Team Spotlight: Girls Varsity Hockey 2026 Edition!

Proctor's Girls Varsity Hockey Program plays one of the most demanding schedules in New England prep hockey, and this year's squad met that challenge head-on. The team swept the Governor's Tournament in December, posted dominant wins over Vermont Academy and Brewster, and competed with some of the strongest programs in NEPSAC. With a senior class closing out their Proctor hockey careers, co-captains Reagan '26 and Tina '26 reflect on what this season has meant to them and the team, and what they hope will be carried forward.

What comes through in their reflections is a team built on grit and steadiness, and how they learned not to ride too high after wins or too low after losses, but to keep showing up for each other every day. Both captains talk about what it means to be part of a community that extends beyond the ice – the teammate who stops them after a loss, the bonds built on bus rides and in the dining hall, and the sense that this group became a family. As Reagan puts it, the team's identity came down to four words they chose for themselves at the start of the year: grit, unity, accountability, and together.

This season has had its share of highs and lows. How has the team weathered those ups and downs, and what does that say about the culture you've built together?

Reagan '26 (Co-Captain): Our team is very strong and supportive. While we have had lots of ups and downs throughout this season, we have pulled together and gotten it done for each other. No matter what, we have not given up, and we absolutely have not let tough losses get us down. I would say those tough losses made us even stronger as a team; we got hungrier, dug down, and worked together to do our best. We are a very gritty team; we have not let up the gas. Throughout the season, we chose to hone our skills and play as one. I think the four words we came up with at the beginning of the season for ourselves perfectly define our team culture: grit, unity, accountability, and together.

Tina '26 (Co-Captain): Throughout the highs and lows of the season we have continuously talked about how important it is to stay level headed. I think that a lot of our early struggles this season came from getting too low in hard moments or following losses. As the season progressed we began to look for the positives in those games and bring those forward into the next games we would play. Following big wins like the ones against Vermont and Brewster we discussed how important it was to continue to build off those wins.

 

 

What's it been like captaining this team together, and what have you learned about leadership this season?

Reagan '26: Having Christina as a captain partner has been amazing. I think we work very well together, and we have really got into a groove this year with what works for us, which is so amazing. I have learned so much this season as a captain, and while we have had our ups and downs, I think this season has been amazing and has left me with so many valuable lessons off the ice. I have learned how important it is to enjoy the time we have together, to push each other on and off the ice, and to make sure we are being the best versions of ourselves.

Tina '26: It's been great. Our team is full of so many individuals who carry so many different personalities that I think it was important to learn how to bring everyone's individual traits together into the best team we could.

Every team develops its own identity over the course of a season. How would you describe this team's personality, and how did it take shape?

Reagan '26: Our team personality is built on friendship, competition, grit, and so much more. We had to learn to work with each other, but when we found ways that did work, we were able to really thrive into our strongest selves. It took shape, I think, over our tournament at Governor's. During this tournament, we had three amazing wins and spent a lot of time together as a team, which really helped us define what we wanted this season. We wanted to win games, have fun, and enjoy our time together.

Tina '26: I would say we are a hard working team. We are a team that has stuck together during big games leading to a lot of the success we've found this year. Our game against New Hampton is a great example of our team sticking together through the end to play a great game against a really good team we have historically struggled against.

What do you love most about being part of Proctor hockey?

Reagan '26: There is so much I love and appreciate about Proctor hockey. There is honestly too much to say, but the people who have made up the team all four years I have been here truly are what make it so special. I have had the opportunity to create such strong bonds with so many people. The hockey team is one big family, and we have created so many amazing memories together. From the tournaments we have attended and the Beanpot games we have watched to all the team bonding we have done, come such lasting memories. I think overall, the friendship and amazing opportunities we have been lucky to create and experience truly are the best part of Proctor hockey.

Another part I love is the support we have, from people in the community to people all around. After every game, a community member stops us to talk about it, and it's just so special to have those conversations and the support. We have so much support from each other, our coaches, our parents, and the community members, and we are so lucky to have that.

Tina '26: I love being part of the community here. We have an amazing group of encouraging, enthusiastic, and hard working individuals that have come together to create a team that is so fun to be a part of. Everyone shows up every day ready to give everything they have and I think that is definitely something special that I am very grateful to have been a part of.

As you get ready to close out your Proctor hockey careers, what do you hope your teammates carry forward next year?

Reagan '26: I want this team to carry our confidence and grit from this season to future ones. We have really found ourselves this season, and while the team is losing a good amount of seniors, the rest of the team absolutely has the ability to continue this groove. We had a lot of tough losses, but we also had amazing wins, and while this is not easy, I think it ultimately left our team with important lessons they can definitely take into next year. Some things I really hope my teammates stick to next year are: keeping up the support for each other, doing what you can for each other, competing together, and winning and losing together.

Tina '26: I think that so much of our success came from our ability to come together during hard games and trust that everyone was giving their all. I hope that as this season comes to a close next year's team will bring a similar work ethic and level of determination to win games we carried throughout this season.

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