Deerfield Academy, an independent college-preparatory boarding and day school in Deerfield, Massachusetts, boasts a rich history and a strong tradition in athletics. Founded in 1797, it is one of the oldest secondary schools in the United States. Among its many athletic programs, ice hockey holds a special place, with a history dating back to the early 20th century.
Early Years and "The Barn"
The first Deerfield Academy hockey game was played on January 18, 1922, against the “Aggies” at M.A.C. (Massachusetts Agricultural College). Deerfield won 2-1. The program continued to thrive, with an indoor rink (known lovingly as “The Barn”) coming in 1957, and undefeated teams in 1952 and 1960. The rink was built in 1957 and it was the first indoor hockey rink constructed on campus.
For 60 years, the Barn has been home to former and current NHL and NWHL players and many NCAA college student-athletes. The rink has also been home to boys’ New England Division-I Championships in 1984 and 2003, and the girls captured the same title in 2001.
Facilities get closely tied to these memories, and no hockey player at Deerfield these past 60 years will ever forget the feeling of playing in the Barn. I saw so many alums walking slowly through the building this weekend-staring up at the ceiling, the banners, the benches, and the bleachers. These familiar sights, sounds, and even smells brought them back to their days of wearing a Deerfield jersey.
This weekend over 70 Deerfield hockey alumni and alumnae gathered on campus to watch this year’s Deerfield teams in action and celebrate the lifetime of the iconic and beloved “Barn” hockey arena. Alumni laced up their skates and hopped on the ice one last time to participate in a fast-paced and fun-filled alumni game.
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Watch for both boys’ and girls’ OT wins in the NE quarterfinals, 2003 and 2001.
In reflecting upon this past weekend and his days in the Barn both as faculty member and alumnus, Drew Philie ’09 said, “This past weekend was an amazing experience. It was great connecting with so many passionate alumni about their experiences here at Deerfield and their time playing hockey here. Alums are sad to see the old Barn go, myself included, but we are very excited for the state-of-the-art facility that will go in. The new facility will give our hockey players the opportunity to skate at a world class rink and create endless memories-like the ones many of us shared this weekend.
Live -- 1/21/22 St. Paul's Big Red v. Deerfield Big Green
The Class of 1993 Hockey Rink
After a year-long hiatus, Deerfield hockey fans can finally enjoy the long-awaited completion of the new athletic center. Ever since the October dedication of the Class of 1993 Hockey Rink, students have fully embraced it as a part of their Deerfield identity.
The Class of 1993 Hockey Rink was officially opened to the community on October 15th and operates on a daily nine-hour schedule including open skates from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM each weekday except Wednesday. The facility includes stunning features such as high quality ice, a puck shooting room floored with synthetic ice, as well as brand-new locker room spaces for the boys and girls varsity and junior varsity teams.
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The rink’s improvements have not only made it easier for players to navigate through the complex, it has also inspired a sense of honor among the players. As varsity girls hockey head coach Brooke Fernandez commented, “Our hockey programs are incredibly lucky to play in the new rink - there is a sense of pride in being part of Deerfield hockey, which has only increased with our beautiful home ice.”
Complementing the players’ heightened sense of purpose are the Student Planning Committee’s enhanced efforts to attract crowds. Specifically, this year we have seen an increase in themes (e.g. camouflage, black out, white out, and Hawaiian). The new athletic center is a hub of excellence and a celebration of sports at Deerfield.
Sasaki recently completed work with Deerfield Academy on a complex athletics and recreation project that involves the addition of an indoor field house, tennis center, crew tank, and the replacement of its ice hockey rink. The existing ice rink lies at the western end of the sports building, bounded by a cemetery to the west, wetlands to the south, and the main campus road to the north. The new design respects these constraints but gains substantial footprint area by turning the new rink ninety degrees and pushing it as far west as possible. This strategy opens up more useable space in the gap between the west end of the old building and the east side of the new rink.
However, although Deerfield hockey has a new home, it is still valuable to pay tribute to the past.
Deerfield Academy Athletic Facilities
On more than 90 acres of outdoor fields, Deerfield's student athletes will find everything from a Major League-quality baseball field to an eight-lane 10mm full pour track with a turf field hockey pitch in the center. Outside, student athletes will find everything from a Major League-quality baseball field to an eight-lane 10mm full pour track with a turf field hockey pitch in the center, and nearby, a varsity lacrosse field.
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For sports that we can’t host on campus, we travel a short distance to our “home courts”. Our ski team hosts at Berkshire East Mountain Resort while our golf team plays at Crumpin-Fox.
Deerfield Academy: A Brief Overview
Deerfield Academy (often called Deerfield or DA) is an independent college-preparatory boarding and day school in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1797, it is one of the oldest secondary schools in the United States. The academy was established in the remote town of Deerfield, at the time "the principal [European] settlement on the western frontier."
In 1902, Deerfield hired the 22-year-old Frank Boyden as its new headmaster. Boyden gradually rebuilt the academy's enrollment, invested in teacher salaries, and developed strong relationships with college administrators. He restored Deerfield's boarding department in 1916, hoping to attract wealthy families whose tuition payments could rescue the school's financial situation.
The academy has maintained its strong reputation in the 21st century. It has been described as an "elite boarding school" by the New York Times. Deerfield's admission rate was 17% in 2024. The academy's 650 students come from 32 states and 42 countries.