Eastern Commonwealth Girl's Hockey: News and Information

News and Information

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U14/U19 Tryouts
For girls born in 1996 and earlier, all tryouts will be at the Fessenden Rink on:

Thursday, March 26 at 8PM
Monday, March 30 at 6PM
Wednesday, April 1 at 8PM (if necessary)

Advance online registration is required for these sessions; simply go to the Registration Page. A $250 payment toward 2009-2010 tuition is required to try out. ECGH will refund $200 of this payment if you notify us in writing by May 1st that you do not wish to play with the Wings in the 2009-2010 season. We are considering several options for girls this coming season.

Short season running from September-November
Full season running from September-March
Full season running from September-March but with games only during the middle school and high school hockey seasons (December-February)

If you have any questions about the program offerings contact Mark Holthouse at mholthouse@ecgh.org.

U10/U12 Tryouts
For girls born in 1997 and later, we have agreed to commingle our teams with Newton Youth Hockey for the 2009-10 season. Tryouts for these teams are on:

Friday, March 13 at 6PM at the Daly Rink
Monday, March 23 at 7PM at the Fessenden Rink

More information is available on the Newton Youth Hockey website. The coordinator for these programs is Mike Gropman of Brookline, and he can be reached at mkgrop@aol.com.

Learn to Play Registration Open

The ECGH full-ice Learn-to-Play program kicks off the first week in November. Join us on Sunday November 2 at 4:00 PM for a get aquainted family skate. Just register in advance on our registration page. We will also have a used equipment drop-off and sale that afternoon. The next skate for the Learn to Play program will be on Tuesday November 4 at 5:00 PM. This one will be a full equipment players skate. See the schedule for other LTP practice times and don't forget to register before you arrive.

This program is open to girls 7-14 who have basic skating skills, but limited or no experience with full-ice hockey. Girls skate an average of 3 hours per week at the Fessenden and Daly rinks in Newton, with games beginning in January. The emphasis is on basic hockey skills – hockey skating, passing and shooting. For girls who still need work on basic skating skills, we highly recommend our partner, Bay State Skating School.

Our lead instructors are Sarah Sparrow and Julie Odette, both accomplished hockey players, with biweekly sessions led by the professional hockey training group T.E.A.M.S. Training.

Special Bring a Friend Offer

We encourage all ECGH families to spread the good word about girls hockey in general and our program in particular – and this year we are offering a special incentive for helping us continue to grow the Wings: a $50 credit toward tuition or ECGH gear for referring a new player who signs up at any age or level. So, invite someone to a preseason skate! To get your credit, just make sure the new player gives your name as their reference when they register.

And they’re off!

Summer is over, the A teams are set with over 80 girls on the rosters, and league play has begun – even before the Bruins got to training camp. ECGH teams will also be competing in the annual Cranberry Classic tournament on Cape Cod over the Thanksgiving holiday. See the Schedule page for the game and practice times and locations; you can also get up-to-the-minute game schedules at the league web site.

Tuition Rates Set for 2008-9 Season

ECGH is committed to providing our girls more ice time than most other programs, and as you can guess with the increased cost of energy everywhere, our ice time and game fees have increased significantly. Accordingly, the Board has set tuition rates for the coming season at $1100 for U10 and U12, $950 for U14, $425 for U19 (10 game fall season), and $600 for Learn-to-Play. Full tuition is due by September 15. ECGH has payment plans and some scholarship funds available for families with financial hardships. Please contact Bill Walker, President (bwalker@ecgh.org), or Mark Holthouse, Treasurer (mholthouse@ecgh.org) for further information.

2008-2009 Tryout Frequently Asked Questions

Are September tryouts open to anyone?

Yes. Our teams include girls from many cities and towns in the Boston area; there is no residency or other requirement. You need to register in advance. Girls trying out are also welcome to attend the pre-season skates for their age group. A $50 tryout fee is due at your first skate.

My daughter tried out in the spring and was placed on an A2 or Learn-To-Play team. Can she try out again in September for a more competitive team?

Yes. We have left several potential spots open on each A1 team. Girls that have improved their skills over the summer can ask to try out again in September. No additional tryout fee is required for girls who tried out in the spring.

How does the September tryout work?

Players will skate with the teams of the age group they are trying out for during a practice/scrimmage session, wearing a numbered pinnie shirt. Members of the ECGH Coaching and Placement Committee will observe the practice, which will be run by the coaches of the teams. The committee will make the final placement decisions in consultation with the team coaches.

How many girls will you place on each team?

In the U12 and U14 age groups, we will assign approximately the same number of girls to each team. We are committed to each A1 and A2 team having approximately the same number of players, probably between 12 and 16. We also intend that each team will be selected to have players with as consistent a level of skill as possible.

Are players evaluated for specific positions?

With the exception of goalies, no.

Register On-Line

Save time by registering on-line before coming to the rink for your pre-season skate. By going to the on-line registration page and registering now, you won't have to fill out forms on the day you skate. Just show up at the rink, check in, sign your form, pay the tuition and get on the ice. Register now! You can also download a PDF version of the application, fill it out and bring it with you. All players need to register and pay tuition prior to skating. You can get Acrobat Reader to read PDF documents at the Adobe website.

Peewee A Team in Montreal

The Wings U12 A1 team completed a four game home-and-home series with the Dollard Civics of Montreal. In addition to playing some excellent hockey, the girls from both teams had great fun getting to know each other over pizza and in the hotel swimming pools. After an exchange of email and IM addresses, some of the girls are busily plotting some week-long sleep-overs this summer to attend hockey camps in another country.

Bantam A1 team competes on the Cape

The Bantam A1's returned to the Cape Cod Classic tournament over Thanksgiving weekend.