Massachusetts Girls High School Hockey

[Harkesy]

While I don't expect as much coverage as in Minnesota, Massachusetts has a thriving girls hockey scene both in the Preps as well as the Publics/Catholics. Last year there were 83 Public/Private teams in the MIAA, as well as ~40 Prep schools throughout New England, and the scene is growing in both talent and numbers. There have been a few programs that have merged due to numbers this year, but I think those are temporary measures, and there are new programs popping up all the time. The caliber of players coming out of the MIAA is quite high as well, let alone the kids who jump to the Preps before playing in the NCAAs. And that doesn't even include a kid like Hannah Murphy who opted to play college lacrosse at UMass, despite being one of the best players in Massachusetts last season.

I follow Mass HS Hockey quite a bit, and have reason to focus on the girls side in particular. Anyone else watching?

http://masshshockey.com/ is a great resource for records and stats, although it's up to coaches to fill in stats, so it's a mixed bag.

[Hux]

Re: Massachusetts Girls High School Hockey

While I don't expect as much coverage as in Minnesota, Massachusetts has a thriving girls hockey scene both in the Preps as well as the Publics/Catholics. Last year there were 83 Public/Private teams in the MIAA, as well as ~40 Prep schools throughout New England, and the scene is growing in both talent and numbers. There have been a few programs that have merged due to numbers this year, but I think those are temporary measures, and there are new programs popping up all the time. The caliber of players coming out of the MIAA is quite high as well, let alone the kids who jump to the Preps before playing in the NCAAs. And that doesn't even include a kid like Hannah Murphy who opted to play college lacrosse at UMass, despite being one of the best players in Massachusetts last season.

I follow Mass HS Hockey quite a bit, and have reason to focus on the girls side in particular. Anyone else watching?

http://masshshockey.com/ is a great resource for records and stats, although it's up to coaches to fill in stats, so it's a mixed bag.

There is indeed talent to be found in the Mass high school ranks. Unfortunately, the hockey is so poor that their development will be ******** if they continue playing there. The better players, or those wanting to become better players migrate away from the HS ranks to the Preps or JWHL teams like the Shamrocks, NAHA or NSA.

[Harkesy]

Re: Massachusetts Girls High School Hockey

If you're talking D1 college, that's fair. Take a look at a bunch of the rosters in D2/3 though, and you'll see a whole crop of talented kids that came straight from the MIAA ranks. Just off the top of my head Allison Butler, Gabby Crungale, Cassandra Connolly, Katie Smith, and Shannon O'Neil are all playing as Freshman in the NCAA, and I know there are many more. You also get to see kids who play a year or two before jumping to the Preps, and there's a ton of talent doing that.

If you think that MIAA hockey is that poor, you're not watching the top teams. The depth isn't there, that's for sure, but the top 10-20 teams in the state play a very exciting up-tempo brand of hockey that is improving every year. If it weren't for all the Prep programs, the teams would be all that stronger.

[Hux]

Re: Massachusetts Girls High School Hockey

If you think that MIAA hockey is that poor, you're not watching the top teams. The depth isn't there, that's for sure, but the top 10-20 teams in the state play a very exciting up-tempo brand of hockey that is improving every year. If it weren't for all the Prep programs, the teams would be all that stronger.

Don't get me wrong, I am very happy that the HS ranks continue to expand and that 30-40 girls, who otherwise might not have the opportunity, are playing in each game. However, there are only about five teams that can actually play with any semblance of cohesion.

[HockeyEast33]

Re: Massachusetts Girls High School Hockey

If you're talking D1 college, that's fair. Take a look at a bunch of the rosters in D2/3 though, and you'll see a whole crop of talented kids that came straight from the MIAA ranks. Just off the top of my head Allison Butler, Gabby Crungale, Cassandra Connolly, Katie Smith, and Shannon O'Neil are all playing as Freshman in the NCAA, and I know there are many more. You also get to see kids who play a year or two before jumping to the Preps, and there's a ton of talent doing that.

If you think that MIAA hockey is that poor, you're not watching the top teams. The depth isn't there, that's for sure, but the top 10-20 teams in the state play a very exciting up-tempo brand of hockey that is improving every year. If it weren't for all the Prep programs, the teams would be all that stronger.

Harkesy - Welcome to the forum. I encourage the growth of Mass HS girls hockey and have had the opportunity to watch much of it and NE prep school hockey (as well as club hockey) over the past 10 years. I have seen improvement in the quality of HS play over those years.

