The Lady Patriots 16-Tier II team will compete in the Mid-Atlantic Women’s Hockey Association Challenge Weekend this coming Friday and Saturday. The three-team round robin at Ice Line near West Chester will determine the final qualifier for the USA Hockey national championship tournament. The Lady Patriots, who play out of Hatfield Ice, will face the New Jersey Colonials and the Junior Flyers in the round robin which begins Saturday morning and continue with games late Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon.

The winner of the round robin will advance to the Tier II national championships April 4-8 in Amherst, New York

The weekend schedule

Saturday 3-9 11:30       New Jersey Colonials vs. Lady Patriots

Saturday 3-9 5:15         Junior Flyers vs. Lady Patriots

Sunday 3-10 1:30      Junior Flyers vs. New Jersey Colonials

 

Paul Bardell, the president of the Mid-Atlantic Women’s Hockey Association, says spectators who attend the series this weekend will be impressed with the caliber of play.

“I think they would realize these girls are physical, strong, and fast,” he said. “I get a lot of people saying that with the speed they’re playing at, they look like any other 16-year old hockey player.”

Bardell coached several players who are now members of the U.S. national team. He points out that the MAWHA is working to get young girls started playing hockey.

“What we are seeing happen is that 5 and 6-year olds are starting out,” he said. “Parents are thinking ‘I think my daughter might like this.’

The MAWHA is launched an initiative to get girls age 8 and younger playing hockey, hosting monthly jamborees at various rinks in the area.

The three-hour sessions feature a series of four-on-four cross ice games. The format, which features eight or nine players on each team, insures the girls will send roughly two-and-half hours on the ice and considerable time actually touching the puck.

 

For more information on the  Challenge Weekend, go to: www.mawah.com

For more information on girls’ hockey go to: info@ladytpariots.org

To learn more about the Inline 309 roller rink go to inline309.net