Hingham Hockey - A Tradition of Success
The rich history and longtime success of Hingham High hockey is no accident; it is the product of the hard work and caring of many people. Hingham was among the first schools in Massachusetts not only to produce championships, but to produce players and coaches of character, skill and good sportsmanship. The team playing today is linked to this past, and currently adds much on its own to Hingham hockey tradition. Competitive hockey goes back to the early 1930’s when amateur teams played in a South Shore league based in Quincy. A few years later a group of volunteers created the Hingham Skating Club at the pond on East Street. Literally hundreds of games were played every winter utilizing makeshift boards, nets, and even overhead lighting. Even then the Hingham Hockey Club was a winner, routinely finishing at the top of the league. In 1941, they reached the finals of the New England AAU championships before losing to Berlin, NH, 2-1 in four overtimes. The same year, the team entered the national championships where they reached the semifinals before losing to the team from Messina, NY, 7-6. Boston College was the champion that year.
Hingham High School hockey was started during this time by one of the town’s great sports legends, Bill Cronin, Sr., who also coached the school’s football and baseball teams. Bill was a spectacular athlete at Hingham High, Boston College and with the Providence Steamrollers professional football club. During these years, the team practiced on the Broad Cove Creek (behind Derby Academy) before moving to the Skating Club on East Street. Even then there was great fan interest. Under Cronin’s direction in the early 50’s, the South Shore High School Hockey League was formed, including teams from Weymouth, Quincy, North Quincy, Archbishop Williams, Milton and Braintree. At Cronin’s request, the Boston Garden allowed the league to play on Thursday nights, provided they could guarantee a crowd of 300. Every Thursday, the league played three games, and, by the mid-50’s, it was usual for twenty buses of Hingham fans to attend the games.
The 1950’s produced great teams that routinely challenged for the state title - there was only one division. Future Hingham Hall of Famers Ed Connors, Dave Morse, Bill Cronin, Jr. and Ned Platner were known as “The Big Four” and began the winning tradition. Morse and Cronin later played for Harvard, and Connors, who would return to coach the team, went on to star at B.U. While this group won many memorable games, they are also remembered for a heartbreaking loss to eventual champ, Arlington, in the state tournament, 2-1, in a game requiring four overtimes over two days! It would take until 1971 for the Harbormen to avenge that loss.
When Bill Cronin Sr. died suddenly in 1956, Dan Hall succeeded him as coach and kept the tradition alive. A few years later, Walter Anderson, an All-American at B.U., would take over. Among the many great players of this era was Steve Dowling, who went on to captain the Boston College team. When Anderson had to choose football or hockey in 1966, Ed Connors, who played for Hall, was ready. He introduced the novel idea of weight training and video watching to improve performance—it worked. Many great players proudly wore Hingham red during this era—future coach Steve Daly, John Hiltz, Kevin Duggan, Jeff Gill, Leo Scary, Jack Merrill and Joe Hammond. During this time there were still very few rinks available. In an effort to create a regular schedule, the coaches flooded one of the old concrete ammunition buildings in the Hingham depot and strung up some lights to create a practice facility. Irregular dimensions and an occasional odd patch of concrete through the ice made this facility short lived, however. The Ridge Arena in Braintree was the site for all games; crowds of 3000-4000 were routine. One of Hingham’s great victories occurred in 1968 when Hingham shocked defending, undefeated state champion Needham, 2-0, in the first round of the playoffs before a screaming crowd of 5000 fans. One of the biggest upsets in the 25-year history of the tournament saw both goals scored by Hingham legend Bobby Coughlin, and masterful goaltending by Kevin Duggan.
Steve Daly succeeded Ed Connors for the 1973-74 season and didn’t miss a beat. Pilgrim Arena opened, providing a great home rink for games and practices. The Harbormen compiled a record of 100-33-12 in the Old Colony League and a state tournament record of 9-7, including five games played in the Garden. Great players included Jack O’Neil, Dick Hamel, the Cox brothers, Hugh Gorman and the first of the legendary Messina brothers, Tony. One of the great highlights of this era was the 1980 team which compiled a 20-3 record and went four games into the state tournament before losing to eventual champion Matignon, 5-4. Tony Messina had a hat trick and Paul McCarthy recorded 49 saves. Also in 1980, the Hingham High School Hockey Boosters were born under the direction of Paula and Tony Messina Sr., a tradition which continues today.
