| 8/01/07 4th ANNUAL TRAINING CAMPSET FOR FLAGSTAFF
8/04/07 4TH ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT ANNOUNCED FOR OCTOBER 7
STARFIRE AT SCOTTSDALE COUNTY CLUB
5/8/07 AGYHA ANNOUNCES PROGRAM FOR 5TH STRAIGHT YEAR!
AGYHA has announced it's program for the 2007-2008 season and will be conducting spring tryouts at the Alltel Ice Den Sunday May 20th at 11:00 a,n to 1:30 p.m. Complete program details can be found on the home page under the "Our Program" tab. The exciting news is that we will be once again competing in the local Sonoran Youth Hockey League as well as participating in the Western Girls Elite League for tournament play. We have secured some excellent mid-week prime time ice slots as well as weekend times so no longer will the early Saturday and Sunday times be required every weekend! Registration for both USA Hockey and AGYHA will be done online and can be accessed form the home page.
Check out the "Coaches Corner" tab for some good information on Summer Conditioning and an excellent document called Opportunities for Girls in Hockey. There are many options for those who want to get to the next level including being a student athlete. There are many commercial programs that do not always have your best interest in mind. The information contained is very useful is assisting you in sorting through the options.
See you at the rink!
1/17/07 U10 SELECTS START THE YEAR AS CHAMPIONS IN SAN JOSE!
The three AZ Selects travel teams were in San Jose over the MLK weekend to participate in the 4th annual San Jose Jr. Sharks MLK Tournament. This event has continued to build and is attracting teams top teams from all over North America. The U12 Red team competed in a very tough division which had last year's USA Hockey National Tournament Bronze Medal winner, the Lady Ducks from Anaheim, as well as the Cal Selects and Team Pittsburgh. The Selects faired very well losing to Team Pittsburgh 1-0 before being eliminated in the semi finals by the Ducks. It was a very good hockey all round!
The U14 division had a total of 12 teams including several from Canada. The Selects ended the preliminary round as the 3rd seed in their division which meant they were next to face a physical Canadian team from Richmond, British Columbia. A total team effort despite a short bench result in a 4-0 shutout setting up a return match against Langley B.C in the Silver Final. In the end they came up a little short and had to settle for second losing this time 4-2 . Not a bad weekend considering the short bench!
Some of the most exciting action of the weekend was seen in the "future stars" U10 division. Our Selects battled a few cases of the flu but made it into finals against the Cal Selects tournament team. This was a rematch of the preliminary rounds when the Cal team triumphed 4-2. Some off ice scheming by the coaches and again a fantastic team effort by the girls on the ice, meant that this time the AZ Selects came out on top and took home gold in a thrilling 2-1 Championship game! This marked the second WGEHL Championship that our U10 group has captured this year. Every player has improved tremendously and a total team effort was noted by the fans as being the difference.
Way to go to all the players and thanks to the many fans who cheered every team on!!
11/06/06 AWESOME WEEKEND OF HOCKEY
What a weekend of hockey! All of the AZ Selects teams were in action this weekend and posted a 4-1-1 record against all boys teams throughout the Valley!
The action started Friday night when the U10 team squared off against the previously undefeated CAHA Squirt B team for a battle for first place in the Sonoran League. After a tight first period, the teams were deadlocked at 0-0. The next two periods however set the stage for what was to follow several times this weekend as they claimed a 4-1 victory and now have sole possession of first place.
Next up, the U14 team took on the Peoria Roadrunner Bantam B team and fueled by a hat trick by Breanne Sundquist, notched their first point in SYHL action. It was a rough and tumble affair that saw a 4-2 lead in the third period fade as a result of quite a few penalties and too many 5 on 3 opportunities for the Roadrunners, resulting in a 5-5 tie. Good effort all around. The new “standard of play” seemed to be against the girls in this one as the number of penalties was a little one sided! Gabby Abbott’s solid play in the net was helped by fine defensive play all around and in particular the extra effort by Kaylene Zak in stopping several cannonading drives!
