COVID-19 Puts County High School Hockey Season on Ice

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- While student-athletes in sports like basketball wait to learn what modifications will allow competition this winter, Berkshire County hockey players now know that there will not be a high school season in 2020-21.

 

Drury High School Athletic Director Dave Racette Wednesday announced that the school will not host its cooperative team with Hoosac Valley, McCann Tech and Mount Greylock this winter.

 

Racette said Drury consulted with its co-op partners before making the decision, which he said follows similar decisions by Mount Everett and Wahconah on their co-op teams.

 

Berkshire County has had just three high school hockey teams for several years. Though they have played one anohter as many as three times each season, the majority of their games have been against opponents from the Pioneer Valley.

 

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association for fall sports gave schools guidance to limit travel as much as possible, preferably to within leagues, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is expected that the state association will issue similar guidance for the winter.

 

“With travel to the Pioneer Valley prohibited by several schools in our co-op agreement and the unliklihood of finding Pioneer Valley teams willing to schedule out-of-county gams even if restrictions were lifted, we have come to the difficult decision to cancel Drury hockey for the upcoming 2020-21 season,” Racette wrote in a letter to players and families.

 

Racette said that the school was making the decision early in order to allow student-athlets to find club hockey opportunities for this winter if they become available.