OHCHS plays hockey

Photo: Chase Babbidge

FACE-OFF — OHCHA hockey players gather for a face-off.

OXFORD HILLS — Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School has a hockey team, which many people at the high school and in the community may be unaware of, which consists of a co-ed junior varsity team. 

The team has about 18 players – Micaela Smith being the only female – which is scheduled to play 10 games this year.

It practices on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Bridgton Academy Ice Arena, where the team's home games are held. The head coach of the team is Mike Misner. Peter Chapman and Dave Ray are the assistant coaches.

Jeff Benson, athletic director for OHCHS reported that the team is playing well and seems to be improving with practice.

“We’re playing well defensively," Benson said. "Our offense needs a little work, but we’re getting better.

“We have a good crowd, the parents are very good with supporting the players and the team.”

The balcony above the rink is often packed full of people, so you can tell there’s a lot of support from the fans.

Dexter Turner, a senior at the high school, has been playing hockey for about 10 years and has been on the Vikings Hockey team since he was a freshman.

Turner says he also likes to watch hockey, which sparked his interest in the sport when he was young.

According to Turner, the team works well together on the ice. Although there’s an occasional squabble, they all get along for the most part.

“I get along well with most of the players on the team," Turner said.

"There are some players I don’t always agree with, but that doesn’t matter when we’re on the ice," he said. 

When asked about the coach, Turner simply replies: “Yeah, I like him, he’s a good coach.”

Team captain Patrick Long has been playing hockey for around 11 years, for OHCHS for about three. Long is also on the Western Maine Youth Hockey team and plays on that team whenever he’s not playing for the school.

Long says his favorite part of playing hockey is scoring goals, and he describes his hockey experience as "incredible" and "lots of fun."

The team captain for the hockey team was chosen by the coach last year based on experience and how well the player gets along with the rest of the team. This year the coach had the players cast a vote and used the results to help him choose the captain.

Jeff Tucker, a former coach of the OHCHS hockey team, says it would be nice to see hockey become part of the high school athletic department, but he doesn't see it happening anytime soon. Tucker was involved with high school hockey for three years. He no longer coaches, but he says he used to play a lot of hockey as a kid.

“There is no feeling in the world like being on the ice," Tucker said.

"It feels like everything is moving in slow motion ... There’s not a care in the world.”

Tucker likes the amount of skill and finesse it takes to play hockey. 

“I know a lot of hockey players that would be good at other sports,” says Tucker, “but not a lot of kids that play other sports would be good at hockey.”