Every day after school, three ice hockey players from Foran hop onto a van and take a 30-minute ride to the Louis Astorino Ice Arena in Hamden.
There, they take to the ice with the other members of their tri-city hockey team, the Dragons. Milford, Hamden, and New Haven come together to make up one of several girl’s co-op high school hockey teams across the state, and they’re putting in the prep time in hopes of winning this year’s SCC Championship.
After winning last year at the SCC Championship and having an impressive run in the 2024 state playoffs, the Dragons are back at it, pushing for a high seed in this year’s rankings.
Last year, they came up short, losing to Darien in the quarter-finals of the state playoffs. But starting this season with a 4-6 record, the Dragons are looking to repeat history and return to the postseason, this time for a win.
Junior Angie Vargas is a player for the girl’s hockey team. Vargas is competing in her first year on the team.
“Communication is pretty good with the team. All the girls make a genuine effort to get to know … quickly; we all became somewhat like sisters,” Vargas says.
With girls from three different towns who are balancing different school schedules, the team’s success is not impacted in the slightest. The coaches and players have found a way to make the practices and game schedules work for everyone.
Senior Jacqueline Maurice has been surrounded by the sport for about 12 years. She has been a key to the Dragons’ victory, and has learned how to balance the sport she loves with the drive for her education.
Maurice says, “We pushed back our practices to a later time just so that all of us would be able to make it to practices, but the different schedules don’t cause a problem.”
With a 30 minute travel time, the girls are offered time to catch up on homework as they wait to get to their destination.
Vargas says, “The distance can be difficult at times, given the fact that the ride there and back is around 40 minutes. It’s definitely a sacrifice, choosing to stick with hockey instead of joining another team that actually stays in Milford.”
Adapting to the conditions of the season is something that both girls agree might sound difficult, but comes to them with ease with some practice and getting used-to.
Head coach Jessica Connoly says that she enjoys coaching the co-op team because it “brings a unique experience for the girls and the team. All the schools have been super supportive of us and try to be involved as much as they can.”
The Dragon’s next game is on Feb. 17 at 2 pm, when they will face off against the Mercy High School Tigers.