Next up, the U12 Blue continued their winning ways in the CAHA Pewee league. In what was described as a “total team effort”, the Blue’s won their second in a row by defeating the Penguins’ by the score of 4-2. Rookies Kim Bauer and Alyssa Beauregard scored their first goals on two nice plays with Makenna Newkirk rounding out the scoring with a pair of her own. Once again, McKenna Sutton held them in the game with several dazzling saves. Welcome to two brand new players, Catie O’Connor and Julia Simonsen who saw their first competitive action and showed very well. There is no stopping this team which in just a few weeks has transformed itself completely!
On Sunday, the valley teams had to face 3 of the AZ Selects teams. First up was the U14’s going against the undefeated CAHA Bantam B team. The girls battled very hard and held them at a 1-1 tie for most of the game. In the end, they fell 4-1 but the score was not indicative of the play. The opposing coaches even commented that “this was one of the most positional disciplined teams and best skating teams that they had played against. We had our hands full!” Again, many fine performances, but the highlight was the “clinic” that Breanne put on while holding the puck away from the “boys” while the 14’s were shorthanded! Special mention also goes out to Mikhayla Waugaman who played despite suffering from the effects of a possible sprained ligament in her thumb that happened in the Friday night contest.
The U10 team next played their CAHA Squirt game and came away with yet another shutout victory. With Brooke Breland between the pipes and the versatile Kelsey Atkinson skating out, the team tallied a total of 10 goals while barely giving up a shot on goal. Hat tricks by Sasha Panowyk, Michaela Broadhurst and Lori Berger led the way. Kaitlyn O’Leary also added a marker in the victory. Coach Mike commented that everyone contributed and that the team play was exceptional.
Finally, to complete the slate of games, the U12 Red team faced off against the Flagstaff Peewees. This was a return match that saw them come away with a tie in a seesaw battle that they could have easily won last week, if it hadn’t been their fifth game of the weekend! Tonight’s game started very similar as the girls clearly had the upper hand but just couldn’t find the back of the net and the Flagstaff stopper did make some great saves. A tenacious fore-check and solid play by the blueline brigade forced the play as the Selects controlled the neutral zone and Katie McGovern broke free twice, and scored a couple of very nice goals. A solid penalty kill snuffed out any comeback attempt and this time they hung on for a 2-1 victory. Danielle Lemon was called on for a few key saves and was very solid in the nets! The entire team responded as this was a much improved total team effort. A few line combination changes by Coach Lemon proved successful. The win puts the Selects in either first or second place in their division depending on results from earlier games in the day,
ALL THE TEAMS HAVE COME A LONG WAY SINCE FLAGSTAFF AND IT IS ONLY EARLY NOVEMBER!!
10/16/06 AZ SELECTS TEAMS BEGIN PLAY IN LOCAL LEAGUES
Earlier this month, the AZ Selects opened yet another new and exciting chapter of girls hockey in Arizona by participating in the Sonoran Youth Hockey League (SYHL). Commissioner Bob Strong noted at the coaches and mangers meeting that "they are looking forward to some good games as he has seen the girls play improve tremendously". The U10, U12 Red and U14 teams will be playing the various valley Squirt, Peewee and Bantam 'B" teams including Flagstaff and Tucson. Our measure of success will always be against other girls teams but the level of play will only benefit the teams when they take part in their scheduled all-girls tournaments. It should be fun and you can follow the action and standing on the SYHL website at http://www.sonoranyhl.com/div_ranks.php?sitecd=268&lgx=13#div3 with each team having it own website accessible by the menu on the right hand side.
In other action, the U10 team and the U12 Blue team began play in the CAHA recreational Squirt and Peewee leagues. this marks the third year that we have participated in the divisions and the action is always exciting as the players improve week to week.You can follow the standings for these teams at www.sportability.com under CAHA.
Good Luck to all the girls!!
9/1/06 USA HOCKEY TO ENFORCE NEW STANDARD OF PLAY
Through the new standard of rules enforcement, our game, much like the National Hockey League, will continue to allow the opportunity for improved skill development and a more positive hockey environment for all participants. The mission of USA Hockey is clear; through this new initiative a greater emphasis will be placed on skating, puck possession and the proper use of the body to establish position and a competitive advantage.
