BE and Porter-Gaud skate as one: Athletic foes form scholastic ice hockey team
By Tom Ratzloff
Jan 11, 2007, 11:09, Daniel Island News
Bishop England and Porter-Gaud high schools are longtime athletic foes. But when hockey players from both schools glide onto the rink at the Carolina Ice Palace this year, there is no sign of rivalry or rancor.
That's because they're on the same team.
"This year we came up short on players and were going to have to fold the team," said coach Joe Spitz, who has coached the Bishop England hockey team for six seasons. "This was also the case with the Porter-Gaud hockey team. I presented a proposal to the board of directors of the South Carolina Scholastic Hockey Association that suggested that we make a single team comprised of players from the Bishop England and Porter-Gaud high schools. The motion passed unanimously and, with that, history was in the making. The boys quickly came together as a team, picked a new team name, and created a new team logo."
Last Sunday, the BE/PG Coyotes gathered at the Ice Palace for practice. Spitz, who had just completed a marathon drive from a weekend club hockey tournament in Virginia, directed players through drills.
While neither school has ever had a powerhouse hockey team, Spitz said his goal is to ensure that players have fun.
"I always make sure the boys have fun representing their school playing this great sport," he said.
Spitz is a Philadelphia native who grew up playing street hockey and idolizing Philadelphia Flyers great Bobby Clarke. But he did not play real ice hockey himself until moving to the Lowcountry.
"My first experience with ice hockey came as an adult with a learn-to-play-hockey session at the Carolina Ice Palace in North Charleston," said Spitz, who plays in one of the adult leagues at the Ice Palace. "Not long after getting on the ice to play, I found that there was a shortage of hockey coaches here in Charleston. I decided to help coach a youth Midget house team. It was also at this point that I decided to start working on my USA Hockey Coaching certification, ultimately obtaining the Level 5 Masters Coaching Certification."
Spitz has coached hockey teams of all skill levels and age groups, ranging from eight to 18 years old.
"My start with the Bishop England Hockey team came during the inaugural season of the South Carolina Scholastic Hockey League six seasons ago," he said. "Having two step-children in Catholic school who were already playing hockey made me want to be involved in the high school program, knowing they would eventually be playing at the high school level."
The Coyotes' record is 0-4 this season. Their next game will be against Goose Creek at 9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19, at the Carolina Ice Palace.