Women's hockey team finds its niche but seeks a goalie

SALISBURY — Half in black jerseys, half in white, the women of the Salisbury Stingers hockey team took to the ice at The Hotchkiss School Friday, Jan. 29, for a friendly scrimmage.

“We just decided it’s more fun to play each other,†said player Buzz McGraw.

The Stingers, a team of women ages 20 to 51, practice at Hotchkiss on Wednesdays at 6 a.m. They’ve been playing for a dozen or so years — “I was still breastfeeding when I started,†one player recalled — and have had their ups and downs.

It seems to be an up year. There are 30 players on the roster and 26 athletes strapped on skates, helmets and padding Friday night. They’re currently short a goalie and take on coaching responsibilities themselves.

“We’re a self-coached team,†said Karin Noyes, a player who had to sit out the scrimmage because of an injury.

Historically, various players’ husbands have served as coaches. “We decided we don’t need men with us any more,†Noyes said.

“But we really need a goalie. We haven’t felt like a team without a regular goalie.â€

At the scrimmage Friday, Sommer Brown, daughter of Stinger Sandy Brown and a freshman member of the Hotchkiss JV hockey team, stepped into the net. Other family members — here the men still find a place — help out as refs. That night, McGraw’s husband, Robin, donned the whistle.

“If you’re not wearing a mouth guard and you get a concussion — that’s it,†he said before the game, reminding the players of a league rule.

The atmosphere was congenial and supportive. Skills vary from those who played in college to those who can skate but haven’t done much stick work to those who first learned to skate after joining the team.

“They pick it up after a while,†Noyes said. “You can see the different levels by who stays on their feet.â€

Though this was a friendly match, the Stingers do compete with teams across the state and in neighboring states.

But mostly, it’s about having fun.

And finding a goalie.

“I’m thinking there’s a goalie out there who doesn’t know about us,†Noyes said.

For more information about joining the team, contact Noyes at knoyes@hotchkiss.org or 860-435-2767, or check out the Salisbury Stingers Facebook page.

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