The goal of the enforcement standard is to reduce restraining infractions in the game and not to remove legal body checking or body contact. A hard body check or using body contact/position (non-checking classifications) to gain a competitive advantage over the opponent should not be penalized as long as it is performed within the rules.
The principles of this new enforcement standard include the following:
. The use of the stick will be limited to only playing the puck.
. The stick will not be allowed to in any way impede a player's progress.
. The use of a free hand/arm will not be allowed to grab or impede a player's progress.
. Players who use their physical skills and/or anticipation and have a positional advantage shall not lose that advantage as a result of illegal acts by the opponent.
. Players will be held accountable for acts of an intimidating or dangerous nature.
Enforcement Standard - These penalties are to be called with very strict enforcement HOOKING . A player cannot use his/her stick against an opponent's body (puck carrier or non-puck carrier) to gain a positional advantage. Examples include:
- tugs or pulls on the body, arms or hands of the opponent which allows for the space between the players to diminish
- placing the stick in front of the opponent's body and locking on - impeding the opponent's progress or causing a loss of balance.
- stick on the hand/arm that takes away the ability for the opponent to pass or shoot the puck with a normal amount of force TRIPPING . A player cannot use his/her stick on the legs or feet of an opponent in a manner that would cause a loss of balance or for them to trip or fall. Examples include:
- placing the stick in front of the opponent's legs for the purpose of impeding progress, even if on the ice, with no effort to legally play the puck
- placing the stick between the legs of the opponent (can opener/corkscrew) that causes a loss of balance or impedes the progress of the opponent.
HOLDING
. A player cannot wrap his/her arms around an opponent or use a free hand to clutch, grab or hold the stick, jersey or body on the opponent in a manner that impedes their progress. Examples include:
- wrapping one or both arms around the opponent along the boards in a manner that pins them against the boards and prevents them from playing the puck or skating
- grabbing the opponent's body, stick or sweater with one or both hands
- using a free arm/hand to restrain or impede the opponent's progress INTERFERENCE . A player cannot use his/her body ("pick" or "block") to impede the progress of an opponent with no effort to play the puck, maintain normal foot speed or established skating lane. Examples include:
- intentionally playing the body of an opponent who does not have possession or possession and control of the puck.
- using the body to establish a "pick" or "block" that prevents an opponent from being able to chase a puck carrier
- reducing foot speed or changing an established skating lane for the purpose of impeding an opponent from being able to chase a puck carrier . Allowed Actions
- a player is entitled to the ice he/she occupies as long as they are able to maintain their own foot speed and body position between opponent and puck
- players are allowed to compete for body position using their strength and balance in front of the goal or along the boards SLASHING . The use of the stick will be limited to only playing the puck. Any stick contact, as a result of a slashing motion, to the hands/ arms or body of the opponent will be strictly penalized. In addition, hard slashes to the upper portion of the stick (just below the hands) of an opponent, with no attempt to legally play the puck, shall also be penalized.
OTHER INFRACTIONS
. In addition to the above mentioned enforcement standards, all other infractions, including contact to the head, checking from behind, cross checking, high sticking and roughing (including late avoidable checks) shall be penalized to a strict enforcement standard.
CONCLUSION
All members of USA Hockey share an equal responsibility to ensure the integrity of the game is upheld. The onus to incorporate change is not only on the officials, but also on administrators, coaches, parents and players, as well.
Administrators are expected to hold players, coaches, officials and parents accountable for their actions in an effort to promote a safe and positive environment for all participants.
Coaches are expected to teach proper skills and hold their players accountable for illegal and dangerous actions, regardless as to whether they are properly penalized, or not.
Parents are expected to support the decisions of the officials and support the coaches in teaching the proper skills in a safe and positive environment.
Officials shall enforce a strict penalty standard according to the guidelines that have been established.
Players are expected to compete within the playing rules.
