Bridgton Academy Upgrades Hockey Schedule to Improve National Visibility

North Bridgton, ME (PRWeb) March 22, 2007 -- In a move to propel Wolverine ice hockey into the national spotlight, Bridgton Academy has announced its decision to leave the New England Prep School Athletic Conference (NEPSAC) and assume a schedule that will feature a combination of junior hockey teams as well as other prep school teams nationwide. (http://www.bridgtonacademy.org)

This change will allow the Wolverine hockey program to increase the number of games it plays from 30 to 45, and to begin practicing earlier in the season, providing an improved opportunity for skill development and exposure to college hockey coaches even greater than that of the current program. Other prep schools that offer a similar program are hockey powerhouses Shattuck-St. Mary's School in Faribault, Minnesota, and Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana; no prep school in New England offers this type of program.

"Bridgton Academy has always offered the perfect combination of both academics and hockey so that student-athletes may receive the training they need to succeed in college both in the classroom and on the ice," said Head Hockey Coach Jamie Printz. "Our new direction will provide our student-athletes with an even better opportunity to receive that training and to be recruited by college hockey programs."

"Our highly successful basketball, lacrosse, and football programs have received national recognition, and we are now looking to elevate our hockey program, which has been around for nearly 100 years, into a similar position," said Bridgton Academy Headmaster David N. Hursty. "We believe that this proposed change will accomplish this goal for us, as well as offer our students a greater opportunity to improve their skills and to play at the college level."

"This change in Bridgton Academy's hockey program will benefit both its players and college coaches," said Jeff Beaney, Head Coach of Hockey at the University of Southern Maine. "Players will have increased exposure to coaches of college programs like ours, and college coaches will have more opportunities to see players in action, particularly against other top programs."

Founded in 1808, Bridgton Academy (http://www.bridgtonacademy.org) is the only accredited college preparatory school in the nation whose student body is comprised entirely of postgraduate students who attend after high school and before college. Our mission is to ensure that our young men leave with the academic skills, study skills, self-discipline, and self-confidence necessary for success in college.

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