(NOTE: This is the seventh and final part in a series about the history of the Greenfield outdoor hockey team, which ran from 1926-1942)
After a decade and a half of back and forth, the light at the end of the tunnel for the Greenfield High School outdoor hockey team was dimming.
The program, founded in 1926, endured years of financial difficulties, as well as the reliable weather issues that slowed life in Franklin County. The school didn’t sponsor a team for the 1936-37 school year, and after returning for a spell, had another winter without hockey when the 1940-41 team never made it to the ice.
Things rebounded for one final season, one set in difficult times. As the team came together for the first gathering of the 1941-42 campaign, the United States almost immediately found itself embroiled in World War II. Within days of the team meeting for the first time, the attack on Pearl Harbor put the entire country on high alert.
After nearly a month of uncertainty, the hockey team moved forward with its season, and the first practice took place on Jan. 8, 1942.
Eleven candidates reported for head coach Phil Adams, who returned to the mix for his third season in charge. The Department of Public Works set up hockey boards at Highland Park, but there was still not quite enough ice to play games so the season opener against Westfield was canceled.
As the team waited to play its first game, the roster was ironed out. Jim McCloud would assist as manager, while the roster included the likes of Bernie Kells, Bernie Unwin, Tony Pregony, Joe Edes, Bud Dunton, Ed Ambo, Joe Roberge, Bill Robichaud, John Summers, Al LaRoche and Stan Slowinski.
Finally, the season opened on Jan. 12 with a tilt against Athol. The Red Caps scored four goals in the second period after a scoreless first frame, and ran away for a 9-2 victory that humbled the Greenies. Kells and Pregony tallied for Greenfield.
There was certainly room for improvement from there, and the team bounced back a week later in a rematch with Athol. This time it was only a 3-0 loss, as Dunton played well in net to highlight the improved performance.
The record dropped to 0-3 in the team’s home opener against Westfield on Jan. 23, 1942. LaRoche was credited with a solid effort during his tenure between the pipes.
Badly in need of a win, Greenfield breaks through on the last day of January. The Greenies upend Pratt & Whitney of Hartford, Conn. by a 4-1 margin, as Kells buries a hat trick to propel his side. LaRoche is sharp in net again, and mixed with a 3-3 tie against the Deerfield Academy JV team later in the week, Greenfield sits at 1-3-1 through five games.
The short spell of momentum doesn’t last long however, as Brattleboro comes to town and picks up a 3-0 victory on Feb. 13. Rough ice conditions plague Dunton in net, as a choppy surface allows a pair of cheapies to sneak past the goaltender.
The season finale against Westfield gets canceled due to weather and ice conditions, and just like that, the 1941-42 season comes to an end with Greenfield posting a 1-4-1 mark.
When next winter rolls around, the plug is finally pulled once and for all on the outdoor program. The Recorder reports that Highland Park has good skating conditions on Dec. 28, 1942, with some GHS former hockey and football players like Kiernan Moylan, Ed Kells and Bill Babits seen skating at the rink.
A week later however, Parks & Rec Superintendent Harry de Bruin closes the rinks due to weather. A combination of World War II, costs and travel restrictions seals the program’s fate, as many schools in the area cancel activities and sports in this new world.
With the end of the outdoor team, the sport of hockey at Greenfield sits dormant in an official capacity for nearly 30 years. It returns for the 1970-71 school year, when Athletic Director Ralph Collins makes indoor hockey part of his school’s athletic menu.
Over 14 seasons, the GHS outdoor team posted a 41-40-9 record, including five winning seasons. The program saw its share of stars, most notably Kiernan Moylan, the best player to come through during those outdoor years.
Nearly 80 years later, the history is largely forgotten save for the pages of archived editions of the Recorder. It was an era of simpler times, when the sport was played on the ponds and lakes of New England.
A history worth sharing, indeed.