From Club Ice to Varsity Glory:
- Richard {Reggie} Smith
- Jun 29
- 12 min read
Updated: Jul 2
The Birth of Cheshire High School Hockey
The history of Cheshire High School hockey is one of perseverance, community support, and a group of determined young athletes who transformed a fledgling club sport into one of Connecticut's most respected high school hockey programs.
Today, Cheshire High School is recognized as the only program in Connecticut to have captured state championships in Divisions I, II, and III. That remarkable tradition traces its roots to the winter of 1974–1975, when Cheshire High School officially fielded its first varsity ice hockey team.
For the players who wore the Rams sweater that inaugural season, there were no championship banners hanging from the rafters—only the opportunity to build something entirely new.
The Club Years
Before ice hockey became an officially sanctioned varsity sport, Cheshire students organized and played as a club team.
The club program was founded and coached by Dean Hodgson, whose dedication and enthusiasm helped establish organized hockey within the community. During the early 1970s, the club gave local players an opportunity to compete while demonstrating that Cheshire possessed the talent and support necessary to sustain a varsity program.
Their efforts laid the groundwork for one of the most significant additions to Cheshire High School athletics.
Dawn of the Cheshire Rink & The 4:30 AM Wake-Up Call
While early accounts suggest the team was nomadic, the opening of the Cheshire Rink around 1969–1970 gave the squad a place to call home—even if the hours were brutal. Team veteran Danny Gallagher remembers the grueling schedule vividly: practice ran Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 4:30 AM to 6:30 AM. The routine became a rite of passage: skating hard in the dark, getting pulled over by police who saw the uniform, laughed and sent you on your way as you were heading home for breakfast, and then catching the bus to school. When local ice slots filled up, the team adapted, frequently traveling to Middletown to practice at Wesleyan University.
From the Willow Street Dump to the Canal Tracks
Before the high school varsity days, the foundation of Cheshire hockey was built on frozen mud and neighborhood ponds. Structured youth hockey was rare; instead, the Rams were forged on natural ice.
Local kids from Avon Boulevard spent winters at Kerfoot's Pond or gathered at a DIY rink built right by the railroad tracks along the canal—a favorite spot for players like Rich Nesbit, Bruce Miller, and the Erickson's. For those looking for a rougher skate, there was always the infamous "toxic waste dump" spot on Willow Street, which players joked gave the neighborhood guys an extra competitive edge.
1977: "The Cat" Makes Tournament History
All of that pond-hockey grit culminated in 1977 on the grand stage of the New Haven Coliseum. The Rams found themselves in the state finals against Fairfield Prep, a private school heavily favored due to its ability to draw premier players from all over New England.
Cheshire fought to the wire, narrowly losing 4-3. Despite the loss, Cheshire goaltender Bobby “The Cat” Erickson turned in a legendary performance. In a move that shocked the tournament but solidified his legacy, Erickson was voted the State Tournament MVP—marking the first and only time the honor has been given to a player from the runner-up team. It is a record that still stands today, alongside Erickson’s 1977 First Team All-Housatonic and First Team All-State accolades.
The inaugural varsity Rams compiled an outstanding 14-3-1 record, an impressive accomplishment for a first-year program competing against more established schools.
More importantly, they demonstrated that Cheshire hockey had a promising future.
Building a Tradition
The first varsity team was led by Head Coach Steve Mrowka, whose leadership helped shape the identity of the young program during its formative years.
Mrowka remained behind the bench for five seasons and guided Cheshire to one of its earliest milestones when the Rams captured the 1978 Division I State Championship with a victory over Fairfield Prep.
While many individuals contributed to the growth of hockey in Cheshire during its club years and beyond, available historical records clearly identify Steve Mrowka as the first varsity head coach. Other early contributors deserve recognition for helping establish hockey in Cheshire, but specific coaching assignments during the transition from club to varsity should be based on documented historical records.
The Original Rams
The inaugural varsity roster consisted of local student-athletes whose efforts established the foundation upon which future generations would build.
Among the members of that historic team were:
George A. Smith
Mike Devitt
Rich Nesbitt
Keith Erickson
Larry "The Rock" Richard
Jay Martha
John Drury
Mark Fournier
Dan Gallagher
Ed Harrison
Tom Kramer
Jim Messer
Philip Miller
Bill Stakosch
Bob Upton
Charles Welton
Frank Welton
Michael West
Supporting the players behind the scenes were trainers Joe Kowalski and Pete Shugrue, whose work helped keep the new varsity program operating throughout its inaugural season.
