Girls’ hockey looks to finish season strong

Maeve Strotman Sports Writer

With their league season drawing to a close, the Maine girls’ hockey team is looking to finish their season on a high note. The districtwide team, which is composed of players from each of the three Maine Township high schools, earned a place in the playoffs with a winning league record.

For the players, the experience playing Maine Hockey is quite different from the other sports at Maine South. Most notably, not all of the players attend the same school.

“It is great to get to know girls you do not see every day,” junior Livia Jolineau said.

Though playing for Maine hockey allows players to meet new people, playing on a club team does present unique challenges.

For one, the girls’ hockey program holds practices less frequently than IHSA programs directly funded by Maine South. Thus, much of the ice time afforded to the team has to be devoted to games.

Despite these scheduling issues, the team started off strong in the fall.

“The season started off really well,” senior Morgan Beyer said. “We played good hockey, and we were only defeated by teams within the ranks of Loyola and such. We are the top team in the bottom tier.”

As the team played more games, they became more comfortable with each other on the ice.

“We absolutely have improved isince the beginning of the season,” Beyer said. “Our communication on the ice is continuing to improve every day.”

The improved communication on the ice culminated in a comeback win against Glenbrook North.

“We started to trust each other, which helped us play well,” Jolineau said. “This trust was displayed when our team played Glenbrook North. We were down 2-0 with 3 minutes left; when we got a breakaway and scored. Then, a minute later, we got another breakaway and tied it up. Everyone went crazy.”

The season also saw many players have individual success.

“My highlight of the season so far has been playing in an all-star game,” Beyer said. “It was ridiculously fun, and was an experience I’ll carry with me for many years to come.”

As the season draws to a close, the team’s attention has turned to their first playoff game. No matter their opponent, the team’s main objective will be to enjoy their time together on the ice.