Boarding and Day · Co-ed College Prep · Grades 6–12 & Postgraduate · Hebron, Maine

100 Years of Hebron Hockey

Our Hockey Tradition

The 2022 - 2023 hockey season marks the centennial of Hebron hockey. It is a wonder that a century of hockey started with an anonymous group of boys shoveling snow off Andrew’s Field in the early 1920s to create enough ice to skate and shoot. 

Did those boys have any idea of the bright hockey future they were starting? A future that would see thousands of athletes come to Hebron in the ensuing decades to play. Over the years, Hebron players have won championships, played at the collegiate level, garnered All-American honors, coached high school, college and even Olympic teams, and a handful have even been elected into the National Hockey Hall of Fame. But above all, the one thing they all have in common is the love of the game!

These pages were created to give a glimpse into the storied history of Hebron hockey. 

"You brought the team together and made them into a brotherhood, a family away from home, this is a bond that will last for a long time for these boys. Rarely can you find a coach that exemplifies the true meaning of building a team from the “locker room out”, our son was lucky to have had you as a coach."
— Parent of PG Hockey player '22 on coach o'brien

Introduction to Hebron Hockey

The origin of hockey at Hebron Academy can be traced back to the early 1920s when a band of boys led by Charles Dwyer cleared the snow on Andrew’s Field, put on skates and started a tradition of pride, passion, and success that is about to enter its 100th year. 

Hebron charted a new course in 1922 led by Board President Freelan Stanley and newly appointed Head of School Ralph Hunt. Hebron became an all boys school and the two leaders believed firmly in competitive athletics. With Freelan Stanley’s gift, Hebron became the first high school in the country to have a covered rink. The facility would attract top players, and Hebron’s program quickly took center stage among prep school hockey in the country. 

After WWII, the school reopened in 1946 with a team featuring only eight players. It would take a decade before Hebron reached its prewar prominence. A new rink was built in 1953, Stanly II, and in 1957 the team would go undefeated. With the sudden collapse of Stanley II in 1960, Hebron players skated in an outdoor rink for the next thirty seasons. 

During this time, Hebron teams competed against public schools, Maine college freshmen teams, Boston clubs, and a host of New England Prep teams. With no conference or New England Tournaments to play in, success during these years is often overlooked. The 1971 team finishing with a record of 14-2 and the dedication of two coaches, Bruce Gardner and Nat Harris spanning four decades from 1958 to 1987, attest to a time of continued achievement. 

With the completion of Robinson Arena for the 1993-1994 season, Hebron hockey would have a resurgence after struggling to field teams in the early 1990s. Coach Jeff Webber was hired to reignite the program. In the two years after the completion of Robinson Arena, Coach Webber’s teams would win back to back Division II New England Championships. In 2003-04 the team’s final record was 24-2. 

The first girl to play at Hebron was Tracey Harlor who debuted in 1985,  playing on the boys varsity team. Five additional girls would be pioneers during the 1997-98 season playing on the boy’s JV team. During the 1998 - 99 season the girls would finally have their own team led by Coach Paul Nemetz-Carlson. Within a year the girls would win the Division II New England Championship. 

One can only wonder if  that group of boys shoveling off the snow in the early 1920s had any idea of the bright hockey future they were starting. A future that would see thousands of athletes come to Hebron to skate for the love of the game. Over the years, Hebron players have won championships, played at the collegiate level, garnered All-American honors, coached high school, college and even Olympic teams, and a handful have even been elected into the National Hockey Hall of Fame.  

 

Hockey Through the Years!
 