In 1982, Garrett Reagan took control of the Harbormen and began to establish two very important traditions—winning and sportsmanship. During the early years of his tenure, Reagan led the Harbormen to three Old Colony Championships, seven Atlantic Coast Championships and a Patriot League Championship. Hingham was a fixture in tournament play and won the Division II State Championship in 1992 and 1997.
The 1992 squad, led by captains Brian McNulty and Rick Schuhwerk, went 23-3-1 during the season and prevailed over St. John’s of Shrewsbury 2-1 at the Boston Garden. The 1997 team, led by captains Bryan Gautreau and Mark Melanson and goalie, Mark Carlson, also ended their season with a record of 23-1-1 and beat Newburyport, 7-1, at the Fleet Center to win their second Division 2 title. This victory classified the 1992 team as the only squad to win both state championship and the James F. Mulloy Sportsmanship Award.
In 1998 Hingham became an independent Division 1 team in order to compete with the best teams in the state and in 2001, the Harbormen confirmed Coach Reagan’s strategic decision. They went 18-6-2 and in a very exciting game at the Fleet Center, Captains Kevin Olson, Mike Cavanaugh, and Anthony Forgione led the team in a real nail biter against St. John’s of Shrewsbury. With 58 seconds left in the game, Andrew Genovese curled out of the corner and found Jed McDonald alone at the point. His slap shot found it’s way home, and the Harbormen held on to win their first Division 1 title, 5-4!
Since 2001, Hingham qualified for the Super 8 tournament 5 years in a row. In 2002, Kevin Olson, Andrew Genovese, and Mike Boles led the team to a 23-3-1 record. They defeated Reading, Billerica, and St. John’s of Shrewsbury before falling to CM in the semi-finals. 2003 proved to be equally exciting as the team went 19-5-1 to earn a # 4 Super 8 seed with Garret Daigler, Greg Genovese and Jed McDonald at the helm. Austin Prep, Arlington Catholic, and Chelmsford all fell to the Harbormen but CM prevailed again in semi-final round at BU.
Even after losing 8 key players to graduation, the 2004 squad posted a 14-6-5 record as Alex Olson, Brian Collins, Bryan Wilbur, and Mike Genovese propelled the Harbormen to their second #4 ranking in the Super 8. In the new Round Robin format, Hingham trounced Duxbury 8-0, but CM struck again to end their season.
The 2005 team finally put an end to CM’s reign as the Harbormen beat CM 3-2 in front of a sell-out crowd at Pilgrim Arena for the first time since 1965! Captains Brian Buckley, Mike Genovese, and Ty McDonald guided the team to another impressive season (15-8-2). The 2006 team kept up the pace to make it 5 years in a row qualifying for the Super 8. Captains Ty McDonald and Mike Perkins led the Harbormen to a 16-6-3 season. In 2006-2007, the Harbormen finished the season with a 13-10 record. Captains Matt Genovese, Jay Dupras, and Trevor Marsden led the team to a Division 1A tournament appearance.
The Harbormen have won the James F. Mulloy Sportsmanship Award multiple times in Division 1A (2000, 2005) and Division 2 (1997). Under Coach Reagan’s 26 years of leadership, Hingham has consistently been among the least penalized teams in Massachusetts.
The 2007 – 2008 season signaled the end of an era for Hingham High School Hockey. What would be the legendary Coach Garrett Reagan’s final season behind the bench, the Harbormen did not disappoint. Captains Conor Leary and Steve Sypek would lead a prototypical GR coached team. Strong leadership, team defense, contributions from across the board and sportsmanship delivered a number two seed in the Super Eight Tournament, the James Mulloy Sportsmanship Award, and a 17-6-2 final record.
