We began our first fly-away weekend early, driving into Burlington Wednesday night in speculation of weather that may have affected our departure to Minneapolis, MN. After arriving many of us immediately headed to Church Street to grab a bite to eat. After we headed back to the hotel and had milk and cookies in the lobby, a warm and pleasant snack before bed. We hopped on the buses at 3:00 AM Thursday morning. With everyone having had little sleep, we were quiet and cranky while checking in at the airport. We went through security and traveled to our gate to get some pre-flight naps in.

Dayna and Tori awaiting the get on the ice at the Men’s Arena

Being with the team in an airport is hilarious to say the least, everyone spends their layover a little differently , but we all have one thing in common…we want FOOD! As soon as we jump off the plane in Chicago, our first and only stop, we find ourselves instantly attracted to the food court. Some satisfied their cravings with sushi, others with sandwiches, and the majority snatching up hash browns and eggs.  After a two and a half hour layover in Chi-town we boarded our flight to Minneapolis, our final destination. Arriving in Minnesota we gathered our gear from the baggage claim and trekked out to the bus that would be transporting us to our hotel. We loaded our stuff and made our way to the University Hotel where we settled in and slept most of the day away.

Friday we woke around 9:00 for breakfast. We were located in the University area so there were many quick restaurants to grab a bite to eat from. We decided on Brueggers, a tasty bagel shop right down the street from the hotel. After we got some food in our stomachs, we headed to the Marriucci, the University of Minnesota men’s hockey arena, to get ready for our 11:15 game against the Pacific Steelers. We gathered and warmed up, ending with a fun game and with all of us in positive moods to start the hockey game. Unfortunately we didn’t come out as prepared as we should have, and they scored the first goal in a matter of minutes in the first period. Bridget Baker brought us to a 1-1 tie in the second and we developed some offense during this time, but we were still having difficulties putting the puck in the net. Our team chemistry was not up to par, which allowed for a 1-1 tie to end the game. Not exactly what we were looking for.  With Pacific being one of the weaker teams in our league, we knew that we had to step it up next game.

The Mall of America is a huge attraction in Minnesota and the shoppers of our team had to take advantage of it. Bailey, Tori, and I got some quality shopping time in between games. Later we went to Noodles and Company to refuel ourselves with pasta before our next game. We walked to Ridder arena, the University of Minnesota’s women’s hockey rink, for our second game. We were to play Balmoral Hall, the top team in our league. After warm up we focused in the locker room and got ready for a win. During the first period we came out strong but Balmoral got the upper hand and put the first goal on the scoreboard. This kicked us into gear and we put three goals in to round out the first with a score of 3-1, us. During the second we let up slightly, but continued to develop our offense, which allowed us to score one goal during this period. We finished the game by scoring two in the third and were not only satisfied with the win, but also the fact that we had just beaten the top team in the league. We rounded out the night by returning to the hotel for some quality sleep.

Minnesota Weekend Part II with Tori

My alarm sounded at 6:45am with a startling ringtone, not pleasing to me, nor my roommates. It was time to wake for pre game breakfast at the Bagel Deli. We had to walk there, it felt like negative degree weather, all the girls were bundled up. Once everybody had food in them and were more awake, our spirits lifted. Our first game of the day was against the Edge school, a Canadian team. Edge had beat us the year before at this same tournament, so we were eager for a chance to claim a win over them. The game started out at a very high tempo, and we managed to score a goal in each period. Our bench had good energy with the girls cheering each other on and having good attitudes at such an early hour. We were up 2-0 going into the third period, and then they scored a sneaky goal.  The final score was a close 2-1, but we were clearly the better team that morning. After the game, we made our way back to our hotel, walking through the University campus in the frigid conditions. For lunch we were on our own, splitting off  and going to various places for a bite to eat. Everyone was able to go back to their rooms for a quick nap before our second game of the day against the Minnesota Thoroughbreds. That game was very physical and there were a few scraps in front of both teams’ net.  Although they were being dirty players, we punished them on the score board. Everyone had a hand in the win, all lines contributed in our satisfying 7-0 victory.

