St. Paul's School

Our Program

The commitment to the pursuit of excellence that forms the backbone of the St. Paul's School educational experience is mirrored in the girls ice hockey program. Our team of coaches is dedicated to providing student-athletes with high-end skill development, preparing them to be impactful on and off the ice after SPS.

Hockey at SPS has a long and notable history dating back to 1883, when the first hockey game in America was played on our Lower School Pond. Our campus was also the home of esteemed hockey player and 1909 alumnus Hobey Baker, whose name is still very present in the hockey world.

The legacy and success of SPS hockey continues today as our team attracts and competes against top talent. The team plays a very competitive schedule that includes going to the Harrington Prep School Tournament. Last season, the team was the runner up in the 2025 Lakes Regional Tournament (losing in overtime in the finals) and earned a spot in the New England Large School Tournament. In 2024, the team won the Lakes Region Tournament and earned a spot in the New England Elite 8 Tournament. In 2023, the team won the Lakes Region and New England Large School Tournament. The team also won the New England Championship in 2015 and 2020, with various Lakes Region Championships during that era. In addition, many members of the team also take part in the split-season club hockey model, playing for USA Hockey Tier 1 Club teams in New England. After SPS, most of our roster goes on to play hockey at top-end academic institutions at both the Division I and Division III levels.
If you are interested in playing hockey at St. Paul's School, please fill out our questionnaire. 


"The SPS girls hockey program gave me opportunities to be showcased to college coaches multiple times throughout the season! The coaching staff was always involved in getting players to the next level and I will forever be grateful for my time at SPS and all of the help from coaches and teachers to get me to where I am today!" — Bree '23

Coaching

Head Coach Kelli Mackey became the head coach for the girls varsity hockey team in 2022. In Coach Mackey's time as head coach, the team has won two Lakes Region Championships and a New England Large School Championship, and has made two appearances to the New England Elite 8 Quarterfinals.

Coach Mackey earned a B.A. in government with a double minor in educational studies and sociology from Hamilton College in 2020. As captain of Hamilton's women's ice hockey team in 2020, she helped guide the team to the best season in program history. She earned a spot on the NESCAC Winter All-Academic Team and the American Hockey Coaches Association All-American Scholar list in 2019 and 2020. She was the 2020 winner of the Buff & Blue Award at Hamilton College, given annually to the student-athlete whose leadership, dedication, attitude and performance has the greatest impact on an athletic program. Coach Mackey attended Union College her freshman year, where she played in all 34 games as a forward and was named to the ECAC All-Academic team for 2015.

A native of Pittsburgh, Coach Mackey played for Team Pittsburgh for 10 years and was a member of the 2010 Tier 1 National Championship team. Coach Mackey is an active member of USA Hockey each year in her role as national camp evaluator for the New England District. In addition, each summer Coach Mackey is a team coach at the USA Hockey U14 Eastern Regional Selects Camp and USA U15 National Camp.

Facilities

The Big Red's home is the SPS Hockey Center's Gordon Rink, a 200' x 95' ice sheet with state-of-the-art Playsight used for livestreaming games and filming practices. In addition, the Hockey Center's Ingalls Rink is a classic NHL-sized sheet, fully outfitted for both practices and games. The Hockey Center also includes the Captains Room, a reception and memorabilia room with views out to the Lower School Pond and down onto Gordon Rink.

Beyond SPS

St Paul's alumni have gone on to play at the highest levels of collegiate and professional hockey. Our goal is to provide every player with the skills and knowledge to have the opportunity to make an immediate impact at the next level. In recent years, our former players have played in the NCAA Division I, and NCAA Division III. In addition, we have had players play for the Women's Professional League and USA Hockey National Team Festivals.

Become Big Red. The color will suit you.

Sportsmanship, respect and kindness are at the core of our coaching and playing, whether at the club, junior varsity or varsity team level. On the field, court and ice, students step into leadership roles, taking as their role models the coaches who also serve as their classroom teachers and house advisers. Our 95,000-square-foot Athletic and Fitness Center serves the entire St. Paul's community, helping all students prioritize their physical well being — no matter their athletic interests or skill level.


Still have questions about the SPS hockey program? Send us an email: girlshockey@sps.edu