Shortly after the season ended, GR stepped down as Head Coach after leading the Harbormen for 26 seasons and passed the torch to long-time assistant and former Hingham captain Tony Messina. Following months of helping Tony and the current coaching staff with the transition and off-season responsibilities, Garrett passed away suddenly on June 17th.
The Hingham High School coaches and players have dedicated this season and all future seasons to Garrett’s memory for all that he did for the Harbormen program and the sport of Hockey in the town of Hingham.
The 2008 – 2009 saw Tony place his own fingerprints on the team, as he worked with Captains Brendan Wilbur, Cam Scullen and Ryan Driscoll to produce a team that continued the tradition of strong disciplined defense with overwhelming effort to gain entry into the Super 8 Championship Tournament as a #4. Three close games during the tournament however resulted in elimination by nemesis and eventual champ Catholic Memorial in the third bracket game and a final record of 16-4-5.
The 2009 – 2010 team returned with renewed enthusiasm under new Athletic Director Magaret Conaty. They started the year under Co-Captains Conor Coveney and Eric Sherman as a team on a mission. Their power play, penalty kill and explosive first line scoring had them dominating many of the early games and earned them another entry into the Super 8 Championship as a #3 seed. This time the experience on defense, superior goaltending and vaunted power play earned them the right to play in the Crossover round. In an incredible game against a powerhouse Malden Catholic team, Hingham won in overtime 4-3. The final game was against arch rival and defending champion, Catholic Memorial, on a monsoon Sunday afternoon at Boston Garden. The stands were filled with a sea of red as the fans of the team cheered wildly. The game was decided on a first period power play goal and Hingham’s strong team defense and goaltending. The final score was 1-0 and Hingham skated off with their first Super 8 Championship. During the 2010 – 2011 season the Harbormen refused to rest on their laurels. Under the leadership of Captains Tim Driscoll and Alex Pompeo the defending State Champions rode a record of 13-5- 4 to another appearance in the Super 8 as a number 5 seed. The regular season was highlighted by a thrilling 3-2 win over the eventual State Champions, Malden Catholic Lancers, at the old Pilgrim barn. The Harbormen handed Malden Catholic their only loss on their championship season.
The 2011 – 2012 year was viewed by many to be a rebuilding year, but nobody told that to Captains Ryan Linehan, James Gordon and Matt Hughes. They led a Harbormen team to an impressive 16- 4 -2 regular season record, highlighted by a streak of 11 straight wins and a 13-game unbeaten streak, which catapulted the Harbormen to a number 4 seed in the Super 8. Hingham was alone carrying the public-school banner in a field of all Catholic schools (the first time in 21 year tournament history) The Harbormen at this point have qualified for the Super 8 tournament in 10 of the last 11 seasons. The Harbormen were also once again the proud recipients of the James F. Mulloy, Team Sportsmanship Award.
The 2012-2013 ended just short of the Championship Game in the Boston Garden for the Division 1 tournament. The team led by Captains, Andrew Flynn and Matt Brazel, held their own in another very competitive season with a final record of 16-9-2. They finished the regular season with a huge 10-1 win over Marshfield to quality for a play-in game for the Super 8. A heartbreak loss to Central Catholic in overtime brought the boys to the Division 1 South tournament where they finished second to a strong Marshfield team looking for redemption. Hingham’s strong tradition continues with another top ten MIAA ranking (9th).
2013-2014 was a trying year for the Harbormen, after ending the season without a playoff berth in many years. A season filled with injuries to our key players added to our struggles. Through these difficult times, the team pulled together as a unit, and gave it their best shot. A mixture of our more experienced players and younger players worked together to fill the voids. As we know, as life goes on and these kinds of seasons can be chalked up to life lessons, that will stay with us and strengthen us forever. We had great leadership from our Captains, John Carlson, Gerard Colpoys and Jonathan Shepard. With their tremendous effort, they worked together to lead the team. Our experienced coaching staff worked hard with the players to have them get the most out of themselves and the season.
