Eight cooperative teams will skate in high school hockey this season – Gray-New Gloucester/Poland, Lisbon/OakHill, Fryeburg/Lake Region, Marshwood/Traip Academy, Massabesic/Old Orchard Beach, Houlton/Hodgdon, Hall-Dale/Winthrop and Maranacook/Monmouth.

One would think it would be difficult to bring players from two schools together, but players from Massabesic/Old Orchard Beach believe otherwise.

"We've played together since junior high and youth hockey," said Dominic Parent, whose team has two players from Old Orchard Beach. "We're a pretty accepting group and we're not picky about who's playing on the team."

John Moran, a co-coach for Fryeburg/Lake Region, said this year's team is evenly split between players from each school.

"There's absolutely no divisiveness," said Moran, who previously coached a club team that combined players from Fryeburg and Kennett High School in North Conway, N.H.

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If you've tried to place a phone call to the home of Sanford ice hockey coach Ron Gagnon, you'll be greeted with a blunt instruction.

"You've reached the Gagnons," the message says. "If you're not going to talk about football or hockey, don't call back."

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Yarmouth Coach Marc Halsted has circled Feb. 2, 2008 on his calendar. The Clippers will face Orono, Halsted's alma mater, that day at Travis Roy Arena. Halsted is a 1994 graduate of Orono who played college baseball at the University of Maine.

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