Suffield Girls Ice Hockey Club Completes Successful Initial Season

SUFFIELD, CT — A group of girls from six high schools in northern Connecticut has completed its inaugural season as an ice hockey club team, experiencing a great deal of success in its initial campaign.

Suffield Wildcats Hockey, comprised of players from Enfield, Ellington, Granby, Canton and Salisbury in addition to Suffield, polished off its first season with a 3-1 victory over the UConn club team Feb. 25 at the Enfield Twin Rinks.

The Wildcats finished with a 15-4 record, scoring 82 goals while allowing just 23. The team posted six shutouts.

Victories came not only against other club teams, but also over established varsity programs such as Simsbury and Mercy/Northwest Catholic. The team dropped a 1-0 overtime heartbreaker to SCC Division 1 champion East Catholic/Glastonbury/South Windsor, and initiated a Border Cup series against a co-op team from Longmeadow, Mass.

The program got started when parent Tracy Lupone approached Suffield athletic director Mike Bosworth about forming a team. A lot of hard work ensued to get the team off the ground, including the appointments of head coach Joe Gozzi and assistants Brian McCusker and Mike Tenczar.

After a second year of club play next season, the program hopes to be added as a varsity sport for 2018-19.

Photo and video credits: Mike Tittmann