The 2014-2015 saw the Harbormen team come roaring back to take the D1 championship and put Hingham back in the hockey spotlight. Led by Captain Mike Saleski and assistants Jack Forbes and Dan Shea, the team had some challenges early with up and downplay where they found themselves at 7-8-1 a little past midpoint of the season. A defining moment was a tough loss to unbeaten and eventual Super 8 second seed Springfield Cathedral where the Harbormen began to gel as a team and see their potential. From there they never looked back as the Harbormen went 9-0-2 from then on. After narrowly missing selection for the Super 8, Hingham settled in as the 10th seed in the D1 South bracket and ran off 4 straight wins against Weymouth, Wellesley, Barnstable and top-seeded Xaverian to capture the D1 South trophy. Their run through the South was characterized by unselfish, total-team play with all lines contributing. On to the Garden for the final against Arlington Catholic, a tremendous turnout from the town of Hingham supported the boys for an exciting third period, come-from-behind 3-2 win. Freshman Marshall Terres netted the game winner and goalie Matt Personeni had his finest game of the year in turning away wave after wave of desperate AC shooters to secure the Division 1 State Championship trophy.
Following the D1 state championship, the 2015-2016 Harbormen had one goal in sight, and that was qualifying for the Super 8 for the first time since 2012. While many felt their 11-8-3 record would not be enough for a Super 8 invitation, the selection committee realized that each of those 8 losses were to top 10 teams. The final game of the regular season seemed to decide whether Hingham or their opponent, St. Mary’s of Lynn would qualify. Unfortunately for St. Mary’s, Hingham played their most complete game of the season, drubbing the Spartans 5-1 on their home ice on Senior Night in Lynn. That was enough to earn Hingham a 10 seed and a play-in game versus #7 seed Arlington, who had beaten Hingham a week earlier. Behind the largest crowd of the season and “what’s your mascot” chants directed at the Spy Ponders, Hingham ground out a 4-2 victory. The 2015-2016 team was one of balance, with all lines contributing evenly under the leadership of captains Will Jones and Billy McNally. While the team lost the three-game series in the Super 8 to Pope Francis, they left proud battling to a 2-0 loss in the final game after an empty netter sealed the deal for the Cardinals.
The 2016-2017 team came into the season as a very experienced one, with 17 seniors on the roster, many of them having multiple years of varsity experience. After getting back into the Super 8 last year, they were thirsty for more. They wasted no time proving they belonged with the elites, skating fast, hitting hard, and sharing the puck. Every line was contributing early. Once again facing one of the most difficult schedules in the state, the Harbormen finished the regular season with an outstanding 16-4-2 record. After a 1-1-2 start, this very tight knit squad ran off 10 straight wins, including two dominating performances over Pope Francis and Catholic Memorial. In their final 8 games they would face 6 of the Super 8 qualifiers and go 5-3. The Harbormen received a #5 seed, in one of the most competitively balanced Super 8 in years, and faced #4 Arlington, who the Harbormen had bumped out of the Super 8 the year before. This year a very dangerous and talented Arlington sent Hingham home in 2 games. Led by co-captains Andrew Driscoll and Marc O’Rourke, this year’s team truly exhibited the character of a quality high school program with tremendous comradery and cohesiveness that comes with years of friendship and a common drive to play for the Harbormen.
In May of 2017, Hingham Harbormen Assistant Coach John Mahoney was inducted into the Massachusetts State Hockey Coaches Association (MSHCA) Hall of Fame (HOF). Congratulations to John and his special recognition! John passed the torch to Mike Boles, a Division 1 2001 State Champion Harbormen Hockey player. Mike has done a great job as the “players coach” in his inaugural season. He has been a true complement to the already experienced Coaching Staff.
The 2017-18 Harbormen Team was coming off yet another successful season. The last season ended with the graduation of a talented group totaling seventeen (17) Seniors. Coach Messina reloaded with 2 Freshman, 5 Sophomores and 11 Juniors. The team elevated its status from a preseason Hockey Night in Boston #18 Ranking to a #5 Ranking and Super 8 Playoff #4 Seed at the end of the regular season. Captains Frankie Higgins, Tommy Kornack and Marshall Terres would not have been able to do it without other senior leadership from Jake Quilty, Joe Jacobs, Ben Minkin, and some much-needed supportive play from Jonathan Carew and Alex Adams. Senior Goalie Robbie Kornack and an exceptional record-breaking number of shutouts and gave the team a chance to win in every game. These boys came together as a family forever brothers, bound together with one goal and the eye on the prize. Collectively, we will remember this as one of the most rewarding seasons the Harbormen have ever had, and one of Coach Messina’s finest achievements since winning the Super 8 Championship in 2010 finishing 3rd in the Super 8 and claiming the right to be called the best public-school program in the state.
