Hockey Teams off to Good Start Boys and Girls Squads Combine for 17 wins
By Maddie Broder ’09
News Associate Editor
One of the big stories in athletics this winter is the success of the boys and girls hockey teams, which have been busy practicing at Remsen Arena since winter term began. As of Tuesday, Boys Varsity Hockey, coached by Pat Dennehy, holds a 9-4-2 record, with a recent exciting 3-2 win over arch-rival Deerfield. Girls Varsity Hockey, coached by Courtney Riepenhoff, has an 8-3-1 record.
“There are a few things that have lead to the tremendous success of both teams this year,” explained the Director of Athletics, Ned Gallagher. “One is that the girls’ team is coming off a strong season last year that culminated in a New England league victory. The other factor is that both teams have brought in some new blood and there is an infusion of talent.”
The hockey teams are certainly aiding Choate in its goal to be competitive across the board in its winter sports. “The hockey programs are at a good level right now,” said Gallagher. “After watching the first few girls’ games, I knew that they were coming out of the blocks really competitively. And the boys are off to a better start than they have been.”
New Players Contribute
Connor Goggin ’08, captain of the boys’ squad, echoed Gallagher’s sentiments about the reasons for the team’s good performance this winter. The boys’ team consists of thirteen new players, ranging from freshmen to postgraduates. The girls’ team has also been enhanced by the talent of new players. The seven freshmen on the team are doing great job filling in the empty positions from last year’s senior class. “My favorite part about being on the team is getting to play with older, more experienced players,” said Hanna Organschi ’11, one of the freshmen on the girls’ team. Organschi, along with many Choate hockey players, participates in the Polar Bear Hockey Club. She explained that while the Polar Bears is a fun league to play in, at Choate a better quality game is played: “It’s a faster, and a physically and mentally more challenging experience”
Pursuing Goals For The Season
Ms. Rieponhoff, who has been coaching the team for three years along with seven-year coach Sarah Nutting, explained that one player never makes an entire team, and the team’s success is a result of the dedication and hard work that the players put in every week at practice. Both teams have practice four days a week, and have two game days, which are often spent in part on the road driving to competitors’ schools. Athletic talent is a key component as well.
“We’re looking to win the whole thing again this year,” said Ms. Riepenhoff. “We’re ranked number four in New England right now, and taking the league championship again is a realistic goal for us.”
Although the boys’ team is not the defending league champion, they are still having a strong season. “We’re a different team than last year,” said Goggin. “It’s a great group of guys. We’re like a family and we know our roles within the game. We’re working really hard to make it happen.” The team recently had a big win over Taft, beating them 4-0. “The Taft win was a good moment in the season for our team.” Last Saturday, the boys defeated Deerfield Academy 3-2, and on Monday, they tied Salisbury 3-3 in overtime. Tying Salisbury was a huge accomplishment, as the Crimson Knights were ranked #4 in the latest New England rankings.
The girls’ team had a similar experience after their second game against Taft. Coming off a disheartening loss in their first contest, the Choate girls came back to beat the Rhinos by the score of 3-1. “There was a huge thrill in beating them, and our team mentality was really high at that moment,” Organschi said. Ms. Riepenhoff called it “one of the best games of the season.”
Gallagher says that both teams are in a league of “stiff competition.” The boys’ team is competing in the Western Division for a spot in the New England tournament, the finale of the season. “The Founders League is very tough, and these teams play an ambitious schedule and to do well is a great tribute to their abilities,” said Gallagher.
Hockey has traditionally been one of the stronger sports at Choate. In the beginnings of the sport at Choate, players would skate on natural hockey rinks that were located next to Gun Powder Creek, the small brook that separates two fields in front of the athletic center. Further enhancing the sport’s status, the St. John family, which plays an important role in Choate’s history, had two members skate for the school. Alumni who have played hockey have gone on to have successful college careers, with a few competing on the U.S. Olympic hockey team.
The hockey facilities have improved in recent years, which add to the popularity of the sport. The rink is now state of the art, and is rented out to local teams to practice after the ice is laid down in September. The hockey rink has been renovated in “waves” during the last decade, according to Mr. Gallagher, from re-doing the home-team locker rooms, to the outside appearance of the building. The accessibility of the rink allows for night games against arch-rivals and taps into the student-life angle of the sport. “The games are really fun to come to,” said Goggin. “It’s always nice to see a big student turnout.”
Sam Wheeler ’08 skates the puck up the ice in a 3-2 victory over Deerfield. PHOTO/Ian Morris