Hebron Hockey's Honor Roll
 

Eddie Jeremiah- Class of 1926

After leading Hebron to a 21-1 record and a New England Championship, Jeremiah would go on to be a standout at Dartmouth College. He did find time to return for what must be the first Alumni game in Hebron’s history. In 1929, he teamed up with former teammate and Hebron head coach Danny MacFayden to earn a tie against the starting varsity roster. After graduating from Dartmouth in 1930, Jeremiah would enter the exciting era of the dawning of professional hockey. He played for multiple teams over a five year period including a stint with the Boston Bruins in the 1931-32 season. In the 1935-36 season he became the coach of the Boston Olympics hockey team and led them to the National Amateur Athletic Union Championship. It is a wonder that he was able to return to Hebron to coach the 1934-35 team. Jeremiah would become the head coach at Dartmouth College for the 1937-38 season. He remained the head coach until his retirement in 1967: at the time his 307 wins was the record for an NCAA coach.  Jeremiah was appointed the head coach of the 1964 Olympic team at the Innsbruck, Austria games. In 1973, he was inducted into the National Hockey Hall of fame.

Jack Powell '35

Jack Powell started his career with Hebron in the fall of 1934 when he arrived for a PG year.  While a student here, he lettered in football under the legendary Coach Dwyer; lettered in hockey, where he had an almost perfect season skating for Coach Jeremiah; and lettered in track and field.  He went on to play hockey for Jeremiah again at Dartmouth.  His love for the sport spurred him to write the History of Hebron Hockey and to take a special interest in support players coming to Hebron from Atlantic Canada.  He was also an avid fan of the Hebron football team and in 1996 received the CK Brooks award for “outstanding support of the Hebron Academy Football program.”  He circled back to Hebron as a Trustee, serving from 1990-2000, culminating his history here with the Distinguished Service Award in 1995.

Raymond Chaisson '38 (Front Row, Third from Right)

Raymond Chaisson ‘38 was born and raised in Cambridge, MA. He attended Hebron for two years. He was the stand out offensive player on the team during his tenure, and the Hebron teams he led went 20-1-1. During his junior year the team went 11-0, outscored opponents 105-20, and won a New England Championship by defeating the Bay State All-Stars 6-3. 

Chaisson went on to attend Boston College from 1939-41. He would lead the East in total points in both his seasons, 67 and 59. His 126 career point total can still be found among the Boston College career point totals. Chaisson played in only 32 games and every BC player above him played in at least twice as many games. Chaisson still holds the Eagle single season record with eight hat tricks. Chaisson’s jersey was retired by Boston College. One of only seven jerseys that have been retired (one number). He is enshrined in the Boston College Hall of Fame.

Chaisson served in the Navy during WWII and when he returned to hockey he joined the ranks of the still new amateur and professional  leagues. He played in over 109 games with the Los Angeles Monarchs in the Pacific Coast League scoring 59 goals and recording 108 assists. He led the team in scoring during the 1945-46 season. Chaisson retired from hockey in 1947. 

Chaisson was inducted into the National Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974.  

Gene '43 and Scott '87 Smith

Scott Smith ‘87 was a goalie on the 1985 team. He would tragically die in an accident the following summer. Both the Scott Smith Scholarship and The Scott Smith Award in Ice Hockey were established as tributes to Scott. The Award is given annually to an outstanding defensive player with a sense of humor and positive attitude toward life. The photo below was taken in 1983 with his father Gene Smith ’43. Gene was a standout defensive player and captain of the Hebron team in 1942-43. The last team before the school closed for World War II. Gene remained a supporter of Hebron throughout his life always with a strong interest in the hockey program and serving as a Board of Trustee.

Tracy Harlor '85

Tracy Harlor was the first girl to play organized hockey at Hebron Academy. She was on the boys’ varsity team for the 1984-85 season. Tracy started playing in leagues in Massachusetts at the age of six. Upon graduation from Hebron, Tracy went on to captain the early teams at Skidmore College. She then organized and coached the first women's ice hockey team at the Portsmouth Abbey School in Rhode Island, and later coached at St. George's School in Middletown, Rhode Island. Tracey Harlor was inducted posthumously into the Hebron Academy Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.

