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| Hill hockey players skating on the Dell |
The first Hill hockey team was formed in 1949. The team consisted of 11 young men, no coach, and no ice on which to practice. However, the School's ice hockey program was not officially initiated until the fall of 1952 when Headmaster Edward "Ned" Tuck Hall took on the position of hockey coach. Without an official hockey rink, the early team was dependent upon uncertain ice conditions on The Dell. The team finished its initial season in 1952-1953 with a record of two wins and four losses . The six members of the first starting team under Coach Hall were: Captain James Clarke '52, wing; Dave Kenny '54, center; Austin Hoyt '55, wing; Tony Catlin '54 and John Appel '53 on defense, and Ted Ames '54 defending the net.
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| Dedication ceremony for Ned Hall. |
For the first two years of the program, Coach Hall and his teams traveled more than 900 miles to play on "borrowed" ice. In January 1954, this came to an end when the School completed construction of its own rink. On February 13, 1954, the rink was dedicated in a short ceremony before the Storm King game; The Hill came out on top with a 4 to 1 victory. In 1964, the Weyerhaeuser roof was built over the top of the ice rink. On January 23, 1965, the rink was officially dedicated in honor of Headmaster and Coach Ned Hall, who served The Hill School until 1968.