SHS Hockey–A Hotbed of Talent and Leadership

Last year, the Scituate Hockey Sailors–under the leadership of longtime head coach and Scituate lifer Mike Breen–skated their way to a 12-6-2 record, and showed major resiliency along the way. Unfortunately, the season didn’t conclude as most would have liked, as the Sailors were eliminated in the first round of the MIAA tournament by Medway.

Shortly after the season ended in defeat, Breen announced his retirement. After 18 years, four visits to the TD Garden, a state title, and an unmatched legacy, Breen needed a replacement, and the team pinned SHS physical education teacher and assistant coach Brian Hurcombe as the man for the job.

It’s well known that Scituate–and the South Shore in general–is a hotbed of hockey talent, but SHS often loses skillful players to private schools. For example, while there is currently a duo of Scituate kids playing in the National Hockey League, neither athlete ever actually suited up as a Sailor. One of Hurcombe’s initial goals as head coach was to appeal to budding hockey stars in the town of Scituate, especially those entering high school in the near future.

His full letter to those considering private schools over Scituate High can be found on the hockey team’s website, but the message was this: Why attend an expensive, distant, private high school where you may not even see playing time when SHS is in your own backyard? He detailed what made Scituate Hockey so special, and why participation is valuable preparation for college-level hockey.

Currently, the 2018-19 Sailors stand at 7-4, a strong record through 11 games, but with some room for improvement. The team has relied on a stellar first forward line for much of their goal scoring, a line made up of Mike Nisbet, Ian Loftus, and Angus Reid, all seniors captains. In fact, Scituate’s first line has accounted for almost half of the team’s total goals, 40% of assists, and 43% of points, making that forward trio one of the most potent around.

Fourth captain and two-year starter Ryan Song may not score a lot of goals, but he helps the team win from somewhere else: the net. This senior goalie has posted 2.36 goals against average thus far, and he’s held Scituate’s opponents to a goal or fewer in 4 of 11 games this year.

Song isn’t just a strong netminder–he’s a good teammate as well. According to junior Mike Ryan, he’s part of the team’s strong leadership group: “All the captains are leaders, most of the seniors really. They don’t throw anyone under the bus. Even if we’re losing, they always try to make sure we’re doing our best and working hard.”

Outside of the aforementioned dominating front line, the Sailors have seen production up and down the lineup, namely from junior Christian Donahue (5 goals, 9 points), sophomore Evan McBrien (5 and 8), and sophomore Troy Pratt (6 points).

Donahue himself said that the team’s chemistry is integral in their success: “My line is me, (Evan) McBrien, (Matt) Finnerty, and we’ve known each other pretty much since early elementary school. A lot of the time we know what we’re going to do on the ice, and that kind of goes for the rest of the team.”

“Driving to practice every day (in Pembroke) and hanging out at pasta parties just kinda builds more chemistry and brings us closer together, which helps out on the ice even more,” added Donahue.

It’s easy enough to look at the gaudy goal-scoring statistics and give them credit for where the team is now, but that might not be entirely accurate.

As the players themselves detail, leadership, stamina, and team chemistry go a long way in hockey. It’s a long season, and you won’t always get the bounce of the puck. The SHS boys hockey team is proving that good leadership and selfless play are just as important as goals and assists on the “Road to Gallo.”