My brother Curt Smith was on the team. I was also a huge support to the team as a manager and rink employee. Did stats and the clock for the inaugural year.
One unforgettable milestone belonged to Larry "The Rock" Richard, who scored the first varsity goal in Cheshire High School hockey history, forever securing his place in the program's story.
A Legacy Fifty Years in the Making
In recent years, members of the inaugural varsity team reunited during Cheshire High School Hockey's 50th Anniversary celebration.
The event honored the athletes whose commitment established a tradition that has continued for half a century.
Over the decades, countless players have represented Cheshire High School, including future NHL Hall of Famer Brian Leetch, who attended Cheshire High School before transferring to Avon Old Farms. The success enjoyed by later generations was made possible by the determination of the original varsity players who proved that hockey could thrive in Cheshire.
From those early days of borrowed ice time to state championship seasons, the program has become one of the town's proudest athletic traditions.
Thank you to Dick Naramore who is a prominent contributor and Board member for the Cheshire High School ice hockey program in Cheshire, Connecticut for this additional historical information.
The Ice Empires of Cheshire: A History of Ram Hockey
Every great sports dynasty starts with a few neighbors, a wild idea, and a lot of bumper stickers. In Cheshire, the roots of the rink trace back to a casual backyard crossover on Williamsburg Drive and a couple of high school kids looking for a game.
From its humble club-team origins to decades of CIAC dominance, here is the official historical record of Cheshire Hockey.
The Genesis: The Cheshire Hockey Club (1970–1971)
The spark was ignited when the Hodgson family moved from the Boston area to Williamsburg Drive, plugging themselves in right next door to the Seigels. John Seigel and his brother Billy were in high school and desperate to get a hockey program off the ground. They knocked on neighbor Dean Hodgson’s door for help, and the machinery started turning.
John recruited the players, Dean printed up Cheshire Hockey Club bumper stickers to raise funds, and Dean's son, Chris, hit the pavement with a crew of local kids to sell them.
Dean recruited Richard “Turkey” Weiss to coach, and together they launched the very first Club Team for the 1970–1971 season, skating out of Wesleyan's rink.
The Original 1970-71 Club Roster
Coaches: Richard “Turkey” Weise & Dean Hodgson
Managers: Dave Williams & Chris Hodgson
The Team: Tim Lamb, Frank Salvatore, Red Wilson, Joe Grenus, Bruce Miller, John Siegal, Brian Carberry, John Kishwara, Paul Bowman, Bob Cook, Dave Godie, Bob Salvatore, Jim Delong, Kurt Eckles.
The Varsity Era: Coach by Coach, Era by Era
The Steve Mrowka Years (1974–1979)
The Benchmark of Excellence
Total Record: 78-21-3 (5 Straight Winning Seasons)
The Blueprint: Mrowka took the reigns for the inaugural varsity season in 1974-1975. He took the Rams to the Division 2 Finals in ’76-’77, and then forced a graduation to Division 1, hitting the D1 finals in his last two seasons.
Glory Moment: The 1977–1978 D1 Championship, defeating state powerhouse Fairfield Prep in a 6-5 thriller.
Note: Steve took a year off after '79 but returned to give back as an assistant coach for three more seasons.
The Tony Catapano Transition (1979–1981)
Total Record: 15-23-1 (39 games)
Catapano took the coaching reigns for a two-season stretch, keeping the program steady during a transitional era for the school.
The Jack Guetens Era (1981–1986)
Star Power & Semi-Final Runs
Total Record: 63-34-2 (99 games, 5 winning seasons)
The Blueprint: Assisted by a powerhouse staff of Steve Mrowka, Jack Leetch, and Jim Stoddard, Guetens kept Cheshire firmly in the state conversation.
Glory Moment: The 1983–1984 squad—famously featuring a young future NHL Hall of Famer named Brian Leetch—blazed a trail to the D1 Semifinals before falling to Darien.
The Bill Reynolds Term (1986–1990)
Total Record: 38-40-1 (79 games)
Coached for four seasons alongside assistant Herb Fay, maintaining a fierce schedule in the highly competitive state landscape.