Kayla, Bailey, and Tori going to visit the amazing Mall of America

Approaching the last day in Minnesota, we again headed to the Bagel Deli for our pre-game meal. I couldn’t wait to get to the rink because my mom, sister and a childhood friend Hayden, were coming to watch. We were getting ready to play Warner, usually they are a big rival team, but this year they weren’t as strong. In the first period we came out hard and fast, scoring three goals and following up with another two in the second. They produced a consistent goal per period, but NAHA had the edge and the final score was 5-3.  Clinching this last victory, we were pleased with our performances and our record for the weekend. Post game we stretched, showered and got packed up to depart for the airport. We had a charter bus to take us to the airport, and it wasn’t parked close. We ended up making a longer journey than we thought and with our massive hockey bags, backpacks, and duffle bags we felt like we were back at a grueling practice session. When everybody finally filled the bus, we said our goodbyes to our families, hopped onboard and made our way to the airport. Getting passed check-in and security is always a relief, and while standing in line for security we filled our time with jokes and laughter, making the time pass quicker.  The rest of the journey home was smooth and easy and it always feels good to be home at the NAHA house.

Jay Peak, Jan 14, can't beat this view!

Well, winter finally hit Jay Vermont over the weekend. About 2′ of snow on the mountain, a foot or so right outside our door! White returned from Minneapolis tonight, a long 5 days on the road, and temps dipped to -13 along the drive back from the airport. Great JWHL weekend for White, we’re sure Tori and Kayla will have plenty more to share on that with you soon! Until then we thought you’d like to see what the top of the mountain looked like on Sunday.

From the top of Jay looking towards Canada

College St. Laurent, Montreal

Last weekend we had two games against St. Laurent. Our first game was Friday night which we played at their home rink in Montreal, Canada. We could’ve hit the ice harder to start the first period; they ended up scoring the first goal on us to light up the score board. This kicked us into gear and we began to play harder individually and smarter as a team. We scored our first goal soon after theirs and continued to put the puck in the net. Somewhere within the second period, we collapsed defensively, lets say we had a small hiccup, and taking advantage of this they scored their second goal. We kept at it though, and soon we were playing as a tightly knitted team.  The game ended as a 7-2 win. We returned back to NAHA at about 11:30 that night and while some of us went straight to bed, others socialized for a time and  then went to sleep.

Yay! Time to rest. Saturday was a day off, and we were able to sleep in. Most of us got up around eleven or twelve, leisurely crawling out of bed to get breakfast. We did our own thing most of the day, and while some did homework in the warm fortress of NAHA, others decided to head up to the Jay arcade for some gaming fun. We took advantage of this day off and although some may think that we love to be out and about on our off days, that’s not quite our idea of how to spend them. We are busy people and our schedules don’t allow much true leisure time.  Between academics, athletics, and the controlled chaos that is the NAHA house there is precious little downtime available.  We love SLEEP.

Sunday morning we were able to sleep in again, and we all woke around 10:30 for brunch at NAHA. We ate and got our stuff ready for another day trip to Montreal, Canada. We arrived, a little tired from the late wakeup, but still ready to play. Our off ice warm-up was great as always, but when we stepped on the ice for warm-up we looked and felt tired and disconnected. After regrouping in the locker room, we came out fast and after our first goal, we came together, putting five more pucks in the net with Bailey Wright and Dylanne Crugnale both scoring two. Molly Doner tipped in a beautiful shot assisted by Jenny Ryan with .9 seconds remaining in the game to make the score 6-0, us.  Another weekend, another win, and were back on the road home feeling fine.

Tension and excitement increased as the plane wheels hit the frozen Alaskan ground. The thought of seeing my family and friends put a huge grin on my face. I was most thrilled to see my sister Zoe, who I haven’t seen since she had left for college in August. From the airport I was dashed off to the rink, where my mom was coaching and I jumped on the ice to play with some old friends. My legs were shaky, but I was so excited to see everybody it didn‘t matter.