All USA Hockey members must demonstrate awareness and support for the application, spirit and the respect of the rules in order for continued improvement in the game of hockey.
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08/17/06 SELECTS READY FOR AN EVEN BETTER SEASON!
Lots of exciting activities have been, and will be taking place as we get closer to beginning our 4th season and our association continues to grow! With the rapid growth in the Valley, we have benefited with several new families moving in and bringing with them "new talent". We have girls this year joining us from Alaska, Connecticut, New York, Michigan, Kansas City and Ontario, Canada. All of these girls have been playing competitive hockey for a few years so they will be a great addition. Welcome to everyone! In the weeks to come, we will sit down and ask them what they think about playing hockey in the desert and what they think about our level of play. I am sure that they will be impressed!
The 3rd Annual Golf Tournament is all set for this Saturday at the Sanctuary Golf course. This is a key event as far as fundraising goes and is also a lot of fun! Some of the girls are apparently planning on working on their "slap shots" as a few will also be golfing. It should be something to see!
The big news for this upcoming season is the formation of the Western Girls Elite Hockey League, www.wgehl.org, which will highlight all of the best teams in the Western States. The Selects will also be entering the Sonoran Youth Hockey League, www.sonoranyhl.com, which should prove to give the girls some strong local competition albeit against the boys.
Just as the NFL Cardinals are heading "down the hill", the Selects will be taking over Flagstaff the weekend of Aug. 25-27 as they hold their 3rd Annual Training Camp. Dubbed the "Hockey Boot Camp", this weekend is a big highlight for all the returning girls and leaves all the new ones with a lasting memories. The theme for this year is "ARE YOU READY?"
Combined with last weekends aptly named "Get the Rust Off Skate:, it will be a great jump start for the teams as we prepare for our first WGEHL event in Anaheim on sept. 22.
Go AZ Selects!
05/21/06 NEW BOARD NAMED AT ANNUAL MEETING
AGYHA held its Annual Members this weekend at the Best Western Scottsdale Airport and a new Board has been elected. See the About AGYHA page for details. Thank you to all outgoing members - Mary McDonald, Treasurer and Trisha Weaver, Fundraising. Your efforts will be remembered!
05/19/06 TWO AZ SELECTS SELECTED TO MOVE ON TO NATIONAL FESTIVALS!
Congratulations to Lyndsey Fry '92 (U14) and Erin Wente '91 (U14) who were selected to attend the National Festival Camps in Rochester, NY in July. Kaley Gibson '91 (U14) was named an alternate. Good luck girls, we are all proud of you!
04/25/06 CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL PLAYER SELECTED TO THE RMD
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT CAMP
1988-89 GOALIE BRITTANY SQUILLANTE
DEFENSE ALEX YSASI
FORWARD BRITTANY MAHOOD
FORWARD KAYLEEN MILLER
1990-91 GOALIE KALEY GIBSON
DEFENSE DESTINEE HOSLEY
FORWARD ERIN WENTE
FORWARD SYDNEY WILLIAMS
1992 GOALIE JAMIE ZITO
DEFENSE BREANNE SUNDQUIST
DEFENSE AAREN VAN FLEET
FORWARD ALLIE ERA
FORWARD LYNDSEY FRY
04/12/06 2006-07 TRYOUTS FOR AZ SELECTS AAA TEAMS COMING
Plans are being finalized for next season. It is anticipated that we will have teams again at the 10U, 12U, 14U and 16U levels. Depending on numbers and interest we may also be fielding a 19U Rec team. Next season will are also planning on having not one, but two 12U teams; one at the AA level and one at the AAA. We are also considering playing in the MWEHL and/or the West Coast League that is being formed. It will be another exciting season!
To accommodate the ever increasing numbers, the first tryout/evaluation session will be held Saturday May 20th at the Alltel Ice Den from 3:40 -4:40 p.m. This will be for all players born in 1994-1995 (U12). It is anticipated that a second follow up session will be announced. Registration fee and details will be posted soon.