The Herb Fay Dynasty (1990–2001)
The Eleven-Year Iron Man
Total Record: 132-96-5 (233 games)
The Blueprint: Fay took the wheel for over a decade, assisted by John Nolan and Jeff Owens. Under his watch, Cheshire reached the D2 Finals twice: a tough loss to Stamford Catholic in ’90-’91, and a heartbreaking overtime loss to Glastonbury in ’98-’99.
Glory Moment: Redemption in the 1998–1999 season, where they captured the SCC Championship by skating past Branford.
The Owens & McPhee Era (2001–2005)
Jeff Owens (2001–2002): Coached for a single season assisted by Will McPhee, going 9-10-1 over 20 games.
Will McPhee (2002–2005): Took over the top spot for the next 3 seasons, assisted by Frank Illnicki, compiling a 23-38-1 record over 62 games.
The Jim Riccitelli Renaissance (2005–2011)
The Hardware Heavyweight
Total Record: 96-43-6 (145 games)
The Blueprint: Assisted by Pete Simoni, Riccitelli’s six seasons were an absolute masterclass in tournament runs. They were a regular fixture in the postseason, logging a D2 Semis loss and two D2 Quarters losses along the way.
Glory Moments:
2005–2006: Riccitelli’s debut season resulted in a Division 3 Championship over Newington.
2008–2009: Captured the Division 2 Championship over Enfield, alongside the SCC D2 Title.
2009–2010: Back-to-back SCC D2 Champions.
2010–2011: Secured yet another Division 2 State Championship, defeating rival Guilford.
The Karl Sundquist Stretch (2011–2015)
Total Record: 37-47-3 (87 games)
Sundquist, assisted by Anthony Guisto, managed the bench for four seasons. In their very first year (2011-2012), they fought their way to the D1 Semifinals before falling to Notre Dame of West Haven. They wrapped up the tenure with back-to-back D2 Quarterfinal appearances in ’13-’14 and ’14-’15.
The Anthony “Juice” Guisto Era (2015–2026)
Modern Dominance
Total Record (Through 2025–2026): 146-83-9 (238 games)
The Blueprint: “Juice” Guisto took over in the fall of 2015 and turned Cheshire into a perennial postseason lock, leading the Rams to the D2 state tournament an incredible 9 times.
Glory Moment: The unforgettable 2023–2024 season, where the Rams climbed to the mountaintop to capture the Division 2 State Championship with a spectacular victory over East Haven.
Historical Note: From the first puck drop at Wesleyan in 1970 to the modern-day battle cries in the CIAC tournaments, Cheshire hockey remains a testament to the community's enduring love for the coolest game on earth.
A Tribute to George A. Smith (1956–2026)
Among the pioneers of Cheshire High School's first varsity hockey team was George A. Smith, whose passing on June 23, 2026, marked the loss of one of the program's original trailblazers.
Beyond hockey, George devoted much of his life to serving the community he loved.
A lifelong Cheshire resident, he retired from the Town of Cheshire Public Works Department in 2023 after two decades of dedicated service. Friends and family knew him as someone who embraced life with enthusiasm—whether competing in the Cheshire Softball League, serving on the pit crew of the "Absolute Pleasure" alcohol funny car, camping and snowmobiling with his family in Washington, New Hampshire, or riding his Harley-Davidson trike with his beloved wife, Diane, and lifelong friends.
Following his diagnosis with leukemia in 2024, George faced his illness with courage and determination. When he passed away in June 2026, the overwhelming support shown by family, friends, coworkers, fellow motorcyclists, and the Cheshire community reflected the profound respect he had earned throughout his lifetime.
For the Cheshire hockey family, George will always be remembered as one of the original Rams.
Every player who wears the Cheshire jersey today follows a path first carved by George Smith and his teammates during that inaugural varsity season of 1974–1975.
Their accomplishments cannot be measured solely by wins and losses.
They built a program.
They established a tradition.
And they left a legacy that continues every time the Rams take the ice.
The Erickson Brothers: The Family That Helped Build Cheshire High School Hockey
Every successful athletic program has its pioneers—the players who step onto the ice, field, or court before there are championship banners, packed stands, or decades of tradition. For Cheshire High School hockey, few families are more closely woven into that beginning than the Ericksons.
When Cheshire High School elevated its hockey program from club status to a full varsity sport for the 1974–1975 season, two brothers stood at the center of that historic moment. Keith Erickson and his younger brother Bob "Bobby" Erickson became two of the first faces of a program that would eventually grow into one of Connecticut's respected high school hockey traditions.
