On August 20th members of the U16 and U19 teams received on ice instruction from two NCAA Division III head coaches, Malcolm Spurling and Natalie Zitek, as part of the annual mini-camp.
Players had the opportunity to learn from the coaches on the ice through a series of in zone offensive and defensive drills, as well as full ice flow drills. Following the on-ice session, players were given the opportunity to hear about the coaches’ perspectives on a wide range of topics, including the college placement process, life as a collegiate student athlete and expectations on and off the ice. Players then asked questions on related subjects following the lecture portion and were able to speak one on one with coaches following the question and answer portion of the day.
The annual mini camp ran for two days at Essex Sports Center in Middleton, MA. The camp featured small area games, full ice flow drills, line powerskating, conditioning and structured team drills, both full and half ice. This was the first in a series of events the Wings will host over the coming years, with coaches from across the region participating and providing relevant information to the players to assist them as they navigate through the process of finding the right college.
Natalie Zitek enters her second season as head coach at Johnson and Wales University, following a successful playing career at Manhatanville College and experience behind the bench for Gilmour Academy and as an assistant as Johnson and Wales. In her first year as head coach, Johnson & Wales tied the program record for victories and posted its most points in conference play. Forward Julia Martinnson was named Third-Team All-CHC and Drea Westgard earned a spot on the CHC All-Rookie team. More than half the team qualified for the CHA Academic All-Conference team.
Malcolm Spurling enters his second season as head coach at Salem State University. He previously won seven State Championships, and the 2006 U14 National Championship for Assabet Valley in Concord, MA. Spurling served as the head coach at The Rivers School in Weston from 2013-2017, leading the school to four straight NEPSAC playoff appearances and a Division II championship in 2015.
