The Pope Francis girls hockey team was approved recently to join the Central Massachusetts League.
The Cardinals, a first-year program that will start this winter, joins the A Division that includes Longmeadow, Shrewsbury, Algonquin and St. Paul (formerly St. Peter-Marian).
Pope Francis is only the second all-girls hockey team in western Mass. The Lancers were the only team and was a cooperative program with 10 schools, including Frontier Regional, Hopkins Academy and Northampton.
Last month Pope Francis announced it will field a girls hockey team coached by Chris Connors next season, pulling some of the cooperative programs from Longmeadow.
Amherst Regional, Chicopee, Chicopee Comp, Frontier Regional, Hopkins Academy, Monson, Northampton, Palmer and Pittsfield are the listed coops with Pope Francis.
The coop is awaiting approval by the MIAA. Pope Francis Athletic Director John Goda said being approved for the league was the first step in the process.