Governor's Teams

 

With a focus on fast and aggressive play, the Governor’s Boys Varsity Hockey team has maintained its reputation as a perennial New England powerhouse. Teammates encourage each other to seize every offensive opportunity in transition and to remain disciplined in their defensive principles. Team culture is built around an expectation of hard work, accountability, and respect, and the coaching staff is committed to maintaining high standards for character and sportsmanship. Governor’s hockey players relish the opportunity to play a game they love with teammates who make them better players and people. 

The team practices and competes on campus in the Whiston•Bragdon Arena, a state-of-the-art rink featuring NHL-sized ice, five spacious locker rooms, a classroom for film breakdown, an athletic training center, skate-sharpening technology, and a warming space for fans. Throughout the season, captains organize school-wide themes for home games including Pajama Night and Jersey Night to amplify the student cheering section on winter weekends. The team also organizes an annual  “Pink at the Rink” community service event in collaboration with Girls Varsity Hockey, and during the 2022-2023 event, the programs raised over $6,000 for the Jimmy Fund. 

While the NESPAC season formally begins in mid-November, Whiston•Bragdon Arena provides ice for informal fall skates beginning in the second week of September. The majority of players compete in the New England Fall Prep League, playing 18-20 preseason games that are intentionally scheduled to avoid fall athletic commitments and allow the boys to begin building chemistry together. Following tryouts in mid-November, the in-season schedule creates a routine for practices, lifting workouts, recovery and mobility sessions, and film breakdown. Govs provides a strength and conditioning coach who creates workouts that correlate with the team’s game schedule and practice intensity as well as two full-time athletic trainers to assist with rehabilitation and recovery from injuries .  

Govs competes in the sixteen-team Independent School League (ISL), widely regarded as one of the most competitive high school hockey leagues in the country. Govs plays in the ISL’s more challenging Keller Division against strong programs such as Belmont Hill and Nobles and also competes against non-league perennial powerhouses such as Kimball Union Academy and Phillips Andover. They also travel to Cushing Academy’s Holiday Tournament to prepare for the busy January and February stretch and develop strong bonds with teammates off the ice. Every year, the team’s goals include earning a spot in NEPSAC’s Elite Eight or Piatelli Small School Tournament, named in honor of Governor’s legendary coach Larry Piatelli. 

For more information, please reach out to Head Coach Brian McGuirk ’04.

Alums in Action: 
Jack Farrell ‘23 – Bentley University
Max LaCroix ‘23 – Boston University 
Owen Fowler ‘21 – University of Massachusetts Lowell
Jack Pascucci ‘21 – University of Connecticut