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Rachel Bodine faces off with Alyssa Thomas
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There used to be a time when hockey was considered a sport for the boys. Any girls that wished to play had to become members of boys’ teams, and as often as not were permitted only limited playing time on the ice.
All of this began to change about 10 years ago. Now girls’ hockey has become a force to be reckoned with in Western Pennsylvania, and thanks to the efforts of a group of Girl Scout leaders, the way may be paved for female hockey players of the future.
More than 30 girl scouts between the ages of seven and 14 took part in a “Put the Biscuit in the Net” program at the Southpointe Iceoplex late last fall. Here, they learned the basics of the game from women athletes on the Robert Morris University Division I hockey team, as well as coaches and instructors. Part of a national program to teach young girls the fundamentals of the game, it set the stage (or in this case the ice), for the next generation of girls’ team players.
“I’m ecstatic,” says Tera Crowe, one of the program’s organizers, whose own daughter, Brooke, began playing at the Iceoplex, and is now part of Team Pittsburgh, an elite group of girls’ teams from the region. “Many of these girls had never stepped foot on the ice until [that] weekend, and by Sunday afternoon they were racing each other to the biscuit [puck] and putting it in the net.”
The skating program was developed through USA Hockey, in cooperation with the Girl Scouts of America, and featured specially-trained instructors. The biscuit name was adopted in accordance with the famous Girl Scout cookies, which were originally called biscuits. The program has achieved nationwide success.
“The program at the Iceoplex was awesome,” says Nate Handrahan, head coach of the Robert Morris University Women’s team, and one of the instructors who was on the ice for the program. “I think we have to let young girls know that they can play the game. The girls we had down there know that you can get to a very elite level. I think the success of women’s hockey is just letting girls get the exposure to the fact that they can play the game.”
The organizers of girls’ hockey at the Iceoplex are hoping that the Biscuit in the Net program will continue an already growing program now underway at the Cecil Township facility. Two nights a week are devoted to girls’ hockey at the present time, under the Southpointe Rink Rats program.
“Southpointe hasn’t become one of the hotbeds of girls’ hockey yet, but it’s growing quickly,” says Robin Stanton, who has worked with hockey programs at the Iceoplex. “Peters Township now has a lot of girls in their developmental program, and that is going to mean more teams and ice time in the future.”
Prior to last season, there were no girls’ teams calling the Iceoplex their home, but the facility has been encouraging the development of programs for young girls. They held tryouts for teams this past summer. About a dozen girls tried out, and by the first practice in August, more than 20 girls were on the roster.
If there is a reason for optimism for growth in girls’ hockey in Pittsburgh and at the Iceoplex, future players need look no further than the existing NCAA women’s hockey programs at Robert Morris University and at Chatham College, where a Division III NCAA program has been underway. As for role models, young girls might look to Canonsburg’s Shannon Anesetti, who played on Canon McMillan’s varsity boys’ team, and has gone on to play Division III women’s hockey at Buffalo State University. Additionally, the girls’ Team Pittsburgh has attracted some of the region’s top players, including Stephanie Lemieux, the daughter of Mario Lemieux.
“I hope it continues to grow,” says Stanton. “At the present time, there aren’t enough teams in Pittsburgh to balance out the skill levels, and right now teams have everything from beginning skaters to those who have been playing since they were five. The more players we have, the more teams there will be. Programs like Biscuit in the Net are a good way to get girls involved in hockey.”
