Tori & Kayla: Challenge Cup

We had known that we were approaching one of the biggest tournaments of the season for weeks, and we had been preparing for it rigorously on and off the ice.  Practice was a blast and we felt so ready for this tournament.  The night before our departure everyone was packing up cheerily and we were excited to get on the road.  Many of us decided that because we had such an early wake-up we’d stay up that night so we would get quality sleep on the bus.  Waking up at 3:30 or 4:00 in the morning is not always pleasant but surprisingly we were greeted with cheery good mornings from each other and smiles all around. There are always the grumps of the group, but for the most part everyone seemed pleased to be with each other.  We quickly packed snacks and hurried outside to wait for the bus.  We all get very serious when it comes to our bus seats and we board the bus in an orderly fashion, seniors first, juniors second, and underclassmen last. When the bus arrived everyone got their game faces on to compete for seats and after we got comfortable on the bus we immediately all closed our eyes to catch some z’s.  After 3 or 4 hours, most of us woke up and decided it was time to watch some movies.  On this bus ride we watched some classics, including Blue Crush, and I fantasized about the warm ocean breeze and sunshine in the movie while looking outside at the chilly winter setting.  We continued to watch movies for a while and eventually we made a pit stop for food and drinks.  We got off somewhere in New York and because of the heat on the bus, the cool drizzly weather outside felt nice.  We all hurried inside to get snacks and stretch our legs. Once we got back on the road we settled back into our nice warm seats, feeling better now having gotten some fresh air.  We had 5 or 6 hours still to go and we passed the time with more sleep.  Upon arrival in DC, we gathered our things and it began to become chaotic again.  We dropped our clothes bags at the hotel and rushed to the rink because 5 of our players were in the All-Star game at 7:00.  The All-Star game is the best of the best players in the tournament.  The teams are divided into players from the Midwest and players from the East coast, and every player wears their own jersey so you can see what team they are from.  It’s pretty fun to watch but this year the Midwest won, unfortunately.  However, our players still played well considering that they sat on a bus for 12 hours.  After watching we headed back to our hotel and Red team headed to a town about 45 minutes away where their Challenge Cup tournament was taking place. With this being one of the biggest, most competitive tournaments of the year, many parents attended and it was so great to see every one so excited to see their family.

Early Saturday morning we woke for our first game against Edouard Montpetit.  We had no idea who this team was or what they could bring to the table but we were so excited for our first game of the tournament.  The puck was set to drop at 9, so around 7:45 we headed over to Mary’s Café just steps from our hotel.  After eating a quality breakfast we walked to the rink and got warmed up to prepare for the game.  We came out a little flat in the first and second but we managed to put 2 goals in throughout these first two periods.  During the third we kicked it into gear and started to really generate some offense.  By putting three more points up on the scoreboard we beat them by three to end the game with a 5-2 win.  After the game we spent a little time at the mall grabbing some food and most of us split from the team to spend time with our families.  We gathered together around 5:00 to head back to the rink for our second game of the day against the Burlington Barracudas.  We had played them twice this year and we had one win and one loss against them, so we knew this would be a good chance to get an upper hand in the tournament.  The first and second period we battled hard, putting two pucks in the net as opposed to their one. During the third we decided to come out and work a little harder, with this mental change, we found our score climbing.  We rounded out the game with 4 more goals in the third to end with a 6-1 win, us.  Breaking that first day threshold ,we were excited to have won both of our games and were ready to return to the hotel and get some sleep to be ready for what tomorrow might bring us.

The next day we got to sleep in a little and leisurely got up to have breakfast.  We ate at Mary’s again, they always manage to fill us up with excellent food that keeps us going all day. We had a game at 2:00 against the Okanagan Hockey Academy so about an hour and a half before the game we made our way to the rink and got a good warm up in before we played. Having never faced this team before, we made sure not to underestimate them and came out just as hard as usual.  We put five goals in during the first as opposed to their one, and four in during the second as opposed to their zero.  During the third we quit working as hard and didn’t score once, so they took advantage of this and managed to put the puck in the net.  We ended the game with a satisfying 9-1 win.  We had  three wins already and we were excited to keep them coming as the tournament went on.  We had a large time period for relaxation before our next game.  I experienced an underground train or subway for the first time in my life and it was pretty cool. My family and I went to go see all the incredible things D.C. has to offer and even though we saw all of it last year it never gets old.  All the history within the exhibits is amazing and we were so lucky to have the time to see them.  Later that night, around 7:30, we walked over to the rink for our second game.  We were to play the Waybern Wings, another team we didn’t know a whole lot about but again, we did not underestimate them and continued to play as hard and smart as ever.  All three periods we played a very tough offensive and didn’t hold back.  We swept them with an end result of an 8-0 win.  With it being late and us being happy and satisfied with our first four wins of the tournament we returned to our comfy beds for some quality sleep.