04/2/06 AGYHA ANNUAL MEMBERS MEETING SUNDAY MAY 21 10:00 A.M 12:00 P.M
BEST WESTERN AIRPARK
For details, check the "About The AGYHA" page from the homepage.
03/9/06 AGYHA SPRING HIGH PERFORMANCE TRIPLE 'S' - SKATING, SHOOTING
AND SCORING CAMP
Just before we all take a little summer break, get a jump on improving your key skills for next year! AGYHA Director of Hockey Rick Van Fleet will be holding a skills camp at the Alltel Ice Den beginning April 3 and concluding June 4. He will be assisted by several guest coaches including Mark Ciaccio, Phoenix Coyotes Powerskating coach, Jamie Baker former NHL player and Joy Garvey former Head Coach Div. 1 Northeastern Women's hockey, for a total of 15 sessions. Off ice training will be conducted at Velocity Sports Performance.
There will be two separate groups; Group 1 will be for players born in or after 1994 and Group 2 will be for players born in or before 1993. There may also be a tournament team formed as Anaheim is planning a June event. Details to follow.
See website for information, times and registration forms.
For information contact Coach Rick at 602-316-7664 or coachrick@qwest.net
03/7/06 AZ SELECTS 12U and 14U COME UP SHORT AT RMD CHAMPIONSHIPS!
Both teams played very well but came up just short in Littelton, CO. The 12U team battled the host Colorado Selects in 2 close games but in the end, just could not get over the hump. The 14U team defeated both Texas and Colorado teams in the round robin and were the Number 1 seed for the rematch Sunday morning against the Colorado Selects AAA who they defeated 4-3 on Staurday night. Sunday's game was close but the AZ Selects fell 4-3. It has been a great season and everyone has come a long way. We will be back stronger then ever next year!
01/18/06 AZ SELECTS JV GIRLS NAMED TO AHSHA ALL-STARS
Congratulations to the following girls who were named to the JV All-star team:
Karina Elson - F
Sam Pela - F
Jenna Yohre - F
Erin Wente - F (Brophy)
Lauren Buchholtz - D
Michella Ricci - D
Amanda Reynolds - G
Tori Bain - Alternate
Lynne Stocker - Alternate
01/16/06 12U SELECTS START THE YEAR OFF RIGHT!
For the third consecutive tournament in a row, at least one of our teams returned with a Championship. Following the U10's September victory in Anaheim and the 14's gold in Minnesota, it was predicted that for the 12U's, San Jose would be their "time". The venue was the 3rd Annual San Jose Jr. Sharks MLK Invitational, which has grown into one the the top girls/women's tournaments on the West Coast. They played 3 very tough games in the preliminary round and after falling 3-4 to their RMD foe, the Colorado Selects, they were able to capture the Silver Bracket Championship. Excellent job girls, you have come a long way in a short time!
The U10 team also had an excellent weekend falling only to a strong team from Pittsburgh. The Championship game was a rematch of the preliminary round where the Selects had won 2-0. The Pittsburgh team came ready to play and notched a winner with less than 2 minutes remaining to capture the Gold 2-1. It was a very exciting game and all the girls played hard!
The U14 team also participated this weekend and came away with a 1-2-1 record and narrowly missed advancing. The most exciting game of the weekend was by far their game against a very strong Cal Selects team who had already beat them twice earlier in the year. This time was different as Cal had to scramble for the tieing goal with only 26 seconds left. What a game!
Kelsey Atkinson stopped almost every shot in the skills competition, including some from Sharkie, the San Jose Sharks mascot! She was definitely deserving of the crown as was Amanda Martin who won the scoring event.
Once again, our numerous fans provided support and cheering at every game. They are the best!
Way to go Selects!
The U16/19 team was also on the road this weekend in Salt Lake City and had an excellent showing posting a 2-1-1 record.
Great weekend everyone!
11/21/05 ARIZONA INVADES MINNESOTA!
With more than 120 fans and players from Arizona descending on "The Hockey State", the following was rumored to be on a local late night show:
"Top 5 things that Minnesotans learned about Arizona this weekend....
