After qualifying for the Division III state tournament for the fourth straight season and winning the South-West Conference championship two years ago, the Joel Barlow High hockey team has set an even loftier goal.

Head coach Pete Maxfield would like the program to move up to Division II within the next two to three years.

Although Barlow has one of the smallest student populations in the SWC, the program has maintained itself as a non-cooperative program for every season it has been in existence. When the 2013-2014 season rolls around, the Falcons will have had a hockey program for 30 years.

A co-op program consists of two or three high schools combining forces to form one team, so schools that are short in numbers are able to have students participate in a particular sport.  While many high schools have taken the co-op route in Division III and even some in Division II, Barlow has not. Maxfield has been very busy to keep this from happening.

“There are many terrific hockey players in both Redding and Easton,” said Maxfield. “The hardest part about building a program for the school is that many hockey families in both towns don’t know about each other. Families in Easton have the opportunity to play at rinks that are closer to them (Wonderland of Ice in Bridgeport and The Rinks at Shelton) while Redding residents also have two choices closer to them (Danbury Arena and Ridgefield Winter Garden). This has always been the biggest issue for the school’s hockey program.”

As a Barlow graduate himself (class of ’90), Maxfield has always wondered why families continue to send their young hockey players to lesser schools in terms of education. If they are sending them away for hockey, it may be to the detriment of the student.

In a conversation with Maxfield, after much deliberation, one family decided to send their son to Barlow. Their reasons included taxes in their town and the cost of private school over four years (including inflation).  Another reason was that Barlow’s academic success and reputation is equal to or far above local private school. After having one child already go through private school, the older child felt that going to private school gave no advantages when applying to college and may have actually been a detriment. As for hockey, the son would have much more opportunity to get ice time at Barlow at a younger age. There are great opportunities to play other sports at Barlow.  At private schools, many students specialize in their sport, making it difficult to make another team.

Barlow has a good-sized incoming freshmen class for the 2011-2012 season and what appears to also be a good crop of players for 2012-2013. Maxfield feels that the next couple of years would be a prime spot for the program to make the push to Division II. A lot of work has been put forth by the coaching staff, the booster club and the Barlow athletic department to put the program in a prime position to consider such a move.

For more information about the Barlow hockey program, contact Maxfield at 203-733-2507 or e-mail petemax7@yahoo.com