to choose. Keeps Mom and Dad happier)

Enough from me, but I'll read my Sidney Crosby article now!
Cheers
:o

[SKATNMIASOV]

hey toots, I won't argue with you, I'm sure there are some great schools with good programs on the E/C. I just have a problem with these "All Star" teams. I think you shoud dance whom you came to the dance with. I think any club team could recruit the best players in their area, play 8 USA hockey games and go to Nationals. I think it should either/OR for everyone. Just let players switch teams when theirs gets knocked out of the National Championship Picture
I'm not exactly sure how it is done in Minnesota, however I don't believe that girls can play high school and for Thoroughbreads, I believe that they are inelligible if the do. Besides Thoroughbreads have the same team from start to Finish because they play in the toughest league in the Country (MWEHL) and they are always right at the top. They could'nt do that losing players the whole year. The only team that ever did that was Team Illinois who had a couple of Culver Girls on their team a couple of Years ago. However Culver has since dropped out of the League.
I think they should raise the number of games a person has to play to be USA hockey eligible with a team, from 6 to 20. unless they were hurt and played no other games with anyone else.
The other issue is cost, I'm sure it is more affordable to be a week student at an E/C school and play club hockey and a little easire on the student and alot easier for club teams to find great players. Shattuck must however convince parents that the price tag will be worth it in the end for the player. That is where the challenge is, and that is where it is impressive that Shattuck can draw players for the entire year, year after year.

[mattj711]

Are you sure its just 6 games a player must play with a team to go to nationals? It used to be 10.

[funnybone]

Its definately 10!!!!

[SKATNMIASOV]

Whether it is 6 or 10, I won't argue. But I will tell you that it is not enough. especially when some club teams play up to 4 or 5 games in a tournament weekend.

If USA hockey is going to let people double roster, then let everyone double roster, or no one double roster.

mabey they should make Nationals more of a State to State playoffs instead of the format which it now operates under.

Every State picks it's best players (Or Region) and then go at it. More of a Hockey Night in Boston Approach except with out the high price tag and only the best players will be there unlike HNIB where the richest players are.

[funnybone]

HAAAA? Every state pick it's best players? That NEVER would happen in Massachusetts.

[DAhockey5]

Politics in MA is insane, I agree. It's also ten games (for the record). I used to play for a prep school and a club team and it really annoyed me when we went to nationals and everyone was so against us playing prep school and club. I don't think that a lot of people realize the difference between playing for Shattucks and playing for a new england prep school and a club team on the side. I also think that everyone needs to understand that club teams aren't just randomly thrown together, the girls I played with outside of school I had played with since I was ten years old. If you have the commitment to play both, I think it says more about your determination to be a good player and I don't think you can criticize that.

[kwhrs]

Originally posted by SKATNMIASOV


If USA hockey is going to let people double roster, then let everyone double roster, or no one double roster.

[/B]

I think there is some confusion about double rostering. USA hockey clearly does not allow rostering on two different National bound teams. USA hockey rules state that you can not be on any two National bound Teams. Be they two Youth (boys) Team, two girls teams or a Youth and Girls team in the same year.

USA hockey does not recognize Public or private school teams as conflicting or "double rostering". Most of the weird seasons (like Boys split season Bant. and Midget) are due to some Public school systems banning participation in any other team during the school season.

SSM has apparently registered as a USA hockey team. Since they only need to play a minimum 14 games and each player has to play a minimum of 10 games, ( against other USA hockey registered teams) I would think they have it covered.

It is a major benefit to allow public/private school play for girls especially in those areas of the country where girls hockey is non-existant or in its infant stages. They should be allowed to play for ANY local team they can find for ice time while getting together with a remote club team for exposure at tourney's like Polar Bear, Brampton, Nationals, etc. I have heard of one club team that covers Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and who knows whereelse. Someone got together to give a bunch of girls exposure where they had no other oppourtunity. God bless 'em.

[arcticblast]

kwrs, you have part of it right. You are not allowed to double roster on two National bound teams but you can roster on two USA Hockey registered teams in the same year. You have until the end of December to notify the register of your district in writing which team you will be going to Nationals with. Most prep school teams register with USA Hockey for the added insurance protection but don't declare to go to Nationals so a player can play on a prep and club team that are both USA Hockey registered.

Toots - Other prep schools in the mid-west other than Shattuck and Culver include Nichols School in Buffalo (alot of their kids play for the Bisons U19 and U16 team, check them out in CT), Gilmour Academy in Cleveland (some of their kids play for the OH Flames U19 team, also will be in CT), Shady Side out Pittsburgh, PA and University School out of WI. New Trier and Loyola Academy in Chicago both have teams as well. Hope that helps.

[toots]

Thx, articblast. I have heard of all but one of those teams, but I'm sure I'm not the only one you educated. New Trier - that is a large public HS in Chicago area - is this team their varsity girls team or is it a separate club team?

[hockey#1fan]

Whose going to be the team to win the ISL this year??? Nobles or Lawrence i would say

[ICEBOX]

The club teams are all about games. alot of girls in prep can't
male the practices. Game are not where you get better. Its
the endless practices and sacrifice. I'm going to go out on a
limb and say the best defenseman in prep does not even
play club hockey. Nobody sees the ice like she does. :cool:

[funnybone]

Icebox....... who would that defenseman be?

[starsparents]

In Connecticut, where I`m from, there are a few functions that are served. One, obviously, is for exposure. Many Prep schools do not participate in major showcase tournaments, or do not have strong enough schedules for their players to recieve the college exposure. Secondly, some Preps do not play big schedules, so when the Preps are on vacation, they get an opprotunity to play high level hockey. They also get to at times, play with old friends they started playing hockey with as kids. The only criticism of all this, and its rampant here in Connecticut, is when clubs coaches/programs, play there players at age levels, instead of ability levels, in order to go to Nationals. They will take, say quality 16U players, who skillwise, belong or would be better served playing at their level (19U) not at their age, and they`ll play them in the 16U division, in order to go to Nationals, So, they play a bunch of uncompetitive games against weaker 16U teams, in order for a shot a one weekend (states/nationals) hockey. The kids get nothing out of it. As Womens hockey grows, there will come at time when putting players at proper age levels, matches ability levels, but right now, thats not the case.