High School Hockey: A Salem girl's dream becomes reality

Dec. 22—WHEN GRACE HOOVER first approached Salem High School Athletic Director Scott Insinga with her idea, she was nervous and a little out of breath.

Hoover, then in seventh grade, chased down Insinga on his four-wheeler while at her older brother, Erick's, lacrosse game to discuss what she needed to do to create a girls hockey team at Salem High.

"What really drove me to start this program was that I loved hockey so much," said Hoover, who began playing hockey in kindergarten, "and I wanted other girls to experience the childhood memories I had and all the fun times I had growing up with hockey and I really wanted other girls to have that exact same experience and really get to know the sport better."

Now a sophomore at Salem High, Hoover's efforts and determination led to the inaugural season of varsity girls hockey at the school this winter.

The Blue Devils, who have 27 players in the program, will play an abbreviated 10-game schedule beginning with their season-opener against Souhegan on Jan. 14 at the Icenter.

Insinga gave Hoover a checklist to accomplish, the biggest task being to generate interest.

Hoover needed to find at least 10 players and a coach for the team. She found 15 players, including two goalies and three coaches. Hoover's neighbor, Shawn Devine, agreed to be the head coach. Her mom, Tracey, John Deane and Greg Herr joined as assistant coaches.

Through business donations, money raised through a GoFundMe page, and practice time that Insinga secured at the Icenter in town, the team self-funded a club season last year.

The Hoovers drove all over New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts to collect donated used equipment and also received free new equipment like sticks, pants and pads from Bauer.

Twenty-four girls were part of the club season last winter filled with only 5:30 a.m. practices — no games or scrimmages against other teams.

"Last year, a lot of these girls didn't know how to skate at all, so it was sort of a learn-to-skate program to start," said Devine, who is new to coaching and played high school hockey at Austin Prep (Reading, Mass.) and New Hampton School. "Outside the practice hours that we had, a lot of these girls found pond ice or they went to public skating. They would ask other girls who knew how to skate for advice. They kind of almost took it on their own.

"It was incredibly inspirational for me to see that up close."

The team raised more than $6,500 to fund itself this season but also received $7,500 from the Salem school board and more free equipment from Bauer. It will receive full funding from the school next season, Tracey said.

"That to me, as a coach and a mom, is so exciting that the town is embracing these girls and what they're trying to do," Tracey said.

Hoover's older sister, Faith, a senior, is Salem's captain this season. Hoover and Shaelyn Burke are both assistant captains.

The Hoover sisters, junior Grace Driscoll and freshman Keegan Curry-Powers are the only players with competitive hockey experience. Faith played youth hockey but eventually switched to basketball in middle school because Salem High did not have a girls hockey team.

Devine divides practices into three groups: those with hockey experience, those proficient at skating but are learning hockey and those learning to skate. Many of the players new to hockey have athletic experience playing other sports.

"I see improvement almost shift to shift," said Devine, whose daughter, Riley, is good friends with Hoover. "Some people get interested but these girls are really committed to get better. ... Everything I could ask for as a coach from these girls, they're giving me and more."

Devine said the Hoover sisters have served as mini coaches for him on the ice. As leaders, Hoover said that she, Faith and Burke emphasize to their teammates that the season is a growing process.

"Me, Shaelyn and Faith are all very good skaters, I would say," said Hoover, who also plays lacrosse and volleyball at Salem, "and I think seeing us make mistakes and not instantly get everything is showing the new players that it's OK to not instantly get something and it's OK to not be amazing as soon as you touch the ice. I think just showing them that it's OK to make mistakes is giving them confidence."

Devine said Salem does not have a youth feeder system but the program is trying to get the word out and work with club teams in the area to build numbers and create a sustainable program.

This season, Tracey said it is all about attitude and effort for the Blue Devils.

"We have 23 girls that are learning this sport together and they're bringing each other along," Tracey said. "I just about cry every single practice because I'm so proud. ... These are the girls that are making Grace's dream come true is these other girls and it's amazing to watch them do it."

'Tis the season for holiday tournaments

For those with a hankering for hockey after the holidays, there are plenty of high school tournaments to choose from across the Granite State.

Here are more than a few on the post-holiday docket:

—The Brian C. Stone Memorial Christmas Hockey Tournament will take place at JFK Coliseum in Manchester next Monday through Thursday.

The Manchester co-op team, Bow, Trinity, Exeter, Goffstown, Hanover, Bedford and two-time defending Division I champion Concord make up the tournament field.

Manchester will face Bow in the tournament-opening contest on Monday at 2 p.m. The championship game on Thursday is set for 5 p.m. Concord is the returning tournament champion.

Trinity coach Mike Connell said he will use the tournament to get his younger players more experience and try some different line combinations.

"We're going to go into it with, obviously, the goal to win it but we're also going in with the understanding that we've got to get ready for the second half (of the season)," Connell said.

—Kennett will host the ninth annual Peter Hall Christmas Tournament at Ham Arena in Conway next Monday through Wednesday.

Kennett, newcomer Fryeburg Academy/Lake Region of Maine and two-time defending tournament champion Somersworth/Coe-Brown will play in the Mountain Division. Kingswood, Berlin/Gorham and Dover make up the Valley Division.

Kingswood and Berlin/Gorham will play in the tournament opener on Monday at 4 p.m. The champion of both divisions will meet in the final on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

"Playing really highly competitive games, I think, just helps us work on things to be better as a team — overall team defense and certainly scoring, which we're struggling to do right now," Kennett coach Mike Lane said. "That playoff atmosphere is going to be really good for us."

—Hollis/Brookline/Derryfield will host its second Backyard Brawl Tournament at Conway Arena in Nashua next Tuesday through Thursday.

The round-robin style tournament field consists of Hollis/Brookline/Derryfield, Nashua North/Souhegan, Nashua South/Pelham, Merrimack, Alvirne/Milford and John Stark/Hopkinton/Hillsboro-Deering.

On the girls side, both Hanover and Keene/Monadnock/Fall Mountain are hosting tournaments again this season.

—The Hanover Holiday Tournament will run next Wednesday and Thursday at Campion Rink in Lebanon. Defending state champion Hanover will host last year's Rhode Island Division I runner-up, La Salle Academy, defending Vermont Division I champion Bellows Free Academy and Essex, Vermont.

—The Keene Girls Ice Hockey Holiday Tournament is scheduled for next Tuesday at Keene Ice. The field consists of Concord, Lebanon/Stevens/Kearsarge, Exeter, Berlin/Gorham/Kennett, Keene/Monadnock/Fall Mountain, Pinkerton Academy, Oyster River/Portsmouth and Bedford.

Hadley brothers contributing for Bedford

Brothers Nick and Cam Hadley connected on a goal for the first time in their high school careers in the Bedford boys hockey team's 4-3 Division I road triumph over Trinity on Wednesday at JFK Coliseum.

Cam, a sophomore, dished a cross-ice feed from the right circle to senior brother Nick, who then tallied a goal 4:18 into the first period to open the game's scoring.

Bulldogs coach Jon Garrity said that was a fun goal to see for the brothers, who have played a role in Bedford's 3-0 start.

"Cam Hadley's a sophomore. He's a great hockey player with a bright future," Garrity said after Wednesday's win. "Nick Hadley's another one of those specialists that does great things on the (penalty) kill, can do great things on the power play and really works his butt off, so it was great to see them connect there."

ahall@unionleader.com