Father and Daughter Guide Girls Hockey Program to First Ever Division 1 State Title

On the ice, Beth Findley emerged as one of the fiercest competitors to have ever donned the girls hockey sweater.

Now after leading the l girls hockey team to their first ever Division 1 State title, Findley not only reveled in the moment with her teammates, but also her father Tom Findley, who happens to serve as the head coach.

“Winning the state title with my father as the head coach, was definitely a special feeling,’’ said Findley, the winning goalie of the State Champion Hingham hockey team. “On the ice, it’s pretty much all business but off of it, my dad and I always have a special relationship. After all the games, we usually talk about the game and what we need to do to improve or how do we make certain adjustments.”

As for her father, winning the state title with his daughter was a feeling he’ll cherish for the rest of his life.

“It’s always a great feeling coaching your daughters, but winning the state title is indescribable,’’ said coach  Findley. “It’s definitely special because my daughter Beth is a senior and she was able to finish out right on top. Not many people can finish off their high school careers as state champions. The whole experience has definitely brought us closer together.”

A lifelong Hingham native, Beth’s passion for the sport developed at an early age, where she played in various travel leagues.

“My dad and my uncle loved hockey for as long I can remember,’’ she said. “They still play in area leagues, and they’ve been really been supportive of everything. If it weren’t for them and a few others, I’m not sure if we would even have girls’ hockey here in [Hingham].”

As a member of the U-14 South Shore Lady Hawks, Beth developed into a rising prospect between the pipes and quickly raised the eyebrows of her peers and fellow coaches. Following her time for the South Shore Lady Hawks, Findley ventured onto the Bay State Breakers, an elite South Shore team that featured several members of Thayer Academy as well as Braintree and other various prep schools.

“I wasn’t really a great skater, so I decided to give goaltending a shot,’’ she said.. “Goaltenders are always in demand, so I knew that if I were to really focus and put my effort into it, then I would have a chance at playing at the varsity level.”

While honing her skills for the South Shore Lady Hawks, Findley would often follow her father and older sister Meg, who graduated in 2008.

Meg, who rotated between defense and forward during the Harborwomen’s first four years in existence, also led the squad to a Division 2 title.

“I remember I would watch my father and Meg play, and thinking to myself that I couldn’t wait until I started playing for them,’’ she said. “It was really exciting to watch them, and they definitely gave me a lot of inspiration to be the player I was at Hingham.”

After three years of waiting, Beth Findley finally earned her spot on the varsity squad as starting goaltender her freshman season. In his first season, she managed to post a 1.85 goals against average while leading the Harborwomen to the Division 2 title with a 6-1 win over Milton at Harvard University’s Bright Arena in 2008.

“It was such an awesome feeling winning the state title, and as a freshman you’re always thinking that you’re going to have another shot before you graduate high school,’’ said Findley. “Having my dad and my older sister there with me was just a feeling I couldn’t describe. It was one of those special moments that I’m sure I’ll never forget. I really looked up to Meg growing up and sharing that feeling of winning the state title was just indescribable."

Following Meg’s graduation, Findley and her father’s relationship on and off the ice continued to grow. In her sophomore season, Findley managed another fine season, while leading the Harborwmen to a trip to the Division 1 state semifinals.

“We were in Division 2 for the first four years of the program’s existence, and then my [dad] really pushed us to be in Division 1,’’ said Findley. “It was definitely a challenge playing in the Division 1 tournament, but it was definitely a great experience.”

Despite the trip to the semifinals in their first ever year as a Division 1, the Harborwomen suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss to Woburn.

As a junior, Findley guided the Harborwomen to another successful season, and managed to lead the squad to a trip to the quarterfinal round. Facing St. Mary’s of Lynn, who were in the midst of a 100-game winning streak spanning over four seasons, the Harborwomen suffered a tough 4-3 defeat.

“I thought we played great against St. Mary’s and we just came up short,’’ said Findley. “We matched up well with them, and it was very close, but in the end, they were just a little stronger and took advantage of their opportunities.”

In her senior season, Findley was anointed tri-captain for the Harborwomen and paved the way for a 16-4-2 regular season mark. After dominating in a 9-1 win over Medford, the Harborwomen faced their toughest challenge against long time nemesis St. Mary’s of Lynn in the quarterfinals.

After losing to the Spartans six consecutive times over a four year span, the Harborwomen emerged with one of the most shocking upsets in recent tournament history. Tied at 2-2 through the end of regulation, the Harborwomen finally snapped the Spartans’ 100-game losing streak with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win.

“It was just an unbelievable feeling,’’ she said. “The pressure was all on them and we really didn’t have anything to lose. We came out into the overtime relaxed and focused, and we were able to capitalize right away. I wasn’t really nervous and I was confident that we were going to pull through.”

Despite the Harborwomen’s thrilling victory over St. Mary’s, the road to the championship wasn’t over yet as Winthrop/Lynn awaited them in the semifinal round.

At one point, the Harborwomen were on the verge of defeat facing a pair of early deficits before tying the contest at 3-3 heading into the overtime. In the extra session, the Harborwomen’s season nearly came to an end as a shot glanced directly on the crossbar.

Still tied at 3-3 after 12:00 of overtime, the Harborwomen emerged victorious in a 6-4 shootout win.

“We had like 45 shots on their goalie, and she was stopping everything in sight,’’ said Findley. “We just weren’t going to let a goaltender single handedly beat us, and we came through in the shootout. We might have let our guard down a little bit after the St. Mary’s game. We were a bit nervous, but at the same time we believed in ourselves.”

Advancing to their first ever championship game against Acton-Boxboro last Sunday night, the Harborwomen staked out to a 2-0 lead before the Colonials trimmed the gap late in the second period. Minutes later, the Harborwomen struck again for the 3-1 edge as the defense held ground en route to the state championship win.

“As a father and a coach, it’s just an unbelievable feeling,’’ said coach Findley. “Coaching your daughters is a once in a lifetime experience, but to win (two) state titles with both Meg and Beth is something you really can’t describe. It’s just an awesome feeling.”

While Beth remains undecided regarding her collegiate plans, she hopes to play hockey at the next level.

“I have several schools in mind, but I’m not sure where I’m going,’’ she said. “We’ll just have to wait and see what happens, but right now I’m just enjoying the feeling with my dad about being a state champion.”