There are many storied teams in the history of high-school sports other than what we cover, whether it is Hyattsville DeMatha (Md.) in boys’ basketball, Carmel (Ind.) in girls’ swimming, and Concord De La Salle (Calif.) in football.
And then, there’s Woonsocket Mount Saint Charles Academy (R.I.), a school which has won 46 state championships in boys’ ice hockey under the aegis of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League. The school won 26 consecutive state titles from 1978 to 2003.
But there have been changes afoot at the school in recent years. In 2019, the school opened an on-campus residence hall for boarding students. The school had not had on-campus boarders in the past five decades.
A year ago this week, MSC announced it was going to be joining the New England Preparatory Schools Athletic Council for all sports beginning in 2025.
But in a less-publicized move, Mount St. Charles started a field hockey team this fall. The team is playing a NEPSAC schedule but didn’t enter the Class C tournament. Instead, the Mounties played in the Small Independent School Cup tournament. On Nov. 9, the Mount beat East Greenwich Rocky Hill (R.I.) 2-0 in the cup final.
Let’s refocus you on this achievement. This is a first-year team, winning a terminal game for a championship against quality opposition. It’s an achievement, regardless of the team’s record or amount of goals scored.
This is also a hopeful sign, especially in these days of club and private-school field hockey. If the school puts in the time, effort, and resources to build a winning culture within the team, who knows how far this team can go?
Full marks to head coach Meg Martin, her staff, and players for this championship season. And a hearty “Well-played!” from this corner.