That being said, the real impediment to the improvement of the girls HS game in MA, as Hux indicates, is the prevalence of well-established girls prep school teams that actively recruit the most talented players out of the HS ranks (as opposed to MN where there is limited club/prep hockey) and the numerous club teams. The level of play of the girls prep school hockey and club hockey remains far above that of the HS league as a result (and because the preps pull from all over New England and even the country). Very few MA HS girls go on to play any level of NCAA hockey. While it is true that there are a smattering of MA girls HS players on D3 rosters (usually from the likes of a few stronger schools like St Marys (which is effectively a prep school), Acton-Boxboro, Hingham, etc.), the Eastern D3 rosters are dominated by girls who graduated from the NE prep schools - in a quick scan of the NESCAC rosters (some of the stronger Eastern team traditionally), I only located 4 MA HS players on the 9 teams and over 100 prep players. And several recent Globe All-Scholastics have had to do a prep post-grad year to get any college consideration because of their lack of development playing HS hockey.

So, while it is important to encourage the growth of MA HS hockey, it is also important to recognize that it continues to be more about school/community pride and spirit and experiencing the joy of one of the greatest sports than as a means to a college athletic experience.

[Ravens_79]

Re: Massachusetts Girls High School Hockey

If you're talking D1 college, that's fair. Take a look at a bunch of the rosters in D2/3 though, and you'll see a whole crop of talented kids that came straight from the MIAA ranks. Just off the top of my head Allison Butler, Gabby Crungale, Cassandra Connolly, Katie Smith, and Shannon O'Neil are all playing as Freshman in the NCAA, and I know there are many more. You also get to see kids who play a year or two before jumping to the Preps, and there's a ton of talent doing that.

If you think that MIAA hockey is that poor, you're not watching the top teams. The depth isn't there, that's for sure, but the top 10-20 teams in the state play a very exciting up-tempo brand of hockey that is improving every year. If it weren't for all the Prep programs, the teams would be all that stronger.

Along with Shannon O'Neil (AP), at FPU there is Bryana Harron (Woburn HS), Katie Flynn (Sandwich HS) and Casey Diana (Framingham HS). Granted, everyone else on that roster came from JWHL, prep or Canada. Hux is 100% right though. The depth in MIAA girls hockey just isn't there and the top players are not going to be challenged by it at all. The college coaches know this and rarely ask for high school stats. For these girls it's their club stats and information they want.

[obserbear]

Re: Massachusetts Girls High School Hockey

Jane Freda out of Hingham HS is playing for Middlebury (and is currently their leading 1st year goal scorer).

[96IllinoisDad]

Re: Massachusetts Girls High School Hockey

Along with Shannon O'Neil (AP), at FPU there is Bryana Harron (Woburn HS), Katie Flynn (Sandwich HS) and Casey Diana (Framingham HS). Granted, everyone else on that roster came from JWHL, prep or Canada. Hux is 100% right though. The depth in MIAA girls hockey just isn't there and the top players are not going to be challenged by it at all. The college coaches know this and rarely ask for high school stats. For these girls it's their club stats and information they want.

In my experience, not one D1 school ever asked for my daughter's stats from her club team. I think scouts realize that all stats are very unreliable.

[Ravens_79]

Re: Massachusetts Girls High School Hockey

Very well could be, maybe the "Stats" isn't the right word, more like you will rarely, if ever, see a DI or DII coach at a MIAA girls hockey game, so "schedules" should have been used instead. They know whoever they are looking at is and should be dominating against the level of competition they are facing in the MIAA. Only schedules my daughter was ever asked for with either of the sports she was being looked at for were her club/tournament teams.

[claw]

Along with Shannon O'Neil (AP), at FPU there is Bryana Harron (Woburn HS), Katie Flynn (Sandwich HS) and Casey Diana (Framingham HS). Granted, everyone else on that roster came from JWHL, prep or Canada. Hux is 100% right though. The depth in MIAA girls hockey just isn't there and the top players are not going to be challenged by it at all. The college coaches know this and rarely ask for high school stats. For these girls it's their club stats and information they want.

Colleen Doucette played at Wakefield HS.

There are a number of girls that play HS hockey that can carve out useful careers at D3. Most are role players, a few become more than that. Many hs girls are also playing club hockey,which is great. The JWHL isnt right for everyone, nor is prep hockey. For some kids hs hockey is the right fit and it allows them their path to college hockey. Who cares if their path isnt the same as someone elses?

[Hux]

Re: Massachusetts Girls High School Hockey

Colleen Doucette played at Wakefield HS.

