Hockey prep schools

SBMOMOF3 · 09-23-2005, 07:59 PM

Does anyone know anything about the hockey programs at the different prep schools? My son is presently in 7th grade attending a local prep school as a day student and playing travel hockey. He is an excellent goalie and an excellent student. His goal is to play hockey for one of the ivies. Looking at the hockey rosters for the ivies, the majority of players come for the prep schools such as Deerfield, Choate, Hotchkiss, Taft, Phillips Exeter, etc. I know academically these are great schools but I don't know anything about their hockey programs. Anyone have any info to share?

paleozoic · 09-23-2005, 08:12 PM

Look at St. Paul's--very strong academics,very strong hockey.

GreenDayFan · 09-23-2005, 08:17 PM

Milton Academy I think.....actually there was a certain "scandal" with their hockey team this past year.....

SBMOMOF3 · 09-23-2005, 08:18 PM

paleozoic-
Where is St. Paul's? I don't think it is DIV I hockey. Do you know about the hockey team?

meateater0387 · 09-23-2005, 08:24 PM

Yes it is. St. Paul's won the ISL last year but got screwed out of the playoffs. Beat GDA, Nobles, Exeter. Located in Concord NH, better locale than Deerfield, Hottie, or Taft, I can assure you that. Milton sucks at hockey, they're D2 in the ISL, plus who wants to receive shall we say "sexual favors" with 5 other guys sitting around the table.

AceRockolla · 09-23-2005, 10:17 PM

Salisbury, Exeter, St Pauls, Deerfield, Taft...

SBMOMOF3 · 09-24-2005, 09:10 AM

I need some info about the hockey programs such as: does the varsity team rely mainly on post graduates? How are the coaches? Do they want to win at the cost of player development? Are they so strong that the goalie never sees much action? Is it really hard to make the team even if you are good?

meateater0387 · 09-24-2005, 09:41 AM

St. Paul's does not have PG's, no schools in the ISL have PG's. That means GDA, Nobles, St. Paul's, St. Seb's etc. are all high schoolers. Founder's league eg Taft, Hotchkiss, Deerfield all have PG's. Exeter and Andover, who are independent also have PG's. All of these are top programs who send about 5 kids to D1/Juniors every year, so yes the teams are hard to make, however, I don't know how good your kid is so I can't speculate on his/her chances. The ISL and Founder's League are considered two of the strongest hockey leagues in all of America.

paleozoic · 09-24-2005, 12:06 PM

St. Paul's is in Concord NH about 60 miles north of Boston. It has the oldest hockey tradition of any US prep school--in fact I believe, US ice hockey originated at St. Paul's. I have no personal knowledge of the relative strength of the team but am told that it is quite good. St. Paul's regularly recruits hockey talent in Canada. One recent graduate, Guiliano seems to have been recruited by the NHL King's. Academically it is amongst the best schools in the country and I would certainly think it is worth your while checking it out.

AceRockolla · 09-24-2005, 12:20 PM

"The ISL and Founder's League are considered two of the strongest hockey leagues in all of America."

haha, no........

meateater0387 · 09-24-2005, 12:27 PM

^^Haha yes. NE and Minnesota/Michigan are the strongest areas of hockey in the country. In NE the prep schools dominate the publics, don't know about in Minnesota/Michigan. Thus, the ISL and Founder's League are considered some of the best leagues in America. In any given senior class, each league produces about 5 people who eventually go to the NHL and a multitude of D1 players.

esahopeful95 · 09-24-2005, 12:41 PM

I go to St. Paul's and their are alot of Canadian people recruited for hockey and the team is really, really good. Anyone interested should really look into it and I love it here.

SBMOMOF3 · 09-24-2005, 12:58 PM

esahopeful95
Do you play hockey? How many teams does St. Paul's have? If you want to play hockey what do you have to do to get on a team? Does everyone get on some team? I would hate to have my son switch schools for hockey and then he doesn't get on a team. His coach thinks he is DIV I material but how does one know?

paleozoic · 09-24-2005, 04:44 PM

Why not put your question directly to the director of admissions? If you go to the St. Paul's site , you will find the section 'how to contact' with the e-mail address of the director of admission as well as the head of athletics. You will get good advice from either.

Eagle79 · 09-25-2005, 07:03 AM

Here are a couple of schools not named, one I think is residential and the other has long eliminated their residential status:

1) St. Sebstian's in Needham, MA, Catholic HS that plays in the prep school league. Sends many on to college hockey.

2) Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket, RI. Well known nationally for its hockey team. Has the US record for consectuive state championships at 26 in a row, ended with the class of 2004. No longer a boarding school but a good reputation. Since the late 1970s has sent over 20 players to the NHL.

3) Any school in the greater Boston Catholic league, i.e. Catholic Memorial, BC High, etc. with Catholic Memorial being the best. None are boarding. I believe tht Ted Donato, the coach of the Harvard hockey team graduated from Catholic Memorial, regardless, he played in this league, then Harvard then professionally.

Note, many students do post grad at other schools, i.e. Avon Old Farms, Andover, etc. so the roster information at some of the best college hockey programs can be a bit deceiving. You mayhave to dig a little to get the information prior to prep or junior hockey.