The majority of my break was spent with family, attending gatherings and Christmas events and parties.  Christmas Eve was the big one; lots of family, with a big feast and tons of little cousins running around and hanging off me as if I were the tree.  We were happy to all be together. One of our best family traditions is to open one present on Christmas Eve, and my present is always pajamas.

I woke leisurely on Christmas morning in my new pajamas to a winter wonderland. As I walked upstairs to the living room, all I could see outside were huge snowflakes falling slowly from the sky, a perfect white Christmas. On Christmas Day the other traditions take place, with my mom making her special cheesy egg recipe and fruit salad. We always Skype my grandparents and open their presents they send to us while they watch, and they open the gifts we send to them. In my family we aren’t all about the gifts for Christmas, but Zoe and I got a few nice things and were excited to get hockey tape in our stockings.

One of the biggest highlights of my break was to go skiing at Alyeska Resort, the best mountain we have. I haven’t been skiing for a long time so I was very anxious to get on the hill. The snow was coming down hard and I enjoyed the time on the mountain with fresh powder and smooth slopes.

To top off the end of my break, my sister, dad, and I headed out to my uncle’s cabin on Nancy Lake for New Years. The drive is about two hours from home out to a frozen lake with a 30 minute snow machine ride to the cabin. We bundled up and strapped our bags to the machines tightly for the bumpy, frigid ride. Once we arrived we were greeted by the family and continued to ride around in the fresh, light powder. As the day darkened and the temperature dropped into the negatives, we prepared the fireworks to light off for the midnight celebration on the new year. At ten to midnight we statred the light show, with huge roman candle fireworks and hand held sparklers. The clock struck midnight and the year 2012 began with magical moments in the presence of friends and family.  The dark, black night giving way to our vibrant sparklers.

Early the next morning we were up packing up to leave, to get home quickly for Zoe and I to pack up for our departing planes that night. Getting ready to ride we see that it is -30 below, so we piled on extra clothes and duck tape on the face to prevent  frostbite. We had to stop more than a few times on the way back to fix our face masks with the freezing wind seeping through the seams of our helmets. Finally getting to the truck we pull off our helmets and it looked like I was the only lucky one with no frostbite. Zoe and my dad had frostbite on their cheeks, and my dad had it in his eye from the cracked goggles he was using. Arriving home we were greeted by a cozy warm house and a concerned mother tending to my sister and dads frostbitten faces. Leaving the house for the airport was bittersweet. Zoe was to leave at the same time as me but on different planes. Before we went through security, Zoe and I had Yogurt Land with my mom so we could visit for the last few minutes before heading back to school. It was sad saying goodbye, Zoe heading back to Duluth and for me a long journey back to Vermont. My three long flights were terrifying!   The turbulence was horrible, and I was in the back of the plane. Arriving in Burlington and being greeted by a few of my teammates restored some comfort from the frightening flights. It was an amazing feeling to be back at NAHA and most of all to see all the girls again and get back out on the ice.

Kayla’s Christmas Break

I got my Christmas break off to a jolly start being picked up from the Anchorage airport by my parents, and coming home to warm greetings from my big brother, his wife, and their two children. It’s always a fun time to have my brother and his family at the house. His outgoing personality makes for the most joyful of times, fun filled nights, and lots of boisterous laughter.  My flight had gotten in fairly late so I said my hellos and updated my family on my experiences this year, then after what felt like forever, I hit the sheets. Because of exhaustion, for the next couple of days I took it easy and apart from a few practices I spent little time on the ice. My sister, her husband, and their two children arrived in Anchorage two days after my arrival, and it was so pleasant to see their faces. Having the majority of my immediate family members in the house was chaotic to say the least, but their outgoing and outspoken personalities make them so much fun to spend time with. Overall, my first few days of break were filled with leisure, remembering to enjoy the even the simplest luxuries of being at home and taking advantage of the time I get to spend with the most wonderful, supportive family out there.

