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WOODSTOCK — First-year head coach Jeff Boshka is finding out he has a wide range of abilities in The Woodstock Academy girls’ ice hockey program.
He has 26 players out for the team, double what came out in what was its first year last season.
“A third of the girls have played a lot and are at a higher level. A third of the girls who have played a little and a third who are brand new,” Boshka said.
In some cases, that means learning just how to play the game and skate on thin blades.
“We have great attitudes across the board and they’re working hard. That’s our challenge: To make sure everybody is getting an opportunity to work hard and improve in their level,” Boshka said. The Centaurs are just beginning as a program. As such, it’s tough to find games.
The sport is not offered by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference and finding teams at the same skill level of a beginning program is difficult.
“It’s a challenge that we’re trying to work through right now,” Boshka said. “Last year, they played some games that were lopsided either way. We could beat a team pretty handily or vice versa. It’s a challenge to find teams of equal ability without having to travel days and days away.”
The Academy currently has eight games on the schedule. That includes two against Pomfret School and one versus Tabor Academy, all private school programs. They played host to Auburn last week and in January will play at the Windsor School in Boston and St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire.
The Centaurs will have a pair of games against Connecticut cooperatives Suffield-Enfield-Housatonic-Ellington-Metropolitan Learning Center and the Avon-Southington-East Granby- RHAM group.
As of now, that will be the extent of the season. Since it is not offered by the CIAC, there is no state tournament and The Academy is not affiliated with a league.
Boshka said that is not a concern for his players. “It doesn’t come up, doesn’t cross anyone’s mind,” Boshka said of the inability to play for a league or a state title.
Boshka said he does preseason surveys and asks for personal and team goals and the majority want a “tight-knit team” that helps build the program and get better individually. To help make that happen, Boshka said the group has done some team-bonding activities including helping out the Thompson Ecumenical Empowerment Group with its Thanksgiving baskets and deliveries. They also plan to have team pasta parties.
Of course, practice time is difficult. The girls’ program shares ice time with not only the Woodstock Academy boys’ program, but also the Pomfret School programs at the Jahn Ice Rink in Pomfret. Practice time for the girls hockey team, when Pomfret is in session, is 9:30 to 10:20 p.m.
Every Monday, the team does a “dry-land” practice at the South Campus where they go to the Lecture Hall and talk concepts and then practice them inside the gym.
The Centaurs do have a new commodity. There are two seniors skating this season. Haley Armstrong and Brittanie Burnham will be joined by five juniors, Ashleigh Angle, Irene Askitis, Ellie Jellison, Emma Strandson and Regan Stuyniski.
“They are clearly taking ownership,” Boshka said. “They put it upon themselves to get there an hour early before ice time and they use that time wisely with warm ups and little drills. We have a little team talk. They’re eager,” Boshka said.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
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