NoStars Hockey
The Merrimack Valley NoStars is a USA Hockey sanctioned adult women’s
senior B-level ice hockey team. The team was formed in 2000 by a group of
players from southern New Hampshire with the intent to play competitive
hockey while adhering to three core philosophies:
Team First: All players share in the team’s successes, and individuals are not singled out for making mistakes.
Equal ice time: All players get equal ice time at practices and games - regardless of ability.
Skate Hard - Play Fair - Have Fun: When the NoStars take the ice, they work hard, play aggressive, but clean hockey and try to have a good time too!
NoStars History
Formed in June, 2000 by a group of women hockey players who shared the desire to play hockey at a competitive level.
2001-2002
Compiled a 20-4-1 record versus teams from New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island.
Entered four regional tournaments. Won two championships, and twice finished
in the top four.
2002-2003
Became first-ever women’s senior team to represent New Hampshire at USA Hockey’s New England Regional Championships, where the team placed third with a 2-1-1 record.
Hosted a four-team invitational tournament at The Ice Den in October.
Finished the season with a thrilling shoot-out win at the Champlain Shootout in Burlington, VT to capture the Div. A tournament championship (NoStars won the 2002 Div. B championship).
2003-2004
Compiled a record of 20-15-1 vs. teams from across New England and Canada. Competed in four tournaments, including USA Hockey’s Women’s Senior B New England Regional Championship tournament.
Hosted the second annual Women’s Hockey Weekend invitational tournament in October, and traveled to Windsor, Ontario in February where the NoStars went undefeated and clinched the B division championship in the Windsor Ladies’ Classic.
Who are the NoStars?
The NoStars team is comprised of adult women hockey players of all abilities. Some have played competitive hockey since childhood, while others began playing only recently. Some played at the college level, while others have “found” hockey again after years away from the ice.
The team’s home rink is “The Ice Den” in Hooksett, NH, but players hail from all across southern New Hampshire - from the seacoast to the fringes of the Monadnock Region.
Off the Ice
The NoStars are not just dedicated ice hockey players. Off the ice, they
are:
- Stay-at-home moms
- Physical therapists
- Nurses
- Teachers
- ISL Girls’ varsity hockey coaches
- An engineer
- A freelance writer and editor
- An environmental scientist
- A town finance director
- An active duty military network administrator.... and more!
And they are involved in the community:
- Players led a six-week girls’ ice hockey clinic
- Players volunteer as youth hockey coaches
- Players volunteer as coaches for other youth sports and as leaders in a variety of youth organizations
- Players actively raise money for the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and other non-profit organizations.