The Christmas festivities began early with a Chinese auction, which always gets pretty interesting. The catch is picking the last number out of the hat so that you have the option of picking a present or taking one that has already been opened from a family member. Unfortunately this year I got number two, and I almost ended up with a set of knives, but my brother-in-law was kind enough to trade me for something that I loved. After the Chinese auction we watched the little ones open their presents from Grandma and Grandpa.  Three boxes sat in front of the small children and as each one was opened a different child’s face lit up with excitement when they pulled out a new iPod touch. All three proclaiming, “Grandma, is it fake?” It was so fun to see their smiles as they examined the small electronic gadget, obviously very satisfied.

After sending the little ones to bed we usually play some sort of game. This year my dad decided that it’d be a good idea to purchase Mind Flex, a game in which you use your “mind” to guide a levitating ball through an obstacle course. My brother and I decided we’d give it a try. He put his headpiece on and started the game, he was thinking so hard he started to shake and we all began to laugh. I had such a fantastic time seeing my family; they fill my life with love and great fun. I have been so blessed to have them around as much as I do, and although we definitely have our arguments, at the end of the day we’d do anything for each other. After being at NAHA last season, as well as half of this season I have learned to appreciate the time I spend with them much more and I am so grateful for the support they give me day in and day out.

Why I love Alaska

I don’t want to come off as a guy who has never seen a good hockey game before, nor as a guy who is easily impressed. The truth is, I am not easily impressed.  I am jaded and spoiled by a life of comfortable leisure, solid recreation time and intermittent international adventures.  But all I can say is WOW!  What a pleasure it was to finally be able to see our NAHA girls in action.  And I mean action!  That word seems to best sum up all of the time that myself and other staffers spent watching games this past weekend at The Jay Peak Ice Haus.  It was action packed from start to finish and I walked out of the rink with a distinct sense of pride.  Pride that I am able to be a part of something like this school and pride in the effort and play of our student athletes.

Hockey, by its nature, is a fast and physical game, and I can’t help but be massively impressed with the play of these fine young athletes.  As a teacher/tutor at NAHA I meet these girls on each weekday morning.  I get to see them when they are just kids, fresh out of bed, mucking through classes, and trying (and succeeding) to get the most out of the academic subjects that will lead them into high end colleges and universities.  Up until now that is how I viewed them, only because I had not yet experienced the change that happens in a person when they get into a competitive environment.  I am not a naïve person, and I also get the “red mist” when I compete.  I know this change very well, and I knew all along that these girls are capable of this transformation.  But until now I had not experienced it and I am blown away!

What a great way to spend a few hours over the weekend.  I donned my warm clothes, put on my brimmed hat with special Press Tag inserted in the band to guarantee access to staff only areas in the rink, stuffed my camera and tape recorder (yep, you read that correctly, TA-PE RE-COR-DER) in my pockets and headed up to the Ice Haus to see these girls play some hockey.  NAHA White took to the ice to battle Edouard Montpetit.  The first period was a back and forth battle, each team testing the other and steadily ramping up their play.  Despite an early power play, NAHA was unable to capitalize.  However, it seemed to me that the Winterhawks had control of the puck more than their opponents and it was only a matter of time before they put one in.  During the second period, Montpetit took their play up a notch and though it seemed that NAHA still had the better puck control, the Canadians were in our territory more often.  Montpetit drew a penalty giving NAHA a second opportunity to play at an advantage.  Our players could smell the blood in the water and they were not going to let another power play go with out a score.  Paige Savage, assisted by Lauren Kilroy, took it in and put us on the scoreboard.  In the third period, with 9 minutes left on the clock Annie Pankowski left her defender trailing and scored the unassisted short-handed goal.  Minutes later, I watched a great play from Jenny Ryan, scoring on a sweet breakaway but it was ruled as no goal by the referees.  It certainly looked like a score from my perspective.  Regardless, White took the win with a 2-0 victory.