There are a number of girls that play HS hockey that can carve out useful careers at D3. Most are role players, a few become more than that. Many hs girls are also playing club hockey,which is great. The JWHL isnt right for everyone, nor is prep hockey. For some kids hs hockey is the right fit and it allows them their path to college hockey. Who cares if their path isnt the same as someone elses?

Agree 100%. First and foremost it has to be what the player wants, and for many playing with their close friends for their school team is just fine. Unfortunately, there are talented players with a ton of potential who need better development to move on to the next level. I've seen quite a few who, along with their parents, thought they had all the talent needed to play college hockey and ended up not.

[Ravens_79]

Re: Massachusetts Girls High School Hockey

New coach at Framingham this year. Unfortunately not much depth player wise for another couple of years, and they desperately need to figure out what they are going to do for a goalie after this year. Should still be a refreshing season that the players are actually looking forward to for the first time in a long time. Won't make much noise in the standings for a bit but things are finally looking up with a brand new, all female, former collegiate players, coaching staff.

[HockeyEast33]

Re: Massachusetts Girls High School Hockey

Brian Fontas has a done a consistently good job at Acton Boxboro with the girls that don't leave for prep school (AB girls that have gone to preps/college plus the high school grads would form a very strong D3 team). Problem in AB is that AB Youth Hockey, which used to have a pretty strong girls contingent, has pretty much stopped generating lareg numbers of girls players. Interesting to see how Coach Fontas can do in leaner times....

[Ravens_79]

Re: Massachusetts Girls High School Hockey

Brian Fontas has a done a consistently good job at Acton Boxboro with the girls that don't leave for prep school (AB girls that have gone to preps/college plus the high school grads would form a very strong D3 team). Problem in AB is that AB Youth Hockey, which used to have a pretty strong girls contingent, has pretty much stopped generating lareg numbers of girls players. Interesting to see how Coach Fontas can do in leaner times....

He's willing to use his waivers though so I'm sure he'll figure out something. I have no doubt that A/B will remain competitive during those lean years. They may not go as deep into the tournament, but they'll be competitive. He's always had good depth because of his waivers giving him the ability to use the middle school players when needed. That's something that the former Framingham coach was never willing to do. They were more focused on providing a sport to anyone who wanted to play rather than building a competitive program first and then providing that. Which in the end led to the majority of our top players heading off to the preps.

Will be interesting to see the effect that the new Junior full season league NEGHL will be providing next year has on the MIAA schools. MIAA hockey could be heading for an overall downward spiral with the top players who can't or won't go prep for whatever reason having an option that will get them more exposure.

[HockeyEast33]

Re: Massachusetts Girls High School Hockey

He's willing to use his waivers though so I'm sure he'll figure out something. I have no doubt that A/B will remain competitive during those lean years. They may not go as deep into the tournament, but they'll be competitive. He's always had good depth because of his waivers giving him the ability to use the middle school players when needed. That's something that the former Framingham coach was never willing to do. They were more focused on providing a sport to anyone who wanted to play rather than building a competitive program first and then providing that. Which in the end led to the majority of our top players heading off to the preps.

Will be interesting to see the effect that the new Junior full season league NEGHL will be providing next year has on the MIAA schools. MIAA hockey could be heading for an overall downward spiral with the top players who can't or won't go prep for whatever reason having an option that will get them more exposure.

He has generally had to ask for waivers (when he has) due to the large number of girls that leave for prep school either coming out of 8th grade or after 9th grade. The first year he asked the team would have had only 12 skaters (if I recall correctly) without the 8th graders.

I don't think that the NEGHL full season league will have a huge impact for a few reasons:

- It's not clear how many programs will be offering a team from what I can see.
- There has always been a full season option for U16 and U19 teams in the NEGHL but just very few takers. Not sure what has really changed other than that they are publicizing it more.
- The girls hockey club market in the Boston area is pretty saturated (although nowhere near as bad as the boys). Don't think that there are enough players who don't play prep school hockey with college aspirations to support the league in any signficance. Local girls with talent interested in Junior hockey rather than preps/club join the Shamrocks - not sure how another junior program starting up would be better than the Shamrocks/JWHL model.
- Generally there are three reasons for a girl not going to prep school in NE to play hockey.
1. Can't afford it - Junior leagues tend to be expensive so this would be a problem for juniors just like prep school.
2. Want to go to school with and play with friends at local high school - unless her HS teammates join the junior team (like Hingham/Dubury with the Breakers), this would potentially be an impediment.
3. Academics aren't strong enough - this won't impact a girl's desire to play Juniors hockey, but might have an impact on her ability to be a marketable college athlete.


We'll see.