Sunday was a slow day with only one game against Pursuit Of Excellence.  I, on the other hand had the perspective from the bench, with an injured shoulder I was water girl/coach. I tried my best to motivate the girls and get them going, that was my main contribution. POE came out strong and we were tired, and as a result they managed to get the first goal. We answered back with a goal in the second period before the ice was cut.  In the locker room we discussed winning individual battles and how bad we wanted to leave with the win.  Coming out in the third period POE took over, we were down and exhausted, they got a final goal and took the game with a 2-1 win.  The rest of the day the girls took ice baths to recover and get prepared for our semi-final game the next day.
Monday was full of suspense and excitement. Our first game was against Little Caesars, we had to beat them to make it to the championship game against Burlington, who had won their semi final game. This was a do or die situation and the game was a brutally physical.  There were several reasons for this.  First is that we are rivals with the LC team.  Second, it is Shannon’s old team and she was dying to beat them, and finally we had to win to move on.  The game was back and forth in the first period, but before the ice cut we took a one goal advantage making the score 3-2.  The girls still had good energy and came out stronger the third period.  With a minute left they pulled their goalie, a girl lifted the puck in the air, Shannon caught it and shot it at their empty net with seconds to go. We were all so happy for her and thrilled to move on to the championship game.  In the championship game I could see that my team was gassed and had lost some energy from our previous game.  Standing on the bench was difficult for me, I really wanted to play and contribute.  The girls were tired and though we all wanted them to pull through with the win they were unable to.  Being hurt was unfortunate, but I learned a lot by watching and observing, and even though I was out of the game I picked up some new tricks by not skating.

Off weekend: Tori & Kayla

On off weekends we take advantage of catching up on homework and sleep, down time is always needed here.  Getting the chance to play a game in our old town, Stowe made Saturday a special day for the returning NAHA girls. We departed at noon for the hour drive to Stowe with a mixture of both Red and White team to play Rice, another local Vermont girls team. Before the game we stopped at the Malt Shop, our favorite place to get malts and greasy food. The weather was bearable and the rink was nearby so with our bellies were full we made the walk over to the outdoor rink. The sun started to go down and the girls weren’t prepared for the frigid rink with no heat. Opening the locker room we were worried, it was extremely small, but we smashed in like sardines and geared up.  Surprisingly, we had fans for our game, our old teachers came out to watch and tried not to freeze to death cheering us on. We love having fans, it gives more thrill to an already exciting and fun game to play. On the bench our noses were rosey and our toes were like ice cubes, but we were having a good time playing with the younger players on Red team. Aside from the cold temps everyone had smiles on their faces and we thoroughly enjoyed the chance to play in our old home town with returning players and friends and family. The rink owners stared a tradition with past NAHA girls, having them sign the garage door with name, date, number, and where they were going to go to college. It is a fun tradition, and I signed right next to my sisters name from last year. The trip to Stowe was a NAHA flashback for many of us, it was the perfect thing to do on an off weekend at Jay.

Continuing into Saturday, we made our way into the city of Boston after a long four hour bus ride to play Assabet. The day and game was going great until three minutes left in the third period.  I was rushing the puck to the net but before I got a shot off I was tripped and smacked into the boards.  I lost my breath and heard a cracking noise in my shoulder when I hit.  I was thinking about my next tournament in D.C. the upcoming weekend, and I was crushed, knowing I wouldn’t be able to play seemed to be more pain than the separated shoulder that I knew I had.  After going to the doctor, I was diagnosed with a grade one AC separation, which is the best case you could have, but it wasn’t good enough for me to play in DC.  Being an injured athlete makes you appreciate the times when you are a healthy.  Being whole gives you lots of opportunities in life.  With injury everyday chores become difficult and you end up missing out on good times.  But time will heal everything, and for me that time will consist of sitting on the sidelines waiting for the chance to play again.

