As if the Bernardsville-Somerville-Middlesex ice hockey team were not unique enough, being made up of three different towns, this team is also coed. Last year’s senior class team began in the lowest division as freshmen, where they made an impressive mark by winning back-to-back Charette Cup Championships. This allowed them to move up to the Haas Division. The team finished at the Haas Division and advanced again to the Halverson Division. With their consistent success, they have moved up yet again, this time to the Mennen division-one of, if not the, best public school division in the state where they will face teams that are consistently in the mix for the state championship year after year. Over the past few years, the team has experienced tremendous success, and with that comes great challenges. 

Ice hockey is the ultimate team sport, requiring players to come together on the ice to achieve victory. For this team, coming together as a unit is a bit more difficult than it is for most with players from Bernardsville, Middlesex, and Somerville. Coach Daniel Spautz shares, “Coaching a team that is from 3 schools is difficult because you don’t get to interact with all of the players on a daily basis. But, I really enjoy seeing the relationships between the players from each school, by the time they graduate the bond that they have developed is very special.”

Despite the challenges, the players are more than ready to do what it takes to come together and succeed this season. Varsity captain, Conor Campion ‘25, who plays forward has great expectations for the team, explaining that their “one goal this season is to try and get far in the state and division playoffs.” 

Junior Varsity captain, Sarah Lewis ‘25, who plays right wing, and is one of 6 girls on the team, has high hopes for their season as well. She shares, “we’ve been working really hard to make the games more fun and actually have competition.” Due to ice time availability the team only practices twice a week but all their hard work playing club and travel outside of school allows them to move closer to victory. 

Last year marked the inaugural Bernards Girls Ice Hockey game, a significant milestone for the team. This season, they are currently working hard to organize more girls’ games. The BSM hockey team is optimistic about a successful season ahead and eagerly anticipating the challenge of competing in a new division.