MPA seeks balance for hockey Principals approve East and West divisions for volleyball

The Maine Principals’ Association has taken a step to address the competitive balance of the state’s ice hockey programs by tweaking the regular-season scheduling format.

Under a proposal approved during the MPA’s general business meeting held at the Samoset Resort in Rockport on Thursday, teams will be required to play a minimum number of games within their conference, class or region, and then may fill out their schedule against opponents “within an area of competitiveness,” according to MPA executive director Dick Durost.

Each conference retains the flexibility to fill out its schedule as it sees fit, Durost said, but beyond that schools will have the option to go outside their class, conference or region to seek out additional foes that are similar in strength.

The goal of the measure is to reduce the number of lopsided contests that have plagued high school hockey in recent years by matching teams of similar strength when possible.

All schedules ultimately must be approved by the state scheduling committee.

In other action:

. The MPA membership voted to divide the high school lacrosse ranks into Classes A and B in Eastern and Western Maine. The sport has grown to include 18 Eastern Maine and 21 Western Maine boys teams, and 13 Eastern Maine and 20 Western Maine girls teams.

As part of the approved measure, schools must remain in their designated class based on enrollment for the next two years, an item that drew considerable discussion during the business meeting.

Traditionally, some of the stronger lacrosse teams in the state have been Class B programs such as Cape Elizabeth, Yarmouth, North Yarmouth Academy and Waynflete of Portland. There was concern that if several Class B programs petitioned up to play in Class A, there would be a great disparity between the number of Class A schools and Class B programs, Durost said.

The current plan allows for a balanced number of teams in Classes A and B, and that issue will be brought up again for consideration in two years, he said.

. High school volleyball will be divided into Eastern and Western Maine divisions for the first time next season. This move reflects the general growth of the sport in Maine, particularly in southern Maine. Currently there are 16 schools in the state that field varsity volleyball teams, seven of which are located from Augusta south.