Festival challenges girl ice hockey standouts

ORONO – Catherine Drummond of Veazie, Maggie Lynn of Orono and Emily Trembley of Old Town aim high. Not only do they excel in school, play various sports and skate on three youth hockey teams, but this April they represented the state of Maine at the Amateur Hockey Association’s New England Festival.

During the regular season, these three young women play for the Eastern Maine girls’ house and travel teams in addition to skating for the Orono Peewees. Drummond, 12, has been on the ice for four seasons. Trembley and Lynn, both 11, have played since they were 6. All three play center, though Trembley sometimes plays right wing.

After a great season, the girls tried out for the state teams. They knew they were good players, but that didn’t quell the butterflies. “I thought there was a lot of competition during the tryouts. Sometimes I thought I wouldn’t make it,” Trembley said.

“I was really nervous, scared I was going to get embarrassed. When I went out, I was a lot more confident, and I made it,” added Drummond.

The festival is an annual opportunity for the best hockey players in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut to showcase their talents. This year the U12 (under age 12) players met in Burlington on April 9-10, and played each state once. The older kids, ages 12-17, had their competition in Portland the previous weekend. Instead of playing with teammates from one’s own state, the older girls played on mixed-state team.

“It’s a kind of measuring stick to see how they stack up against girls their own age,” said youth hockey coach Scott Massey of Waterville, who accompanied Lynn and Trembley to Vermont for this year’s festival.

Drummond, at a year older than her friends, already had played in the U12 festival last year. This spring it was a different experience to play with the older kids. For starters, there were prep school and college scouts in Portland. Also, she played against girls who were often a year or two older. But Drummond is always up for a challenge.

“When I get out there it just feels good. It’s fun to compete against other people,” she said.

For Trembley and Lynn, one of the best things about the festival was that it was in Burlington. They loved shopping on Church Street, playing in the pool and DDR (dance dance revolution) with their teammates. At first, playing with their “enemies” from around the state was strange. But by the end of the weekend, they were close.

“I hope next year the same people try out so we can have the exact same team,” Trembley wished.

The tournament itself meant two games on Saturday and two more on Sunday. Unlike most tournaments, there was no overall winner. Each team simply played the other four.

“It was fun, but we didn’t do too well, game-wise. One of the games we tied, the rest of the games we lost,” Trembley said. But she wasn’t discouraged, especially since she felt so much smaller than the other players. “Connecticut had people that looked like they were 16!” she exclaimed.

“They were scary,” added Lynn.

But the girls relished the chance to play against challenging teams. “You actually had competition,” Lynn said.

“Our goalies were awesome,” added Trembley. “They were miniature Jimmy Howards.”

All three love the game, but want things to change for women’s hockey. They want to be able to check, as they can when playing on the boys’ team. They want to be taken seriously as hockey players. “I think if a girl is trying out for what is supposed to be an all-boys team, the coaches don’t believe the girls can play as well. If they had them, they’d probably sit them every game,” Trembley said.

“We can be as tough as guys,” Drummond said.

“They think girls have to act like girls,” added Trembley.

“Gender doesn’t matter,” Lynn said. “I think girls’ hockey is a smarter game.” But, she added, it’s not as fast, or as intense. That changed in her mind after she went to the tournament and saw how the girls in other parts of New England played. “I learned a new style of hockey. They play a real fast-paced game. Ours is slower and more about strategy.”

When asked what teams they dream of playing on someday, all three said the UMaine women’s hockey team. They’re already Black Bears at heart. Trembley declared that she’d play for any school but the University of New Hampshire.

Regardless of whether they play for a high school team, a girls’ select team or a prep school, all three will keep on playing.

“It’s just fun to play and it involves a lot of skill. You really have to think,” Lynn said.

“I just like playing the game, using your mind to create strategies,” said Trembley, adding with a grin, “I like scoring goals, I like checking.”