Two schools, one team, one coach

AUBURN — It took a while for Eric Geoffroy to return to hockey.

Since he has, he hasn’t slowed down.

A 1992 graduate of Lewiston High School and also a former goaltender for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL and a pair of NCAA Division I colleges, Geoffroy will tackle a new challenge beginning next week. He’s the new coach of the newly-formed co-op girls’ hockey team that draws girls from Leavitt and Edward Little high schools.

“Of all of the candidates we interviewed, there were two that I didn’t know, and he was one of them,” Leavitt athletic director Doug Conn said. “But he interviewed very well, he came across as very knowledgeable, especially of the women’s game, and I think he’ll do well with the ladies’ program.”

“He knows the game inside and out, and he has a great personality that I think will translate well in coaching the girls’ hockey team,” EL AD Dan Deshaies said. “We’re very excited.”

Geoffroy said Monday that he’s ready to get things rolling.

“I think it’s going to be pretty neat,” Geoffroy said. “It’s going to be a challenge, because I don’t know any of the girls. I don’t know what the talents are, I don’t know what the other schools have for talent. And we’re going to have to find a camaraderie with the girls attending two different schools.”

But, Geoffroy said, perhaps coming in blind in terms of assessing talent will be a good thing.

“I think most of them have played together in the past with the youth hockey league,” Geoffroy said. “It’s also a positive that I don’t know their talents, because I’m going to go into this without thinking a certain way about any of the players. I’m looking forward to it, I’m really looking forward to it. It’s a good opportunity for me.”

After leaving Lewiston in 1992, he played for two seasons with the Buccaneers. From there, he earned a scholarship to play at Miami of Ohio. One year later, he transferred, red-shirted a season and then finished his career as a backup at the University of Maine.

Then, it was time for a break.

“I didn’t get back into it until I had children of my own,” Geoffroy said. “Now I’m really into it. I picked it back up when my first-born started, and now that we have summer ice, it’s never-ending.”

In addition to coaching at the youth level, Geoffroy helped form the L/A Edge, a group of area women who play hockey.

“We started a mom’s league and it’s grown from one team to four teams now,” Geoffroy said.

“I’ve coached in the Auburn Youth Hockey program at the younger levels, anywhere from learn-to-play to squirts,” Geoffroy continued. “I coached the goalies, all age groups, and I coach women for the L/A Edge. That helps that I’ve coached ladies’ hockey. I’m not green to it.”

The timing of the hire is perfect. Because of ice availability, the high school girls’ hockey season begins two weeks earlier than the rest of the MPA-sanctioned winter sports, and first practices for the programs begin next Monday.

“I think he’s really committed to the program, and I understand he has several people helping him out who will be a big help to the program, too,” Conn said. “We’re excited to have him on board.”