Hockey’s back. 

For most teams around the state, that simply means hitting the ice for another season, looking to chase what every other team craves — a state title. 

But for St. Dominic Academy, the return of hockey season means the return of its girls’ hockey program, which didn’t play a varsity schedule last season due to low numbers and a mostly inexperienced roster. 

While those numbers still aren’t there, the Saints believe playing a JV schedule last season has paid dividends in the experience category. St. Dom’s hit the ice Monday at Norway Savings Bank Arena, practicing as a varsity squad once again. 

“It feels really good,” St. Dom’s coach Paul Gosselin said. “It’s been a long time since we get the girls back on the ice actually shooting for a win that matters. They’re pretty pumped up. We’ve got a couple seniors that it’s their last year so, they’re really working hard to make it their best.” 

Gosselin said he’s looking at a team of around 12, including a pair of goaltenders. The low numbers are nothing new for Gosselin and the Saints, and it’s not something they consider a weakness. 

“It’s a very great bond, because we’ve been in this situation before and we know how to play with nine skaters. I think it makes us stronger as a team, because we build up our endurance to be able to last a whole game,” St. Dom’s senior forward Jessica Boulet said. 

St. Dom’s doesn’t believe conditioning will be an issue. Most of the roster also competes in fall sports, and the Saints are used to playing with nine combined forwards and defenders. While the first few practices of the season are usually about conditioning, the Saints are focusing on other areas.

“It’s just getting the coordination back, getting a feel for the ice,” Gosselin said. “Most of the girls play field hockey or soccer, so from what I can tell from the first practice their wind is there. They’re in pretty good shape. It’s really starting to get the timing in and getting that feel for where we can get the players.” 

Gosselin said he’s shooting for a .500 season. Boulet is looking forward to the continued improvement of her team in her final year. Improvement is a key reason the Saints are back to a varsity-level team. 

“It was an improvement year,” Boulet said. “We had to get all the new players up to speed and build strength as a whole, and I think we’re all really excited and looking forward to varsity this year knowing we had something to look forward to.” 

The Saints open their season at home against Greely on Nov. 22, a game for which Boulet can’t wait. 

“Varsity games are so much different than JV,” Boulet said. “I know I’m really excited, and I’m sure some of the girls are nervous, but it’s all for the fun of the game.” 

Blue Devils, Red Hornets return to ice 

St. Dom’s wasn’t the only local girls’ hockey team that began practicing Monday.

Both Lewiston and Edward Little/Leavitt/Poland took to the ice after a deep playoff run last year. The Blue Devils reached the title game before falling to undefeated Scarborough, 3-1. The Red Hornets’ season came to an end at the hands of the Blue Devils in the semifinals, 2-0. Edward Little/Leavitt/Poland won the first three meetings against Lewiston last year. 

The Red Hornets haven’t forgotten about that game, and they are using it as motivation going into the winter season. 

“It’s a big motivator because we could have won that game,” Edward Little/Leavitt/Poland senior defender Danica Nadeau said. “Coming into the season, it’s in the back of my mind because it’s going to motivate me to work harder in practice to get to where we can win that game.” 

Those teams don’t meet until Dec. 13 at Androscoggin Bank Colisee, but the focus isn’t on the future; it’s on the present. The Blue Devils hit the ice at the Colisee with expectations buzzing. They return senior goaltender Paige Fontaine and bring in five freshmen to their 20-player roster. 

“We have a real good core returning,” Lewiston coach Ron Dumont said. “It looks promising. I was telling one of my assistants that everyone’s saying, ‘This is your year,’ but you don’t know what other teams are doing and how those teams are going to gel. Academics, injuries, people deciding they’re going to play or not play. As of right now it looks like we’re in pretty good shape.” 

Typically for Dumont, the first week of practice is focused on skating. But he said he might have to start working on systems earlier than normal with the round robin tournament in Auburn being moved up two weeks to Saturday. Still, he said the first few days will be the same as usual. 

“For me the first couple two or three days is about skating, let them get their legs underneath them,” Dumont said. “Nothing too difficult. It’s more getting them calmed down, number two gelling together and number three all basic things we’ve done in summer hockey. Just listening and getting back in the flow of the team-type thing.” 

Lewiston had its full roster Monday, unlike its rival over at Norway Savings Bank Arena. With the Red Eddies girls’ soccer team playing in the Eastern Maine final against Mt. Ararat on Wednesday, the Red Hornets are still without four of their players.

Their conditioning won’t be called into question when they hit the ice following the completion of their season, but the rest of the team will find out its conditioning level this week.

“Today is going out and being mainly a skating practice to see who’s in shape and mental toughness,” Edward Little/Leavitt/Poland coach Shon Collins said. “How much they’re willing to give right off the bat. You have to get right into it fairly quick as far as starting to develop, understand systems we’re going to be running, expectations when they get out there. But the first three or four days is mostly skills, get a feel for the main things we need to work on.” 

The first day of practice has many teams across the state gleaming with confidence. Nadeau believes her Red Hornets’ team will be in the mix at the end of the year.

“This break between field hockey and hockey has been really long, and I’m just excited because we have a really good team this year and we’re young, but we’re going to go far,” Nadeau said. 

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