Red took to the ice to play L’Estrie, another Canadian team.  Period one was busy right off the start.  With 4 minutes left on the clock L’Estrie scored in a heavy mix-up right in front of the net.  It gets pretty hectic in those close scrambles!  NAHA Red took a penalty early in the second period giving an advantage to L’Estrie but our solid defense got us out of trouble without any further setbacks on the scoreboard.  During the third period and on a NAHA power play McKenna Brand scored to make the game 1-1.  Shortly thereafter, Amanda Martin made another goal to bring Red to a one point lead.  With 2:40 left on the clock Errica D’Erico, with an assist from McKenna Brand, scored another goal for NAHA which gave us the final score of 3-1.  Victory!  Goalie Julie Neuburger did an excellent job stopping 14 of 15 shots on goal.  Overall it was a foot stompin‘, glass thumpin‘, larynx stretchin’ good time!  By the time I left my voice was shot, my hands were sore from pounding the glass, and my feet were freezing but I was stoked!

I was back to cheer on the girls for their Saturday games which were just as exciting with White winning their 11:30 game against Edouard Montpetit 8-2, a real blowout!  Later that evening White played another Canadian team, College Limoilou.  It was a back and forth battle and this team was fast and physical.  White responded well to the Canadian challenge, answering back every time Limoilou made a play.  White tied the  game in the third and forced a 3:00 minute overtime.  This period ended with no scores and it went to a shootout.  After a series of brilliant saves and goals and for each side, Montpetit hit us with a final score to bring their advantage to 3-2 and a victory for them.  It’s a tough way to lose, but I thought that White played an incredible game and could have easily been the victors.  With competition this high and many teams being very well matched it can be difficult to predict the outcomes of these hotly contested games.

I think that one of my favorite experiences of the weekend was seeing the girls off the ice and out of school.  That is to say, in a place that was not athletic or academic.  We were just people, talking and trading stories, sharing jokes and jibing each other like old friends.  It was a particular pleasure to watch Dylanne, Jenny, Ali, and Hannah beat up on Andrew, one of my fellow teachers and a close friend.  Nice verbal hits ladies!  It was also great to be able to meet and talk with some of my students’ parents.  My only lamentation is that our season is short and we have only this one big tournament here at our home rink.  Perhaps that will change in the future with the completion of Jay Peak’s expansion, an increase in enrollment and some pressure from NAHA parents.  Come to Vermont people!

Overall, the weekend games were very exciting.  I think I speak for all other staffers, especially those who had not seen our girls play before, when I say that these ladies are electric on the ice!  They move and shift, strategize and execute with an efficient grace that can only be exhibited after years of competitive play.  I am glad to be a part of their time here and I see great things for the future.  My hat goes off to the coaches and especially all our fantastic players!  Go Winterhawks!

Best Holiday wishes and thanks for reading!

Kyle

Kyle’s pix:

Native New Yorker Jenny Ryan, number 5, looks for the scoring opportunity.

Caarlee Turner, ready for the face off, with Sarah Kelly backing her up.

Annie Pankowski, number 39, hailing from sunny California, sweeps aggressively toward the goal.

Number 22, local girl Rachel Morse grabs the puck and mounts the offensive, watch out little ones!

Sweetheart Alison Greene, lucky number 13, plays hard and still has time to smile for the camera.

Dylanne Crugnale, the Intimidator, sets up for a shot against Edouard Montpetit.

Gearing up for one of the biggest tournaments this year, we were up at 6 AM to pack the coach bus and start our long 9 hour bus ride to Kitchener, Ontario. After a hard week at practice, it was nice to be able to relax and catch up on some sleep. We stopped only once, the girls got some food and a few of us did a jog and some stretches to loosen our legs from sitting for a long period of time. Once we arrived at the Holiday Inn, we settled into our rooms and waited for the pasta to arrive. It was nice to have the rest of the night off to relax and do some homework, and go to bed early.

