Girls Hockey

Wilbraham & Monson's Hockey is very excited about its plans to build a Girls' Ice Hockey program, starting with a full varsity NEPSAC prep team during the 2024-25 academic year. 

Olympia Ice Center in West Springfield, Mass., will be the home ice for the Girls program when it begins its competitive schedule. The team will have a professional-level locker room, off-ice gym and video room. 

Patrick Tabb is currently an assistant coach of American International College’s men’s hockey program. Also an assistant at AIC from 2004-07, he rejoined the staff four years ago and has helped lead AIC to four Atlantic Hockey Conference championships and three trips to the NCAA tournament. 

“Coach Tabb has all the things we are looking for to build on our girls hockey momentum – he is a highly respected hockey coach, particularly for girls, with a reputation for building the kinds of teams for which families look for and we aspire to have,” Head of School Brian P. Easler said. “Now, we are thrilled that he will lead the creation of our girls hockey program as the Girls Varsity Head Coach. Although Pat has already begun recruiting, we plan to launch the team during the 2024-25 season in a full 25-game varsity prep schedule.”

The Director of Olympia Hockey Academy (OHA), Tabb has placed numerous male and female student-athletes at the NCAA level. Focusing on on- and off-ice skill development, he is currently the off-season skills coach for current professional players such as Anaheim Ducks Frank Vatrano and Milwaukee Admiral John Leonard as well as many other pros, college, national team,  junior and youth players. 

Tabb was head coach and general manager of the then-Eastern Junior Hockey League’s Springfield Pics. As a founding member of the United States Premier Hockey League in 2013, the team won its Elite Division and advanced to the semifinals of the 2014 Tier III Junior Nationals. Tabb helped the team move up to the USPHL’s top division, the Premier Division, when it reached the league semifinals in 2016-17.

“I would like to thank the WMA community, specifically Head of school Brian Easler, for this opportunity,” Coach Tabb said. “I learned early on in coaching that it’s about providing student-athletes with an opportunity and that is what WMA is doing here. Giving young women another opportunity to succeed through athletics. I’m excited to set them up for success.”

Tabb was also an assistant coach at Western New England University (2017-2018).

As a player at AIC, Tabb played in 115 games as a four-year letter winner from 1999-2003. Tabb also played at Avon Old Farms School under John Gardner, the winningest coach in New England Prep School history.