Waking up around 6:00 Sunday morning, we were all a little sleepy but very excited to head to Boston to play Assabet.  They are a talented, fast team that we love to compete with and everyone must be on top of their game in order to beat them. We loaded the buses with blankets and snacks in hand for the 4 hour bus ride.  As soon as we got settled into our seats, most of us went right back to sleep to get more rest

Zamboni door showing NAHA's past players at our old rink

before the game. When we arrived in Boston we were pretty excited to skate, we love the idea of a challenging game and they seem to challenge us every time we play them.  After a fun, upbeat warm-up in the chilly rink, we sat down in the locker room to dress.  Feeling eager and motivated for the game we practically ran onto the ice.  After the drop of the puck, we knew it was going to be a game.  About three shifts into the first period, the referees noticed most of us didn’t have mouth guards in and sent us off temporarily to get them.  This is just a funny reoccurring event that seems to always happen to us here in Assabet.  Maybe its because we are always so amped to play these girls.  We worked hard throughout all three periods, generating a lot of offense and playing solid defense.  However, Assabet has several incredible shooters and they got all three of their goals off of nice shots that were very difficult for a goalie to stop.  The ending result was a 3-0 loss, but we worked very hard to put the puck in the net and had lots of good shots, we just didn’t get lucky.  Sometimes in the game of hockey its said “the bounces just weren’t going our way ” and for sure that was the case in Boston.  We could’ve moved the puck quicker and more efficiently but there’s always another day. We packed up our bags and loaded the buses for another four hour ride back home to Jay.  Most of us slept the whole way home and upon returning we were all in pretty good spirits considering that we drove a 8 hours to play and lose 1 game.  C’est la vie!

2012 U17 Challenge Cup Champions

At one of the most high profile and competitive tournaments of the year, congrats to NAHA Red!

Kayla & Tori: WinterHawks Calgary Weekend

Thursday, February 2nd

We started our long day of travel departing from NAHA in a timely fashion, bright and early at 7am.  The girls loaded the buses and didn’t forget to bring their most valued items, pillows and blankets for nap time on the way to the Montreal Airport.  While I was looking out the window on our drive through Quebec the sun was rising and hitting the water beneath the bridge with a reflecting, stunning glow.  As the two hours of driving slowly passed, we finally arrived to the Montreal Airport.  The check-in and security went very smoothly with all twenty girls. With a group as big as ours we had to give props to the Canadian airport personnel because they made everything very quick and easy.  It was a four hour plane ride to Calgary.  Some girls watched movies, some read, and some passed out on the person next to them.  It was a peaceful and fun plane ride with the whole team.  The night flew by fairly fast after we had departed from the airport in Calgary.  It was about a twenty minute drive to out hotel, in a big coach bus.  Once we were all settled in our rooms for the night, we ate pasta for dinner, and went to sleep relaxed and full ready for our game in the morning.

Friday, February 3rd

Departing the hotel at 8AM for our first game against Edge, the girls we pumped up and excited.  The Edge School was so cool, we pulled up and there were kids going to classes with their books and sport bags.  Edge is a type of private school with art, music, and sports.  The primary focus is based around hockey, and the hockey rinks are connected to the school buildings.  It is a really neat place to study and train.  We had a fairly large crowd for our first game, with families and students stopping in between classes to watch their home team play.  Our all around performance was great.  We dominated the first period, keeping the puck in their zone for the majority of the time, Shannon sniping two goals and putting us in the lead going into the second period.  In the second period we let off a bit and they bounced back with a couple of goals.  When the third period rolled around we were down by one and were desperate for a goal. We pulled our goalie to put an extra attacker out, but they capitalized on one of our mistakes and put the puck in the back of our empty net with thirty seconds to go.  We were disappointed with the loss, but recognized that we played well, and sometimes the puck doesn’t always bounce our way.  While we rested up before our next game, we got mentally prepared and focused on winning against Warner.  Once we got dressed for warm ups, we headed outside to take advantage of the nice weather and the big open soccer field.  The fresh air and sunshine were revitalizing and we were ready for battle.  Every game played against Warner is a dirty, competitive struggle.  This time was no different and though we got the first jump by scoring right off; they respond twice to our first period goals.  In the second we were able to set a higher pace, scoring two more goals, and skating away with the win.

