Lauren Read

Free Press Staff Writer

SOUTH BURLINGTON – When Rice Memorial High School girls hockey senior Caroline Provost heard that a 15-year NHL defenseman was taking over behind the bench for the Green Knights, she had a pretty obvious reaction.

"I was pumped," the senior forward said.

But Provost's reaction had little to do with the experience first-year head coach Aaron Miller had in the National Hockey League or playing in the Olympics.

"Aaron coached my brother as an assistant and my brother really liked him so I was really excited," Provost said. "I knew I was going to learn stuff."

Teaching and imparting that vast hockey knowledge that is behind the bench for Rice this season is the main goal for Miller, a former University of Vermont standout, and assistant coaches Jerry Tarrant and Willy MacKinnon, who both played for the Catamounts.

"We want to teach them all the important parts about playing team sports. Part of it is hard work and from Day 1, we made sure that they knew it was going to be hard work," said Miller. "We try to keep it light, keep it fun. I hope they have a good time, but also we try to teach them all we can about the game of hockey."

MORE GIRLS HOCKEY COVERAGE

—Chittenden County H.S. girls hockey capsules

When it comes to first-hand experience playing the sport, you won't find a much more seasoned group in the state of Vermont.

"Between myself, Jerry and Will we have played 100 years of hockey, but we aren't teaching at the level of pro hockey," Miller said. "We are teaching high school girls and I think we have figured that out."

Miller, who played for the Los Angeles Kings, Colorado Avalanche and the Vancouver Canucks, also represented the United States in the Olympics in 2002 and 2006, winning a silver medal at Salt Lake City.

Tarrant played for the Catamounts from 1985 to 1989 and then went on to play five years of professional hockey, with stints in the AHL, ECHL and IHL. MacKinnon scored over 100 points (119) in his years with UVM.

And how does that experience resonate?

"I don't think (the players) are all that impressed," Miller joked. "They are actually more impressed that I own a chicken wing restaurant and try and get free food."

While the Green Knights might not know what to make of their coaches' hockey past, they are excited about what they have been able to do in just the first few weeks of this season.

"The momentum really changed, they really know what they are talking about, they know how to help us," Provost said. "After the first game, they took what they saw and then they broke it down and said this is what we have to work on.

"They really can see the game and can help us get better."

Miller, who decided to take the coaching reins this season because he has a daughter on the team, said the staff is focused on teaching the players positioning and basic fundamentals.

"You can make up for skill with positioning in the game of hockey. We want to teach them that," the coach said. "It's a process but we've come a long way in just the first few weeks."

The early season work has paid off so far. The Green Knights are off to a 2-1 start, with a win over Division I team Burr and Burton already under their belts.

"I think its really nice that we have coaches who want it just as bad as we do," said senior Haleigh Byrnes. "I think they have really taken us under their wing and they are willing to show us everything that they know and we have improved a lot."

The early-season advancements are just the start for Miller, who plans on remaining with the team and helping to build a winning program.

"(We are) trying to put a program together that can win," Miller said. "These girls aren't used to winning. They work really hard, they deserve to win. We are trying to give them that opportunity as best we can."

For the team's seniors, who have been through a few coaching changes in their four years with the team, there is hope that the program can find some stability.

"I think other kids might see, 'Wow look at Rice, they are actually building a program, they have great coaches, they're team is doing well.' It might get people more interested in coming and playing for Rice," Brynes said.

Despite the hopes for the future of the Green Knights program, the season is still young and for now Miller, Tarrant and MacKinnon are focused on having fun and teaching the game of hockey.

"I want them to learn the things from team sports that I learned and still apply in my life," Miller said. "I want them to understand that it takes hard work, that you have to make sacrifices for your teammates, and to care about each other.

"I just try to have these kids understand how important it is to play hard for the person sitting next to you. I think they are buying in."

Contact Lauren Read at 660-1855 or lread1@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/laurenreadVT