Jason Dango, who started the season as the Alvirne-Milford head hockey coach, has resigned. Dango's last game behind the bench was a win over Division II rival MHBDS two weeks ago. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

For the second straight winter, an Alvirne head coach of a major sport has stepped down during the regular season.

Alvirne-Milford hockey coach Jason Dango informed The Telegraph that he has indeed resigned from the position and won’t be returning to the team.

Ironically, the Admirals are enjoying the best season in their history, as they go into tonight’s home game vs. Portsmouth-Newmarket at Skate 3 in Tyngsborough, Mass.with a 10-3 record, winners of nine of their last 10 games and their last five straight.

“Unfortunately, I needed to resign as coach for the remainder of this season,” Dango said in an email, without citing a specific reason. “It was an extremely hard decision since we have so many great kids whom I loved coaching and the season is going very well.”

Assistant coaches Molly Norton, Melanie Riendeau and Isaac Rogers, the latter who played for the Admirals from 2016-2020 will likely run the team for the remainder of the season.

“It was Jason’s decision to resign,” Alvirne athletic director Karen Bonney said. “It was not what I wanted, but I completely understand that he felt he did what was best for him and his family. And I appreciate and value what he did for our team and I wish him nothing but the best.”

Dango was hired in the off-season to replace Dave Thibault, who had coached the Admirals for the past few seasons after being an assistant and guided them to the Division II semis last season.

But Thibault stepped down needing to devote more time to his business.

Dango did not coach the Admirals win over Nashua North-Souhegan back on Jan. 25, and that night an Alvirne school official said that Dango was with his family but would indeed be coaching the next game. He did just that, a big win over Division II rival Merrimack-Hollis Brookline-Derryfield on Jan. 29. That evidently was his last game as coach.

He was not present for the team’s win over South Pelham on Feb. 1, and that day school officials were less forthcoming about what was going on. Milford athletic director Don Gutterson said that day he couldn’t comment on wh y Dango wasn’t there and whether or not he would be for the following game. Norton has been seemingly running the bench the last three games, and, as Dango did before he left,emailing game details to the media.

After the South-Pelham game, Norton told The Telegraph, “Right now our own players are motivating themselves,” Norton said. “We have a great group of kids, the staff is doing everything we can to keep them going, keep them motivated. They’re working hard on and off the ice and it’s definitely showing.”

“I know Molly and Melanie will do a great job leading the team for the remainder of the season,” Dango said.

Norton appears to be taking the lead role. She played part of her high school career at Bishop Guertin and teaches at Campbell High School. She is going to be the Broncos assistant girls lacrosse coach in the spring.

“Her, Melanie and Issac have stepped up,” Bonney said. “(Norton) has definitely stepped into a role that she certainly didn’t ask for, but she has championed and responded well and has done a great job for us.”

Last February, the Alvirne boys basketball team endured a sudden coaching change with a week to go in the regular season as then-Broncos head coach Leo Gershgorin stepped down. The team went on to win a tourney game and give heavily favored Bedford a hard time in the quarterfinals. Gershgorin is now the head boys hoop coach at Milford.