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Women of Wyoming Valley Find Hockey Home
Adult league squad in Pittston, Pennsylvania is almost all female
Over the summer, about 10 women signed up to play in the Wyoming Valley Ice Hockey League.
Usually, just four or five are on the ice each session in the small league in Pittston, Pennsylvania.
“So we were talking to some of the girls and said, ‘You only need like four or five more girls and you can have a team all-female,’” league commissioner Sterry Mahaffey said. “As soon as they heard about that, everybody just started contacting their former teammates that maybe they played youth or whatnot. Before you knew it, we actually had enough to fill the team plus two girls that were OK playing on non-female teams.”
Turnin’ Hat Tricks was formed. The women were excited to play in the six-team D Division against teams made up of almost all men.
After the summer session ended, a few of the women players had to head back to college, creating three openings on Turnin’ Hat Tricks. Without any other females looking to get into the league, Turnin’ Hat Tricks captain Stacy Packer selected three men to be on her team.
So, for the fall/winter season, Turnin’ Hat Tricks consists of 11 women and three men.
“It’s a pretty good dynamic,” Packer said. “Most of the girls are like easygoing and the three guys that I picked are literally three married guys, and the guys have daughters and they’re really good in the league. When they told me I got to pick who I wanted, I made sure I picked good guys for dynamic.”
Commissioner Mahaffey is one of the males on the team. He is hoping Turnin’ Hat Tricks can become an all-female team every session. The league just needs to attract a couple more players who can compete year round.
“It’s interesting because it’s a lot different than playing on an all-male team,” said Mahaffey, 35. “I don’t want to discredit the girls, but they don’t have the shot strength or the pass strength that you’re used to. But they’re a lot better skaters. I don’t know if it’s because they’re more agile. Most of the girls have been playing for a long time. So they’re easy to play with because they’re such good skaters. I don’t find myself needing to slow down at all to keep up.”
Turnin’ Hat Tricks, which has an average age of about 30, has a wide range of skill, with some players having extensive hockey backgrounds and others just getting on skates recently for the first time.
“We’re improving as a team,” said Packer, 47. “We’re starting to get our legs back. Some of the women were really rusty and hadn’t been on skates in years. We struggled over the summer, but now we’re really jelling as a team.”
Packer likes to mix her three male players in with less experienced female players to keep things balanced. The team’s goalie is a male, and Mahaffey is a forward on a line with Packer and a first-year female player originally from Germany.
Mahaffey loves playing with those linemates and enjoys how they approach the game.
“I’ve been playing a long time, but on some teams you have guys that have super competitive nature and when things aren’t going their way they’re all business on the bench and nobody’s really smiling,” Mahaffey said. “The girls, in the summer league they only won one or two games all season long, but never once do you hear them complaining about anything and [they’re] always smiling.”
Turnin’ Hat Tricks only won a few games during the summer session, but is having more success in the fall/winter season. Win or lose, these women just enjoy getting on the ice.
“Nobody wants to lose, but it’s more for the fun,” Packer said. “Over the summer, even when we had a last-place, losing record, most everybody still had a good time. You always end up with a couple who are a little tougher when you lose, but for the most part everybody’s just glad to be there and have something fun to do. A lot of people bowl, but we get together and play hockey. If you saw us on the street, you probably wouldn’t think we’re a bunch of hockey players.”
Turnin’ Hat Tricks has one family connection on the team with the goalie married to one of the centers. Packer would like to see more relatives with ties in the future.
Some of the players have kids, including Mahaffey.
“Sterry’s kids are young yet,” Packer said. “He’s got girls. They might be future Hat Tricks.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc
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Playing hockey can play a big role in staying healthy as an adult
Adult hockey not only promotes a healthy and active lifestyle, it requires it. As adults get older, they increasingly need to emphasize regular exercise and a nutritious diet. There’s no easy way to go about it—but there is a fun, challenging and rewarding option that sticks with you for life:
Hockey.
That’s right. Hockey is part of the perfect prescription for an adults’ health regiment. Just ask Olympian and former NHL player Steve Jensen.
“Physical fitness is something we should all be thinking about as we get older,” says Jensen, a longtime certified USA Hockey coach/official. “There’s no better activity than hockey to stay in shape.”
Dr. Michael Stuart, chief medical officer for USA Hockey, says the positives of playing hockey are contagious.
“Participation in ice hockey provides all the benefits of exercise while building friendships and ensuring a fun time,” says Stuart, who is also the vice-chair of Orthopedic Surgery and the co-director of the Sports Medicine Center at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Dr. Stuart and colleague Dr. Edward Laskowski of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center sketch out specific benefits for hockey players:
- Prevents excess weight gain and/or maintain weight loss.
- Boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, and decreases unhealthy triglycerides, a cominbination that lowers your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- Stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed.
- Improves muscle strength and boosts your endurance.
- Relieves stress by helping you have fun and unwind, connect with friends and family, and be part of a team.
- Involves physical activity that can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep.
“Playing adult hockey is a great way to feel better, gain health benefits and have fun,” says Stuart, who also emphasizes maintaining a balanced diet. As for safety concerns, he adds: “The risk of injury is small in no-check, adult hockey games, but players should wear high-quality, well-fitting equipment, including a helmet and facial protection.”
The Minnesota-based Adult Hockey Association is starting to see employers embrace hockey as a health and performance benefit for its workforce. Some businesses are beginning to subsidize hockey registration fees for employees because they feel the activity fits the policy of their wellness programs.
“It’s not a lot, but we’re starting to see more and more trickle in,” says Dave Swenson, the AHA’s secretary treasurer who also serves on USA Hockey’s Adult Council and Minnesota Hockey’s Board of Directors.
Swenson wants this trend to continue growing, not just to see the number of players rise, but to reward players for committing to a healthy lifestyle.
“I’m hoping employers think about that a little more,” Swenson adds. “It’s not just softball leagues anymore. There are recreational hockey opportunities out there for adults.”
Hilary McNeish, a longtime player, ambassador, and current executive director of the Women’s Association of Colorado Hockey, says she sees the positive results in women’s hockey every day.
“There are so many benefits,” says McNeish, “but the quote I hear most from ladies is: ‘It’s like working out a lot, but it’s so fun, it doesn’t feel like working out!’”
Aside from the physical health gains, there’s also a mental side to the story that’s special to hockey players.
“There are so many positive experiences that come with it,” adds McNeish. “Being able to play a sport that so many deem difficult is also great for the mind and wonderful for your personal attitude.
“It’s great to see the looks from people when you can say, ‘I play hockey’”
