Tabor hockey gets strength from longtime friendships

The Tabor Academy hockey team swept the 20^th annual Joshua Weeks New Year’s Invitational Hockey Tournament on Jan. 3-5, bringing the plaque back to campus for the first time since 2007.

Just over halfway through the season, Coach Gerry Dineen said the win has a lot to do with the team’s chemistry.

“The kids really enjoy each other, and they compete like crazy in every game,” he said.

Longtime friends and Marion residents Wiley Knight, Bobby Stickles and the coach’s own son Brett Dineen are part of that force.

Stickles and Brett Dineen, sophomores and defense partners, have played together the longest.

“Bobby and Brett have been playing together since they could walk,” said Coach Dineen. “I started working with them when they were five or six.”

Knight, a junior and forward on the team, moved to Marion five years ago and has played with the guys ever since. On their first team together, the three said they made up almost a third of the players.

They’ve come a long way since then and said their friendship helps them on the ice.

“We know what each other is thinking, so we know what they’re most likely going to do in a certain situation,” said Brett Dineen.

That’s evident in games, said their coach, as is the general camaraderie among the whole team.

The team is looking for a much better season than last year's 8-18-1 record. So far, the season stands at 6-8-1.

“We took our lumps and we’re hoping it’s going to pay off for us this year,” said Coach Dineen, adding that the team has more experience after a year together.

Winning all three games at the Joshua Week’s tournament, hosted by the school each year, was a boost.

“In my mind that’s one of the most important games of the year for us,” he said. “From the kids’ perspective, it’s their own tournament with a lot of great competition, and they’re playing on their own ice.”

The team will play a total of 28 regular season games.

“I think we play the toughest schedule in New England, so we’re facing great teams day in and day out,” said Knight. “It’s a struggle, but I think we’re doing really well this year.”

The players are looking forward to more success at the Travis Roy Tournament in February, hosted on their own turf.

Above all, Brett Dineen said he and his teammates are having a good time.

“These are our glory days.”