U19 Split Season Coaching

Janice Yang has led Connecticut Polar Bears teams to multiple New England Regional Championships and National Tournament appearances. She has coached from U12 to U19 and helped many players matriculate to the prep and college levels. 

As a player, Janice competed for Brown University (ECAC) where she led the team in goals her junior year and was tied for second in assists her senior year. She earned ECAC All-Academic honors in 2014 and 2015. Before matriculating to Brown, Janice competed for Choate Rosemary Hall and the Connecticut Polar Bears.

​Janice is entering her tenth season as a coach with the Polar Bears. Including her time as a player, Janice has been involved with the organization for over 20 years.



Katie Savage has coached at all age groups for the Polar Bears, from U12 to U19 at both the Tier I and Tier II levels. She serves as a key advisor guiding our players through the prep and college placement processes. 

A tremendous student athlete during her time at Amherst College, Katie was a member of the women's field hockey, ice hockey, and lacrosse teams. While at Amherst, Katie earned NESCAC All-Academic Team Selections consecutively from 2016 - 2019. In 2019, she was also the recipient of the prestigious Friends of Amherst Athletics Award. Katie formerly attended the Westminster School. At Westminster, she was a 2017-2018 ACHA All-American Scholar and was named team captain her senior season.

​She is entering her sixth year as a coach with the Polar Bears.



​Gwil Jones has been coaching for 25+ years in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York with a strong focus on player development. 

He has been with the Polar Bears since 2018 and has led his teams to multiple New England Regional Championships and National Tournament appearances. Prior to his time with the Polar Bears, Gwil's teams have won the New York State and Eastern Hockey Federation Championships. 

​He has coached and mentored dozens of players who have gone on to play prep and college hockey. Gwil is entering his seventh season as a coach with the Polar Bears.



​Melissa Hawkins has been coaching for the past 20 years throughout Connecticut and New York with a strong focus on player development. 

She has worked with many tremendous athletes while coaching the Sound Shore Warriors, Mid Fairfield Stars and Brewster Bulldogs. She has led teams to multiple New England Regional Championships and National Tournament appearances.

She has also coached and mentored dozens of players who have gone on to play prep and college hockey. To further her goal to develop young players, Melissa also started her own hockey company called Hawkins Hockey. Through Hawkins Hockey, she runs camps/clinics and attends spring and summer tournaments. 

As a player, Melissa competed for Manhattanville College (ECAC East) where she was an assistant captain from sophomore year through graduation. 



Lloyd Jacques enters his second season with Polar Bears U19 Minor team. He is currently coaching at Fairfield University and he had a previous stint with the Quinnipiac University club program. Lloyd has been coaching for close to 10 years at the collegiate and youth levels.

As a player, Lloyd played college club hockey at University of New Haven and Southern Connecticut State University. He played for Lyman Hall High school 2005 to 2009 where he earned All-Conference honors in 2008 and 2009.