After the impressive Super 8 third place finish turned in by the 2018 team and losing some top talent to graduation, the returning varsity players from that squad were on a mission to not only return to the Super 8 but prove they could compete and win at the highest level. The 2018-2019 team started that mission with a strong core group of senior leaders that were committed to hard work on and off the ice. Captains Will Kenney and Jake Higgins also put a strong focus on creating a consistently positive and inclusive environment in the locker room. That hard work and unity paid dividends through the regular season. As always, the Harbormen played one of the toughest schedules in the state emerging at the end of the regular season 17-4-1. That performance matches the highest winning percentage under coach Tony Messina, equaling the effort from the eventual Super 8 Championship team from 2010 and earning them a #3 seed in the Super 8 Tournament. The Harbormen faced Austin rep in the first round hoping to avenge a loss suffered earlier in the season. The boys dominated this game from start to finish winning 3-0. Net up was Pop Francis who had also beaten the Harbormen earlier in the year. Hingham jumped out to an early lead and had a 2-1 advantage heading into the third, but Pop capitalized on a few turnovers and went on to win. Dropping down to the one loss bracket, the boys faced a tough challenge after such an emotional loss on a quick turnaround. They quickly refocused and rallied with another fantastic effort against Framingham that resulted in a solid 3-0 victory. The semi-final game pitted the Harbormen against a hot Xaverian team after another short one day of rest. Xaverian jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead before the boys found their leg and fought back. The Harbormen completely out played Xaverian in the final two periods but ran into a hot goaltender eventually losing 3-1. In spite of what was a disappointing loss, the Harbormen were once again able to claim they are the Best Public School Program in the state finishing fourth overall. This team exceeded many people’s expectations with their results, but the boys are more likely to remember the journey itself. This team worked extremely hard on and off the ice from the moment the prior season ended. They operated as a cohesive, tight knot unit establishing a new level of commitment and unity that teams coming after them should strive to replicate.
The 2019-2020 Harbormen team was charged with the task of retooling the roster after the loss of 14 talented, experiences seniors from the prior season. With just 11 returning varsity players, the team was filled with fast young skaters. After an impressive preseason the team started the year with great promise, beating Andover, St. John’s Prep and Weymouth. The momentum slowed with two tight losses in the Serino Classic and the loss of their senior Captain. The team showed great resilience with bounce back wins against Marshfield, Braintree, Duxbury, Pope Francis, St. John’s Shrewsbury, Walpole and Franklin. The boys finished the season with two wins int eh Ferreira Classic and qualified for the Super 8 Tournament play-in game. The team dropped a nip and tuck game to Burlington in front the packed Stoneham Arena. Earning the #1 seed in the Division 1 South Tournament the team took a tough 3-2 loss ending the 85th Harbormen Season. Under the leadership of Captains Joe Sullivan, Danny Packard and Terrence Concannon, despite some unexpected setbacks, Team 85 showed great tenacity, resilience and dedication. With may returning varsity players and a talented JV farm system, we look forward to season 86 with confidence that future is bright.
