Chris Lowrey
SHAWVILLE Oct. 23, 2017
Pontiac High School (PHS) students will have the ability to test their hockey skills against their peers in the high school’s new intra-mural hockey league.
The Pontiac High Hockey League is the brainchild of PHS teachers Luke Murphy and Paul Chevrier.
“We wanted to promote inclusiveness in the student body,” Chevrier said as he donned his referee gear before hitting the ice for the league’s inaugural game.
The league features four teams with ten players plus a goalie on each team. Each team will play 12 regular season games followed by a best-of-three series for both the semi-final and final. The league will feature students from grades 7-11.
In keeping with Chevrier and Murphy’s desire for inclusiveness, each team also has a girl in the lineup.
Even with four teams in the league, some students felt there was room for more – if only one particular team had the courage to enter.
“The teachers should have entered a team but they’re too scared,” said grade 10 student and linesman Kaelen Ireland before the game.
“It’d be too easy,” Murphy shot back with a smile.
The league is set up to be a well-run endeavour thanks to several student volunteers.
“Some kids don’t play organized hockey so we wanted to give them a league experience,” Chevrier said.
Student volunteers handle everything from scorekeeping to keeping track of the players’ statistics and posting them to the Pontiac High Hockey League website for all to see.
“Even if you’re not into hockey, there’s something for everybody,” Chevrier said.
The league will feature Murphy and Chevrier donning the stripes as referees, as well as four PHS students who are certified referees that will work the lines.
Since referees tend to experience their fair share of abuse, Ireland was quick to respond when asked if he looked forward to the chance to chirp a teacher with fewer repercussions.
“I can chirp them all I want,” Ireland said. “I’m certified, they’re not.”
Ireland’s counterpart as linesman was fellow grade 10 student Rayden Besharah, who was doing the first game of his career.
The zebras had a relatively easy time during the league’s first game – only having to hand out 3 penalties in total.
The first game in league history saw the Highlanders emerge with a 4-2 victory over the Gloryhounds on Monday afternoon.
Games take place on Monday’s and Thursday’s at 3:30 at the Shawville Arena. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come out and watch some entertaining hockey.
