Sports On Ice: Milton Academy Competes in Elite and Tough ISL League
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n early version of ice hockey was first played at King’s College in Windsor, Nova Scotia, around 1800. It evolved from the off-ice game hurly, which was popular in Ireland. Through the 19th century, the game grew to become the national pastime of Canada. While winters in Milton, Massachusetts, aren’t as brutal as those up north, hockey has become a favorite competitive sport here, too. The Academy’s boys’ team members assumed their hockey sticks around 1900, playing on a rink behind Forbes House. In 1953, the Roberts Rink was constructed. It was replaced in the late ’90s with a state-of-the-art synthetic
rink in the Athletic and Convocation Center, which now hosts the boys’ and girls’ teams. Both teams play in the competitive Independent School League (ISL) and are guided – despite hockey’s reputation as a fierce sport – by the league’s principles of honor, proper conduct and sportsmanship. “The ISL is a fantastic league for Milton to be a part of because it provides great athletic and educational opportunities,” says Mike Kinnealey, athletic director. “For hockey in particular, it give us the finest competition in the region in terms of depth and skill.”
“For me, hockey is about the right combination of working hard and having fun,” says Lisa Stirling, head coach of the girls’ team. “You can be aggressive and maintain control.” Lisa grew up playing hockey with the boys in her neighborhood. “I’m competitive. I’ve also had great coaches,” she says. “I piece together what I’ve learned from them with newer ideas about drills.” At home, she gets great tips, too. Her fatherin-law is head coach of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and her husband’s business is Puckmasters, a hockey training center in Norwood, Massachusetts. “Our coaches love to win, as do most people. They try to keep it in perspective, though, and like to see our team working hard and loving hockey,” says Liz Keady, captain of the girls’ team. “Our coaches get the best out of each player. It is easy to be a good coach if your players are all very talented. At Milton we have talented players, but the coaches here make them take it to the next level. Everyone improves every season. “Hockey is a fast-paced sport, as well as extremely competitive. There are millions of one-on-one battles in the corner every shift,” Liz says. “It’s important to keep learning,” agrees Lisa. “We’re skating six nights a week. But the girls know that school always comes first. I talk to them about time management,” she says.
1915 Hockey Team
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“We’re in one of the best leagues in the country,” says Paul Marks ’81, who played hockey, football and baseball as a student at Milton. “Players in this league are draft-