The scores coming into the newspapers and television stations last season made it hard for many reporters to hold back laughter.
St. Dom’s 17, Skowhegan 1. Cheverus 16, Massabesic 0. Scarborough 14, Gray-New Gloucester/Poland 0. Kennebunk 15, Marshwood 0.
Make no mistake: The laughter wasn’t directed at the players or teams, but at a system which made the scores possible. The system was the same that forced many of the state’s best players to leave, citing a lack of competitive games. Also gone were the players on the losing end of things, tired of being humiliated night after night.
This year, after so many coaches and players complained so loudly, the Maine Principal’s Association has made some changes to allow teams more flexibility in their schedules. That’s why we went with the new schedule,’ said Mike Haley, a Leavitt High administrator and member of the MPA hockey committee. “We wanted to cut down drastically on those types of games.”
“We’d been trying to do tiers before,” added Lewiston High School coach Norm Gagne. “What we originally tried to do this time is to have three separate tier championships in Class A. What we have now came out of that.”
The main objection most schools had to the original proposal was the inability for all of the schools in Class A to compete for the same title.
“They didn’t want to play for separate championships,” said Gagne. “The way it turned out, they only wanted the schedule to be more competitive.”
The solution the hockey committee and the coaches and ADs reached seems simple, but it will make things a whole lot nicer, for both the “haves” and the “have-nots.”
“They gave us more flexibility with crossovers,” said Gagne.
“That worked out well.”
Last year, a team in Eastern Class A, like Lewiston, only scheduled a handful of games against Western teams, like Cheverus.
“Teams are allowed up to eight now,” said Gagne.
Lewiston, an elite team for as long as there has been high school hockey in Maine, will play seven crossover games this season – two each against St. Dom’s and Cheverus and one each against Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth and Portland. All of those schools finished at or near the top of their respective divisions last season and are traditionally stronger teams.
Add in two games each against Eastern teams such as Brunswick, Messalonskee, Waterville and rival Edward Little, and the Lewiston schedule has little in the way of fluff this season.
For the “lower tier” teams, those that were on the losing end of those 15- or 20-goal games last year, the new ability to cross over and schedule freely is welcome relief.
“It seems like the kids have a bit more energy,” said Skowhegan coach Scott Holmes.
The Indians didn’t win a single game last season.
“Looking at our schedule this year, and comparing records of last year’s teams, the kids really seem to have that extra step in them already,” said Holmes. “No matter how good a coach you are, it’s hard to get the kids pumped if they know they’re going to lose something like 20-1.”
Haley echoed Holmes’ sentiments.
“One of the things I emphasized as much as I could was, What fun is it going into a game as a player, coach, or a parent or fan knowing you’re going to get your butt kicked?'” said Haley. “It goes against everything we try to teach in athletics or that you learn in athletics.”
The switch will also entice players to remain at their respective high schools. Instead of leaving because there is no competition, or because there is no hope ever to win, students are more likely to stay, according to Haley.
“It goes both ways,” said Haley. “The kids will stay because they aren’t getting pounded, and you get kids that will stay because they are not sitting on the bench while the fourth line plays all the time.”
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