Camp raises funds and promotes Tommies hockey
This summer’s Tommies Hockey School was a big stride forward, says St. Thomas’s athletic director.
“We received great feedback from both the schools,” said Mike Eagles “…although not as extensive as UNB, we are looking to grow ours [and] keep wanting to make it bigger and better.”
Eagles lead the male school with help from his coaching staff, Brad Shepard, and Don Feeney. STU hockey players such as Alex Labonte, Charles Lavigne, Matt Eagles, Erick Tremblay, Guillaume Miszczak, and Andrew Andricopoulos also helped with the school.
Not only did players from Fredericton participate in the school, young hockey players from Sussex, Bathurst and St. Quinton did as well.
“The hockey school and Jr. Tommie’s are a great way to connect with young hockey players, to develop an interest in our teams and our school,” said Mike Eagles, who’s also the head coach of the STU men’s hockey team.
The money raised through the hockey schools will better fund both STU men and women’s hockey teams during the school year.
However, because of the Canada Summer Games and other athletic events over the summer, only 20 girls participated in the Tommies female hockey school.
Head coach Peter Murphy hopes to double the number of athletes in the program next summer. Female athletes who fit into bantam, midget, or pee-wee bantam could join the summer program, which holds up to 75 spots.
Murphy, as well as graduate player Ashley Duguay, and STU women hockey players such as Kayla Blackmore, Olympic hockey/ STU player Lucrece Nussbaum, Kristin Wolfe, and Amanda Burns, ran the school.
Murphy wanted to give the athletes the same high quality schooling that any provincial player would receive. This includes sports psychology, nutrition, leadership, and skills.
“We want them to get something out of it,” said Murphy.