Together, they helped establish a culture that still echoes through the Cheshire program more than fifty years later.
Building a Program From Scratch
The inaugural varsity season marked the beginning of a new era under first-year head coach Steve Mrowka. There were no league championships to defend, no alumni to look back upon, and no long-standing traditions. Everything had to be built from the ground up.
Leading that effort was senior Keith Erickson, selected as the very first captain in Cheshire High School varsity hockey history.
Captains are often remembered for championships, but Keith's greatest contribution came before any trophies existed. His leadership helped establish the standards, work ethic, and team identity for players who would follow.
Standing behind him was his brother, Bob "Bobby" Erickson, who accepted one of hockey's most demanding assignments—goaltender. Every new program depends on dependable players willing to shoulder immense responsibility, and Bobby became exactly that for Cheshire's first varsity squad.
Alongside teammates including Rich Nesbitt, Jay Martha, Larry "The Rock" Richard, and others, the Erickson brothers formed the foundation upon which Coach Mrowka built a remarkably successful program. Those early teams launched a stretch of five consecutive winning seasons, proving that Cheshire belonged among Connecticut's competitive high school hockey programs.
More Than Two Brothers
The Erickson family's contributions extended beyond Keith and Bob.
Edward T. Erickson, the third Erickson brother and son of Edward F. and Arlene Erickson, was also part of this well-known Cheshire family. Although Edward passed away before Keith, the three brothers remain remembered by many longtime residents as members of one of Cheshire's familiar local families whose lives were deeply connected to the community.
Their story reflects an era when family names often became intertwined with local schools, youth sports, churches, and neighborhood life. The Ericksons represented that tradition well.
A Lifetime in Cheshire
For Keith Erickson, hockey was only one chapter of a life spent serving his hometown.
A lifelong Cheshire resident, he became a respected local businessman, owning and operating Excavation Technologies Incorporated (ETI) in Cheshire as well as Red Technologies in neighboring Southington. Friends and colleagues knew him as both an entrepreneur and someone deeply committed to his community.
While many remembered him for wearing the "C" on his hockey sweater in 1974, others knew him through decades of business relationships, friendships, and civic involvement.
A Fitting Reunion
One of the most meaningful moments in Cheshire hockey history occurred in early 2024 during the program's 50th Anniversary celebration.
Former players from that inaugural varsity team gathered once again to be recognized before a new generation of Cheshire hockey fans. Keith and Bob Erickson returned to the ice together, standing beside their old teammates as the community honored the men who started it all.
For many in attendance, it was a full-circle moment.
The young athletes who had once ventured onto the ice with no history behind them were now being celebrated as the founders of a tradition spanning half a century.
It would become one of Keith's final public appearances connected to the sport that helped define his youth.
Remembering a Pioneer
Keith Erickson passed away peacefully at his Cheshire home on August 22, 2025, at the age of 68.
Family and friends gathered to celebrate his life during visitation and prayer services held at the Alderson-Ford Funeral Home in Cheshire.
His passing marked the loss of more than a former athlete. Cheshire lost one of the original architects of its varsity hockey tradition—a man whose leadership helped establish a program that has since produced league championships, state tournament appearances, and generations of student-athletes.
A Lasting Legacy
Today, every Cheshire High School hockey player who pulls on the Ram uniform becomes part of a story that began with a handful of teenagers willing to build something new.
Among those first pioneers, the Erickson brothers occupy a special place.
Keith provided the leadership as the program's first captain.
Bob protected the net as its first varsity goaltender.
Edward remained part of the family whose name became synonymous with early Cheshire hockey.
Together, the Erickson brothers represent more than statistics or team photographs. They remind us that every tradition begins with ordinary people willing to become pioneers. Their dedication helped transform a fledgling varsity team into one of Cheshire High School's enduring athletic traditions.
More than fifty years after that first puck dropped, their legacy continues every time another generation of Rams takes the ice.
The author gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the Cheshire High School Hockey alumni community, historical records, anniversary publications, and the I grew up in Cheshire Groups for all the help writing this. A special tip of to to Bill Glass our Top Town Sports Cop.
Historical Note
The history of local organizations often relies on newspaper archives, yearbooks, official records, photographs, and the memories of participants. If readers have additional photographs, programs, newspaper clippings, or firsthand recollections that can further document this story, the Cheshire CT Phoenix News welcomes their contributions to help preserve Cheshire's history for future generations.
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