BREWER, Maine — Hampden native Lance Ingerson coached the Maine Freeze’s Midget Under-16 team to a state championship last season and to a berth in the national championships.
Now he will try to lead the Brewer High School Witches to a title.
Ingerson was unanimously approved by the Brewer school committee Thursday night to succeed Dave Shedd as head coach of the Witches.
“He has experience with this age level, he has won state championships and he is familiar with the kids,” Brewer athletic director Dave Utterback said. “I have letters of recommendation from three of our players who have played for him and some other kids have (spoken highly of him), too. That input is really valuable to me.”
Ingerson, 28, played hockey at Hampden Academy, then went on to play Junior hockey for the Connecticut Wolves. He graduated from Hampden Academy in 2005, then attended Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, where he earned a degree in finance and accounting in 2009.
“Brewer has always had a great program, and having the opportunity to come into a program like this is very exciting,” Ingerson said. “There is great potential.”
Ingerson, who coached the Maine Freeze Bantams to a championship during the 2012-13 season, said there are many young players in the Brewer system and in the youth program, which is “great for this area.”
He said the healthy Brewer youth program, as well as the area’s travel programs, will feed players to the high school and will ensure good numbers.
There were 10 freshmen and four sophomores on last year’s 23-player roster. The Witches went 8-9-1 and missed the Eastern Maine Class B playoffs for the first time in Shedd’s five years behind the bench.
Shedd guided the Witches to a record of 76-20-3 but stepped down to help laid off mill workers develop woodworking skills. He teaches woodworking and cabinet making to high school students at Northern Penobscot Tech Region III in Lincoln.
Brewer won Eastern Maine titles in Shedd’s first two seasons and the state championship in his first year. The Witches beat York for the state’s Class B title 2010 before losing to York the following season.
Utterback said there were two applicants for the job and several other inquiries about it. He considers it one of the “premier athletic jobs” around because of the program’s success, the well-oiled Brewer youth hockey program and the fact that the Penobscot Ice Arena is right behind the high school.
Utterback also noted there is momentum from the performance of the fall sports programs.
“They are all in position to make the playoffs, and that hasn’t happened since I’ve been here (three years),” Utterback said.
Ingerson added George and Linda Bishop have done an “unbelievable job” renovating the rink after buying it last year.
Utterback also said he liked the fact Ingerson intends to follow Shedd’s lead in teaching discipline and sportsmanship to the players.
“Discipline is huge,” Ingerson said. “Once you learn it, it transfers to off the ice as well as on the ice and will be with you for the rest of your life.”
Ingerson said he won’t decide on the style of play he will employ until after he evaluates his players.
“It all depends on the types of kids you have,” said Ingerson, who is an accountant. “We’ll adapt to it.”
Ingerson and wife, Jillian, are expecting their first child, a daughter, in the next two weeks.