Jamie Roche '95

Jamie Roche arrived on the Hebron campus in the fall of 1993. He was a scholar-athlete and one of Jeff Weber’s star recruits. Jamie was a defensive standout and captain for both of the New England Championships teams, ‘94 and ‘95. Under his leadership the teams went a combined 50-11. He was both a Scott Smith Scholarship recipient as well as the Scott Smith Award winner for defensive player of the year. Jamie continued his hockey career after Hebron at St. Francis Xavier University.  After he graduated, Jamie returned to Hebron to teach and coach from 2004- 2006.

Sara Simard-Reichenbach '00 (On the Left)

Sara Simard-Reichenbach arrived on the Hebron campus from Aylmer, Quebec in the fall of 1998. She played forward on Hebron’s inaugural girls’ team and in the following season she played a key role on Hebron’s Division II New England Championship team. Sara was captain both years. Following her Hebron career, Sara went to St. Lawrence University, playing in 135 games over four years and amassed 63 career points. Sara helped lead St. Lawrence to two Division I  NCAA Frozen Fours and was a four-time member of the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Squad. 

Following her playing career at St. Lawrence University, Simard played one year of professional hockey with Lugano, Switzerland and earned a tryout with the Swiss National Team.

 Reichenbach returned to Maine as a volunteer assistant coach for the 2012-13 season before returning full-time for the 2013-14 season, when she acted as the co-head coach.

 The 2021-22 Sara completed her 12th season as the assistant coach at the University of Maine at Orono. Her role on the Black Bear staff is to develop the play of forwards. Among the many players she has guided are Tereza Vanisova who set multiple school records and was drafted 12th overall in the 2020 NWHL Draft. Before coaching at Maine, Sara worked as an assistant at Dartmouth.

Cindy Lebel-Tipping '04 (Front Row, Second from Left)

Cindy Lebel-Tipping came to Hebron as a sophomore from Greenville, Maine, and graduated in 2004. During her time at Hebron she earned nine varsity letters in soccer, hockey and lacrosse. She was a two year captain of the hockey team and during her leadership, the Hebron teams won 24 games. At graduation in ‘04, Cindy was the recipient of the Besse Fenn Award for Hebron’s outstanding female athlete. 

Cindy was an inaugural member on the women’s hockey team at St. Anselm College. She was a four year starter and a major contributor to the St. Anselm College Hawks team success. The team’s record during Cindy’s four years was 88-15-2. Cindy was a First Team All-American in 2006 and Second Team in 2007 and 2008. She was named ECAC Player of the Year in 2006.

Cindy was inducted into the Hawks Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Hebron Hall of Fame in 2019.

Jordan Krush '06 (Top Row, Third from the Left)

Jordan Krusch ‘06 arrived at Hebron as a sophomore from Montreal, Quebec. He was a standout hockey and football player in his three years at Hebron. In his senior year, he was the offensive catalyst for the 2006 New England Division II Championship team. In the 2005-2006 season he amassed 59 goals and 37 assists in 39 games. In the 4-3 victory over Proctor in the championship game, he was involved in all scoring with an assist and three goals - including the game winner. Hebron’s record for the season was 27-10-2. In a recent conversation with Jordan about 100 Years of Hockey at Hebron, he credited his teammates for his success, “Matt Pedimonte and Jason Butler kept passing me the puck!!”

Once a Lumberjack, Always a Lumberjack!

Men and women hockey players of Hebron Academy with team coaches
Past Hebron Academy women's players in game day gear
Hebron Academy's varsity women's hockey team with coach
Two faculty members in hockey uniforms on the ice
Past Hebron Academy mens hockey players
Two female hockey coaches with female student hockey player
Two female hockey coaches with female student hockey player
Two male alumni hockey players from a Hebron Academy boys varsity team
Alumni Hebron Academy men's hockey players during a game
Hebron Academy two men's hockey players in locker room
Alumni men's hockey players during a game
Hockey team meeting during game over the goal cage
Women's hockey team practicing on the ice
Students and faculty after hockey game on ice rink