Saturday, February 4th

Saturday we woke early, around 8:00, to grab continental breakfast in the hotel.  We were to play at 11:15 in the Provident Ice Arena and we departed around 9:45 to leave time for a good warm-up before our game against the Minnesota Thoroughbreds.  We arrived at the rink and had a fast paced and upbeat warm-up like usual, then mentally prepared in the locker room.  Like most Minnesota teams the Thoroughbreds are fairly fast and aggressive so they stepped on the ice with speed.  We generated a lot of offense and were able to get sixty shots on net.  However their goalie had a unbelievable game, and saved 54 of our 60.  Despite their best efforts however, the game ended with a 6-1 win for us.  After we cooled down we headed upstairs to the Edge School cafeteria where we ate some hearty tomato and basil pasta, as well as a tasty Alfredo.  Because we had such a short time period in between games, we didn’t return to the hotel, and most of us crashed in the gym.  Our second game was at 4:15 in the same rink.  We were opposing the Pacific Steelers, a team we have played a few times earlier in the season and we have always had good outcomes against them.  After another great warm-up, we hit the ice hard and we did a good job of controlling the pace most of the game.  Again, our offense was very strong and we got a ton of shots, but their goalie held them in.  We ended the game with a 2-1 win.  Winning both games, we returned to the hotel pretty satisfied, ate dinner, and went to bed before an early wake-up.

Sunday, February 5th

Sunday morning we had to wake at about 5:30 so that we could pack and prepare for our 7:30 game against Balmoral Hall, a skilled team trailing just behind us for points in the JWHL league.  After grabbing breakfast from Julie’s room, we brought our bags down to the bus and drove to the rink, arriving at about 6:15.  We started warm-ups early and did our best to make it as intense and energized as usual, but with it being so early this was hard to do.  Despite the early game time, we started the game fast and collected and with good team chemistry we had no problem putting the puck in.  We had only one error defensively, which resulted in a goal against, but our 6-1 win clearly showed who the better team is.  After the game we hurried out of the rink to catch our 12:00 flight.  We ate in the airport and boarded the plane.  All the girls were greatly excited with the miniature screens on the back of each chair, and most of us watched movies on the way home to Montreal.  After we landed, we grabbed our bags as quickly as possible and started our two hour drive back to Jay.  With everyone exhausted from games and traveling, we slept the whole ride home.  Over all, although we didn’t get quite the outcome we wanted with the weekend, we played well and are thrilled we finished first in the league.  Now bring on the JWHL Championship!

Tori & Kayla’s Lake Placid and off weekend thoughts…

Tori’s Weekend Report

In the week leading up to the Lake Placid weekend all the girls were excited and thrilled. Lake Placid brings more enjoyment than most tournaments because of the location, town setup, and the co-ed teams attending. Lake Placid is the home of the 1980 Olympics and the Miracle on Ice, the story of the underdog U.S. Men’s hockey team.  The famous team consisted of maybe not all the best players, but the right players, each filling a certain role on the ice.  In addition to a great story, the big game against the Soviets and Team U.S.A. was during the Cold War, the battle of political ideology between Russia and the U.S.  The Soviets were a well developed, talented team with a perfect record and had an intimidating presence on the ice.  Lake Placid is also the home of the National Sports Academy and Northwood teams.  Throughout the weekend both Red and White were able to walk up and down main street for food and shopping.  When we weren’t shopping we were watching friends on the boys team.  This is especially enjoyable for us because it gives us an opportunity to watch some faster, more physical hockey games.