Number 5... Arizona is an actual state and not just the name of the team.
Number 4...Yes they have ice in the desert and not only in frozen margaritas.
Number 3 ... Apparently a "dry heat" is not the same as a "dry cold". Cold is cold!
Number 2... It is common for men from Arizona to wear funny looking, brightly colored hats while in public.
and the Number one thing that they learned was that Arizona has pretty darn good girls hockey teams!!!!
Congratulations to all the girls! That was a very impressive showing and every team did well. The U10's tied a very formidable Centennial team and lost three tough one goal games. The U12's were just seconds away from going into overtime and possibly making it to the Championship game, but were thwarted by a questionable call. Great job regardless. The U14's topped off just a fantastic weekend by winning all of their games and coming home with the Championship! An overtime period and then a shootout was the best way to win it! I am sure that a lot of eyebrows were raised. You should all be very proud of your accomplishments. We also have the best fans in the world!
A highlight of the weekend was the trip to the University of Minnesota-Wisconsin game. What a beautiful facility! Having Coach Halldorson speak to the girls after the game and meeting the team was really special. Remember she said to continue to work hard and keep the following priority if you want to be successful; 1) education 2) hockey and 3) social life. She also said that if you are good, then the coaches will find you.
Look out San Jose!
11/14/05 U16'S FALL SHORT IN ASPEN
BUT WERE THERE REALLY ANY LOSERS?
As Bob Johnson said, "Today is (was) a great day for hockey". This was one of those games that makes you appreciate this sport for all that it is...a team effort of fast, relentless transitions from offense to defense and back to offense in a constant pursuit of scoring that crucial goal that decides the game. As it ended up, that goal wasn't ours to get...today. But for all the girls to be a part of this battle, what a great experience. As Coach Ed said at the end of the 3rd period with score still 0-0, "It doesn't get any better than this".
Outstanding goaltending by both Kristen (30 shots, 30 saves) and Colorado's goalie got us to this point with a scoreless tie at the end of regulation play. Both teams played very hard and very well throughout the game, and it came down to the overtime. I think we were all surprised with the format, but the team responded to the challenge with no preparation for what was to come:
2 minutes of 5 on 5 sudden death. Nobody scored.
1 minute of 4 on 4. Again nobody scored despite chances on both sides.
1 minute of 3 on 3. Again nobody scored with several chances.
1 minute of 2 on 2. Again nobody scored.
It was down to the final option - 1 on 1 until someone scores the game-winning goal. After about 3 minutes of this, and having cycled through our top skaters at least once each, it was clearly evident to everyone in the arena that both teams deserved the champion's trophy, because they played like champions. They never gave up and they left it all on the ice. What a Great game! What a great day for hockey! Congratulations girls on a great tournament and one helluva championship effort in that last game!
Coach Gary
11/04/05 AZ SELECTS HIT THE ROAD!
The U16's will be participating in the 12th annual Fall Faceoff in Aspen, CO on Nov. 11-13th.
The U10, U12 and U14 teams will be heading to Blaine Minnesota for the 13th annual All American Girls Tournament Nov. 17-20.
Good Luck Girls!
11/04/05 SAN JOSE MLK TOURNAMENT INFO
Hotel information posted under 05/06 Tournament tab. No games on Friday.
11/02/05 ASSOCIATION PICTURE DAY
Mark your calendars and make sure that it is a good hair day as Saturday Nov. 5th is Picture Day at the Ice Den starting at 7:45 a.m. We will be taking the entire group picture first on ice, followed by individual team and players photos. Order forms will be distributed and available.
9/25/05 AZ SELECTS BRING HOME GOLD!
Not only did the U10 team capture the Championship in their division at the inaugural Anaheim Lady Ducks Fall Classic tournament held in Anaheim on Sept 23-25, 2005, but the AZ Selects (U10-U16) also took first in 8 out of the possible 16 individual skills competition. Our strength is in our numbers as an association! Congratulations to everyone that participated!
Created by: Rick Van Fleet -- Last updated:Aug 05, 2007
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