Friday Dec.9

Our first game was early in the morning against the Toronto Aeros. The girls were really pumped up for this game, because the Aeros were an undefeated team and we were looking for some good hockey. It was one of the best games we have played so far this season. We came out with high energy and scored the first goal, setting the bar high and maintaining our forceful pace. Our hard work paid off and we walked out with a 4-1 win.  Our coach had only positive, up-lifting  praises in the locker room after the game. We cranked up the music and celebrated our win, dancin’ and cooling down in fine NAHA style.

Later that night we played Stony Creek, a tough team with several talented players. They have always been competitive and a good match up for us, and both teams came out hard and fast. We battled back and forth, scoring one goal after another, but with many retaliation penalties it was inevitable for them to get the upper hand. The third period ended in a tie score of 3-3 which resulted in overtime. We played four on four for the majority of the three minute overtime. In the last minute we took two penalties back to back and were down two players, putting us in a dangerous five on three situation. They scored a back door goal to end the game 4-3.  Despite the loss, it was a tightly contested game, hot from start to finish, and we played well.  Back at our hotel our dinner filled us up and refueled our bodies after a day of hard work. After this we returned to our rooms to get some good sleep before tomorrows games.

Saturday Dec. 10

The next morning we woke later than usual, thankful we had the opportunity to sleep in a little. We traveled to the rink for our game against Mississauga. Knowing that we didn’t present ourselves the way we wanted to in our game against Stony Creek, we had a fun and upbeat warm up to loosen us up and prepare us for a tough match. Our result against the Aeros proved that we have amazing team chemistry and we work hard to support each other every second of every shift, and we were ready to show that effort again. For the first two periods we fought hard to keep our score up, but again we battled back and forth and couldn’t seem to find a way to generate a lot of offense. In the third we finally found the chemistry we were looking for and put three goals in. During this third and last period we supported and worked hard for each other, as opposed to ourselves, and this is why we achieved the win.

Our second game of the day was against the home team, Kitchener. During warmup we were on the receiving end of some verbal hostilities with a couple immature remarks from the other team, but we shook it off, had another great warmup and decided that we’d beat them where it counts, on the score board. They were a tough team and got physical with us, but we kept our composure and didn’t make any stupid penalties. We battled to put the puck in the net throughout the first, and eventually managed a goal in the second. Knowing one goal was all we needed to win, we played composed and defensively during the third. The game ended in a 1-0 victory for NAHA. We were especially satisfied with this win because of the rude remarks flung at us before the game. We went back to the hotel and hit the sheets hard, we had a championship game to play in the morning.

Sunday Dec. 11

We woke around 7:30 Sunday morning, packed everything and loaded the bus in preparation for our 9 hour trip back to NAHA. But before going anywhere we had a big game to win.  After we arrived at the rink and unloaded our bags, we sat down to watch Red play in their championship game. They ended with a tough loss of 1-0, but overall they had a very solid tournament. Though it was early, our warm-up was, as usual, upbeat and playful and you could tell we were all extremely excited to step on the ice. We played solid throughout all three periods both offensively and defensively. The game ended in a 3-0 win. We had been working hard all weekend and all year and victory here was sweet.  We came together wonderfully as a team, and it really showed in our play and dedication to each other. We committed to every shift and it paid off. As champions of our third Can/Am of the year, we accomplished one of this years’ most important team goals.

2011 USA Canada Cup Champions

As always thanks for reading!

Tori and Kayla

We woke at about 8:30 Saturday morning, gathered our things and checked out of our hotel.  We packed up the vans and had a 30 minute drive to Union College in Albany, NY, where we’d play our 3^rd game of the weekend against the Colorado Selects. Lacing up early, and ready for the game we hit the ice fast. Colorado is always a tough team to play against because they are aggressive and they challenge our composure. We had many shots, but were only able to put two pucks in the net, ending the game with a 2-0 win. We were very happy with the win because of our dissatisfying loss and tie the previous day, but we had another game to play before we could get too excited.