The 2020-2021 team was one of the most difficult seasons on record, fortunately the trials and tribulations were off the ice. Due to the global COVID pandemic, the Harbormen were unsure if they would have a season at all until Mid-December. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the coaching staff, AD Jim Quatromoni, and assistant Maryellen Holler, the program was able to piece together a schedule. Hingham rejoined a league for the first time since 1998, joining the Patriot League. At times, it felt like the season could be canceled at a moments notice which included countless COVID tests and a mandatory team wide quarantine. Team Captains Paul Forbes, Tommy McNally and Ronan Mulkerrin kept the team focused under the battle cry of “ALL ABOARD”. The boys didn’t miss a beat pushing self-pity aside and focusing on the task at hand, amassing a 12-0 regular season record. It was the first ever undefeated season in Harbormen history, albeit an abbreviated season. Their only misstep was a lost to Hanover during the early rounds of the playoffs, allowing them to stay in the tournament. Getting dressed for the semi-final and final games under tents at Gallo the team went on to defeat Marshfield for the 3rd time to claim the first ever Patriot Cup. Another piece of hardware in the Harbormen trophy case! All told they outscored their opponent 64-18 on the season.
The 2021-2022 Harbormen team was coming off a successful year playing in the Patriot League, winning the Championship cup, while still living through the pandemic. We made our way back to a “normal” season. We happily saw the return to our well attended summer workouts and our return to our D1 Independent schedule. Team Captains Bobby Falvey, Drew Carleton and Sean Garrity embraced their role to lead by example, put the hard work in and helped to prepare the team physically and mentally for a challenging scheduled played during a still uncertain pandemic. With 16 returning varsity players, the team welcomed 12 new players and a new DOHO, which rounded out Team 87. The season began with the return of our preseason scrimmages, NH team trip, locker room and fans back in the barn. After an uneven start with an opening win against Bridgewater- Raynham followed by 2 losses, the boys had a long stretch of road games. The team won 13 of their next 14 games with key wins against Arlington, CM, Braintree and Pope Francis. One highlight, finally back at Pilgrim was the 5-4 OT win versus Braintree, which marked the 200th win for Coach Messina. Following a tough overtime loss to Marshfield in the Finals of the Burns Coffee Pot Hockey Classic, the team finished the regular season in style culminating with a 6-1 victory over Austin Prep to clinch the 2022 Buddy Ferreira Classic Championship. This win in Falmouth was the first for Hingham since 2009. With no Super 8 for the first time in 30 years, the Harbormen were the #3 seed in the Division 1 Statewide Tournament. After big wins against St. John’s (S) and Franklin, Hingham lost to a good Arlington team 4-2 in the Elite 8 Quarterfinals. Team 87, a close-knit group with a ton of heart and commitment, had an overall record of 20-4-1.
The 2022-2023 season saw the Harbormen fully return to a “normal” post-COVID schedule, including the return of the Vermont trip, as well as the independent D1 schedule. With 13 returning Varsity players, Team 88 welcomed 19 new players and a new Director of Hockey Operations. Team Captains Aidan Brazel, Ace Concannon, Billy Jacobus and Chase McKenna led the charge as the boys put in the work on and off the ice to prepare for the season. Team 88’s season began with scrimmages and the always enjoyable Vermont trip. Once back in Hingham, the boys kicked off the season with a big road win over B-R followed by their home opener, a hard fought 2-2 tie with St. John’s Prep, the defending D1 State Champions. The boys hit a bit of a bump with a road loss at Duxbury but then battled back with some key wins, including road wins against Winchester, Arlington, Reading, and a big 4-1 victory on the road at Pope Francis. Then another highlight of the season as the boys then beat top ranked Catholic Memorial 3-1 on February 8th at Pilgrim to give Coach Messina his 600th overall win at Hingham High. Team 88 made it to the finals once again in the Burns Coffee Pot Hockey Classic, falling in overtime to Arlington. Team 88 also played well again down in Falmouth and earned another trip to the Championship of the Buddy Ferreira Classic, falling to BC High, 2-1. The 2-1 loss to BC High was the only blemish on Team 88’s record against their Catholic Conference rivals this season. Going an impressive 6-1-2 against the Catholics, Team 88 established itself as the top ranked public high school in Massachusetts for most of the season, earning the #3 overall seed in the D1 State Tournament. After handling King Philip in Round 1, the boys fell to an excellent Reading team in the Round of 16, finishing the season with a record of 15-4-5. At the end of the season, Aidan, Ace, Billy, Chase, and Coach Messina accepted the James F. Mulloy Sportsmanship Award on behalf of Team 88.