Historic Herb Brooks Arena, home of 1980 Miracle on Ice

The White Teams weekend results and performance wasn’t quite up to par.  We went to Placid fully expecting to win.  Despite the fact that our opposing teams weren’t very strong, we did manage to win the majority of our games.  However, during our last game against NSA we played down to their level and ended up with a loss.  It was a rough first half, we weren’t fully awake and as a result we had two goals scored on us. During the intermission we exchanged positive words on the bench and managed to get our heads back into focus.  We concentrated on playing our game.  By the end of the third period the game was tied which brought us to sudden death overtime. The first and second overtime periods went by like a blur.  Before we knew it we were in the third overtime, the tension was building and there was a scrum in front of our net.  An NSA shot from the back door ended the game abruptly and rounded out our chances for the final game.  We didn’t know what to think, this was our third loss to NSA and our disappoint was at an all time high.  And now some good news.  Red team had a great weekend, winning all of their games and making it to the championship game.  Due to our competitive nature it was difficult to watch Red, however, we were happy that they had made it to the final game and cheered them on hard. Red team ended up losing 2-0 in the final, but they played great and they should be proud of their record for the weekend.

After the weekend in Lake Placid, with a full week of practice and school, both teams had game day on Friday afternoon. We broke all the players into North and South teams and played some friendly but competitive hockey.  It was a tough battle but the team from the South came out on top, and everyone on the ice had an enjoyable time. After the North vs. South series we took a small vacation away from hockey and focused on team building.  Saturday morning started off with a big breakfast cooked by our chef Janice. After that, we loaded up the buses and drove to Newport for some bowling and lunch.  With the exception of the few SAT takers, both teams were split up into teams of 4.  The bowling teams competed for the best overall score and best dressed team uniforms.  The winning team bowled 418, and the best dressed team wore togas.  We got some double takes for sure.  After lunch in Newport, we headed back to NAHA for some downtime.  Back at school some of us went sledding, some played snow football, and before we knew it dinner was ready.  After dinner the NHL All Star Game was on TV, and we all got to watch our favorite players battle it out on the ice.  Sunday was a more relaxed day,  and while some of us went up to Jay Peak to go skiing, most of us took it easy and spent our time getting homework done, and quietly enjoyed each other’s company. We were able to use the open air fireplace and we gathered around after dinner where everyone relaxed and listened to music. On the whole, the weekend off was a great chance to catch up on sleep and do some team bonding.

Kayla’s Weekend Report

Every year when we travel to Lake Placid it provides the thrill and excitement of being in a one of a kind town packed with character, but also the opportunity to travel by foot almost anywhere we please. The ability to walk to restaurants, shops, and other attractions makes for our best travel experiences, and although its always pretty chilly outside, we find ourselves walking everywhere, because we love being out and about. Living in Jay, combined with our rigorous schedule we don’t get to get out much independently.  This is not to say that NAHA has not taught us independence, because it has, but we get out collectively as a group more often than in singles or pairs.  I also believe another reason that plays into why we enjoy Lake Placid so much is because we have CHOICE.  We can choose where we’d like grab lunch or dinner, and we also have the ability to shop around a little if we please.  It’s pleasant to be able to grasp the history and character of Lake Placid, not every day do you see a small town with such a wide variety of people and stores.  It’s not only the culture of the town, but also the random placement of shops and restaurants, you never know what you might find around the corner.  That’s what makes the town exciting, and our consumer possibilities endless.  What can I say?  We like to shop!

With Lake Placid being a co-ed tournament, it’s exciting to be able to walk into the rink at any given time and watch a fast paced boys game. Anyone, whether you are educated in hockey or have only watched a few games in your life, is able to tell the difference between a girls game and a boys game. Sometimes we like to believe that we make smarter plays, and many people would attest that we do, but it is clear that the boys game has an unparalleled speed and intensity.  That being said, we love to watch hockey of any sort, but there’s nothing like seeing talented male players with a will to win a game.

Our off weekend was great too.  Saturday morning we were able to sleep in fairly late, most of us getting up leisurely around 11:00. We had brunch and got our game faces on for some competitive team bowling. There were 8 different teams preparing for the fun event. We spent the majority of the morning collaborating outfits, we love the term “look good, play good”.  Teams in attendance were The Highlighters, The Derby Girls, The Jane Fondas, The Mean Girls, The 80’s, The Togas, The Onesies, and The Puck Sisters. We headed to the alley and each team took over their own lane. Most of us hockey players are absolutely awful at bowling, but having so much competitive nature we tried our hardest to put some points up. We played two full games, some just messing around and others “granny” bowling their way to a win.  We all had a blast and treated ourselves to tasty Frostys from Wendy’s after all the “hard work” we put in at the lanes. After driving back to the NAHA house we finished our off weekend with some quality time around the fire.