Qualified coaches allow Tiger Lilies to add second team in 2003-04
By: Justin Feil
Though the start of the Princeton Tiger Lilies season is more than two months away, there is a feeling of great anticipation surrounding this year’s summer skates at Ice Land.
For the first time in five years, the Tiger Lilies will field two teams in the fall. They’ve brought back a pee wee team (under-14) to go with the 19-and-under midget team that has stood since 1992. That possibility came about because of the commitments of several qualified coaches.
"We’ve always had two teams until five years ago," said Princeton resident Bob Stockman, who founded the Tiger Lilies in 1992 and remains president. "Then we just remained as a midget program until this year. That was entirely because of not having qualified coaches. It wasn’t for lack of interest. We’d rather not field a team, than have a team with poor coaching. That would ruin the reputation of the program."
The Tiger Lilies’ reputation as one of the best teams in the Mid-Atlantic region and one of the better programs on the East Coast is something it’s fought hard to forge. Adding midget coaches Doug Baran and Billy Pettit as well pairing Bill Harley with Stockman should only aid the program’s development.
"This year, we’re abundant with good coaches," said Stockman, who will assist Harley. "We hope to keep it that way. We may even have a third team next, a U-16 team."
Baran, the head coach of the midget team, brings the most impressive of resumes and has the tough task of replacing Darren Malone, who was the midget coach the past four seasons and took the Tiger Lilies to the Atlantic District Championships last spring.
Baran grew up in Manitoba, Canada, and eventually went on to sign as a free agent with the New York Rangers. He played professionally for the Tulsa Oilers and was a player/coach in Italy. He was general manager and director of hockey programs at Ice Land for five years, in which time he took the Mercer Chiefs pee wee boys to the United States Nationals in 1992. The Tiger Lilies will be his first job as head coach of a girls’ team.
"I used to run girls’ clinics at Ice Land and I used to run skating clinics," he said. "And I have two daughters, so that’s part of the reason. When Ice Land first opened up, after the second year, we tried to promote girls’ ice hockey by running a girls-only league. That’s when Bob came in and kicked it off.
"Hockey is not the size it was then. Girls’ ice hockey was in the initiation phases. Now, they have high-level girls. You have girls who play for the Tiger Lilies who play for Division I colleges and prep schools."
Baran missed the tryouts in April, but was on board in May at Stockman’s urging.
"I like the philosophy that Bob has with the Tiger Lilies," Baran said. "They don’t go overboard. They play anywhere from 35 to 40 games, not 65 which goes overboard. They made it conducive to my work (as a district sales manager).
"I’m impressed with what I’ve seen. There is a core of girls on the team that are more talented than when I remembered when Ice Land opened 12 or 13 years ago. There are girls that basically play for boys’ teams in high school. And there’s a core of girls who can keep up with some of the boys. From my standpoint, it’s a different challenge. But the girls seem to hear better in their adolescent years. They listen more."
Baran should have plenty to contribute. He’ll be joined by Pettit, whose grandfather played at Princeton University, and brings more than solid hockey bloodlines. He recently completed his collegiate career as a four-year letterwinning defenseman for Hamilton College.
"Having those two is a real catch," said Stockman, who’s just as excited about working with Harley. "It is Bill (Harley’s) first year and he doesn’t have the length of coaching experience of the other coaches we’ve had, but he’s very skilled in coaching and knowing the game. He’s going to be able to get the most out of these kids. He’s very devoted to the job, and he’s a very fun person to work with."
Stockman and Harley coached the last three years in the Nassau Hockey League. Harley served as head coach of the Wildfire U12 girls’ team in that period and worked with Stockman closely last year.
"I think we look very good," said Harley, who has an 11-year-old daughter on the team. "It’s kind of hard for me to judge how we are since I haven’t been a part of this league. But I can see it’s an elite team. Bob said that in his experience, this is one of the best teams put together. I’ve very excited about it. I have been since I got the call.
"They have a very good name. I see the older girls and where they go to play. They have a good presence. It’s something I’ve always hoped my daughter would aspire to."
More and more, it’s becoming a team that many girls aspire to being a part of. And that makes for a difficult task in April during tryouts.
"We got a real good turnout," Harley said. "I hope that’s the hardest part of the season. We turned away some good players. They play in a good league and play some of the best teams on the East Coast. There’s quite a bit of traveling and there’s a chance to go to some national tournaments, and that’s something players strive for. The mission of our team is to prepare the girls for the older team, to get them ready for that."
The Tiger Lilies program has grown plenty since its inception. They were one of the original members of the Atlantic Women’s Hockey League, of which the midget team has been champion and represented the district at U.S. Nationals three times. The Tiger Lilies play games from Washington, D.C., to Maine, and it’s gotten a little easier to schedule some of the top New England talent as the Tiger Lilies name has become more familiar.
"The best element of scheduling is arranging contests with top programs in New England," Stockman said. "Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire do not have to travel far to play good teams. When they schedule games with out-of-state teams, they must be well-qualified. After this many years with this many kids going to Division I schools and prep schools, we’ve earned a lot of credibility."
It didn’t happen overnight, however, and Stockman is hoping that progress won’t cease in making the Tiger Lilies a more household name.
"It took three or four years and we were careful who we played," he said. "After we attracted some really top players, we stood up and beat some highly ranked colleges and prep schools. That helped us build momentum. Every year, we send three or four players to the most selective U.S. developmental camps. That’s the intent to provide the highest level of ice hockey for serious girls.
"My hope, looking out five years or beyond, is to continue to provide a competitive and successful program as we have, possibly earning even greater recognition on a national level at tournaments. The challenge is getting more teams, recruiting players and obtaining ice and all of those needs and coaches in particular. We want to be able to attract committed coaches. We want to keep the program going and keep raising it a notch at a time."
Attracting a Canadian former professional is just the latest coup for the Tiger Lilies, and adding a second team is another step in expanding and growing the program.
"Bob Stockman built the program," Baran said. "I know Bobby, not just from buying ice from Ice Land. I know his personality. When he introduced me to the idea of coaching, I know he does it for the right reasons. He does it for the kids, to introduce them to better schools or get them a free ride somewhere."
And with a solid coaching staff in place along with the continuing pool of talented players, the Tiger Lilies are feeling good about the upcoming seasons.
"It’s been a great succession of interested girls and past coaches," Stockman said. "Of all the things we’ve been blessed with, it’s been a superb group of coaches most of whom have played college hockey that have really helped. They’re great mentors and solid people and that’s the toughest part to find."