We had a long span of time separating the two games so we sat down at Denny’s to refuel ourselves with a tasty breakfast. After we ate, we headed to the mall and met up with our SAT takers, Tori Hickel and Paige Savage. Despite the tough physical game none of us wanted to trade places with these two.  Some went to the movies, others enjoyed their downtime shopping for Christmas gifts to give their friends and families. We headed back to RPI for our second game. Our opponents, the Boston Shamrocks, surprised us by winning their first two games. We came out in warm-ups motivated to play, scoring  four goals in the first period.  During the second we scored our fifth, and with a defensive error on our part they were able to put one on the scoreboard. The game ended with a 5-1 win, our favor, and we hurried to pack up the vans to head home. Julie and Bill had a tough night drive ahead of them and most of us slept all the way home. Overall, the weekend wasn’t perfect, but we are taught lessons everyday here, and we learned this weekend that a few errors can cause losses, so being prepared is exceptionally important.

This is what Vermont should look like this time of the year but we had to travel 3000 miles to see snow! Enjoy!

Friday, Nov.19

Hello All!  Hope your Thanksgiving Holiday was as good as mine!  Here’s a quick report.  My long trip back to Alaska started off with a mellow drive to the airport with the few girls that hadn’t left yet. All of us stragglers were going to far off locales; some were heading to Seattle, some to Michigan, I had to continue my journey with a third flight, I would be airborne all day.  My first jump was to JFK, an airport that I absolutely dread based on the cleanliness factor, or rather the lack thereof.  I have also had my luggage misplaced going through NYC at least three times in the past.  I had a four hour layover so I took that time to catch up on some sleep before my next jump, a six hour flight to Seattle.  This afforded me an opportunity to take part in the fun activity of people watching which always makes the time pass faster. The sheer volume and variety of people in and around NYC is amazing.  Arriving in Anchorage was a great feeling, being back home for the first time in two months.  Having been accustomed to the unseasonably warm weather in Vermont, the moment I walked out the door, the crisp air stole my first breath.  My mom got out of the car to greet me in her huge down coat, I felt like I was hugging a huge marshmallow.  Driving home, looking outside, it appeared as if there was a big white blanket over the town. Once I walked into the front door the smile that had appeared on my face upon touchdown got even bigger.  Being in the presence  my family and pets brought me pure joy.  Early the next morning I woke up to a winter wonderland outside and my cat cuddled up by my face.  Again, joy is the word that fits here.  That first day I got to see my friends and go to a high school hockey game, in Anchorage the social scene is at the rink.  My vacation consisted of hockey and spending time with family and friends. Because I had to travel back to NAHA on Thanksgiving Day, we had an advance Turkey Day on Tuesday. With just my mom, dad and my old friend Hunter, we sat down with a 30 pound bird and a table full of other foodstuffs.  We ate till we couldn’t eat anymore, a successful feast.  My last day home was bittersweet.  I was sad to leave the comfort of my home and family but thrilled to get back to school and my friends and hockey.

Tori

Hi Gang!  Here’s a look at the upcoming weekend.  White team will be spending this upcoming weekend at RPI in Albany, New York. This will be our fourth league weekend of the year, opposing National Sports Academy, the Washington Pride, the Boston Shamrocks, and the Colorado Selects. Having won every league game last weekend, we are well prepared and ripped to play but not over confident.   We have learned to always take our opponents seriously.  This week in practice we have worked on new systems specifically targeting power play and penalty kill strategies and are very excited to put them to use this weekend in preparation for Kitchner, the next Canada/America Cup event.  One of our goals this year is to win a Can/Am and facing off against three of the most talented teams in Canada, this will be a difficult task, but it is doable. We are very excited to get going and will keep you updated!  Stay tuned for next weeks report.  Cheers all!

Kayla