Acton-Boxboro Girls Hockey Season Abruptly Ends Due To COVID-19
BOXBORO (CBS) – Acton-Boxboro Regional High School seniors Ella Cormier and Jill Loebs are captains on the girls' hockey team. Their season came to an abrupt end after a game against Lincoln-Sudbury last week when some players on both teams contracted COVID-19.
That's when they got the call from their coach saying the season is cancelled. "It was so devastating to have my season be taken away in the blink of an eye and I was not expecting it," Cormier said. "We had played LS four times in the last two weeks so we are not sure who brought it or where it came from or anything."
They are 6-2-1, with two more games to go and were looking forward to the playoffs. The two love the ice and have been playing hockey since they were two years old. "Ella and I are not playing hockey in college so it's hard to imagine it's over," Loebs said.
The girls were really looking forward to playing this season. COVID-19 made things really challenging for the team.
Now that the season is over, it is extremely hard for the seniors who now have to establish a new game plan. "My plan going forward is that I am committed to going to Merrimack College to play soccer next year and they do have a women's club team that I am considering because I can't really see hockey out of my life," Cormier said.
Loebs also has plans for college. "I am playing field hockey at UMass Lowell next year. I am looking into the whole entire club process because I can't see it out of my life either," she said.
Both say they will take the lessons they learned on the ice and from their coaches and move forward. "Don't take anything for granted. You never know when it's your last. Skate every skate even in practice like it's your last because you never know when it's going to be taken from you," Loebs said.
Both have a healthy perspective as student athletes. "We are just grateful to have a season this year. Even though it's short we were happy that we were able to have something. Our coaches are like family. We are so close to them," Cormier said.