One lame game...

Hint: two nights before I stayed up really late (3:30 in the morning) with some friends of mine. The next day I partied all day and I ate a bunch of junk food and something I thought was pizza.

So as you probably guessed I wasn’t feeling my best and I was exhausted. To add onto that my teammates were pretty tired too. Before I tell you the score I want you to know I was the only person to score on my team. The score was 11 to 1. We lost hugely to a boys team (I know how lame)!

In about the middle of the game I got hurt. A guy pushed me and I fell on my knee. He came back to me and asked if I was okay. In my head I was thinking its hockey people get hurt you can’t just stop and make sure every person is okay but I thought it was sweet. And so I didn’t tell him that. I just said I was okay. I limped off the ice and sat on the bench awhile. When I was sitting on the bench I thought I was going to throw up that bagel I had for breakfast. Thank goodness I didn’t!

Well that’s the highlights of my last Jr. Hawks game. I’m positive we’ll do better next time.

A lame photo from Burnaby...

the tournament photographer wasn't very good and this is the best photo of me in the collection.

Burnaby, Vancouver BC....the wrap up!

So, the NW Selects went 5-1 at the Burnaby Tournament. We lost the championship game 0-1. It was a real bust. But it was a great tournament and we played real well. From the NW Selects website a brief recap:

U12 Team – Playing in the PeeWee bracket with nearly half the team being Squirts seemed like an uphill battle for the NWS U12 team, but the outcome proved differently. The U12s played 6 games in all, the last being the championship game. The U12s came out hard in what turned out to be a defensive battle. The U12s gave up a goal in the first period, which turned out to be the game winner. The game ended 0-1, however the weekend was a winner for all the players, parents and coaches!

U14 Team – It took 2 games for the U14s to get their ‘winning form’ back from last season, losing their first 2, however in game 3 the U14s made their move and staring to win. In game 4 the U14s looked great, winning in a shoot-out. For the weekend they were 2-2 in the Tier I level – Great job U14s!!!

U19 Team - They knew that their competition would be tough, but no one knew how close all of the teams would be in the Tier I level. Of the 24 games in the Midget level, every game ended in a tie or was decided by a single goal … all of them! The U19s were in the hunt and played some of the best team hockey seen in that level. Crashing the net, back-checking and making good short passes, took them into the semi-finals. However, a sneaker goal got into the net somehow and the U19s lost 1-2 ending their run.

The NWS came out winners on the weekend, not winning the tournament, but playing with and against the best in the area! Each player and parent took away a different experience from the weekend, but all of them were good!!!

Well done NW Selects!!!

Jerin is a 747

Here's my first video post. I don't actually score in this sequence, but it is a pretty good rush. One of the parents in the room commented right after this play that "Jerin looks like a 747 coming down the ice...everyone just needs to clear the runway." Hence the title of the clip. Enjoy!

Some Burnaby Stats...

I just returned from Canada and the Burnaby 8 Tournament. I have some stories that I will share with you, but for now I need to get caught up at school and stuff. Here are my tournament statistics from Pointstreak.com. You can see, I had a pretty good tournament. Overall, the team finished 2nd, losing the championship game 1-0. More on that later...enjoy!

See more team stats and scoresheets for the NW Selects at this PointStreak website: http://www.pointstreak.com/players/players-team.html?teamid=103963

THE MAGIC OF BURNABY by dad

It was the beginning of last year's hockey season and Jerin was feeling a bit less than enthusiastic about the season. As first year PeeWees, she felt that her co-ed team was losing focus when it came to strengthening fundamental skills and that all of a sudden the whole game of hockey had been traded in for checking (hitting). While she was eager to learn checking, she was starting to feel the loneliness of being the only girl playing in her age group and, unlike the boys, she wasn't as eager to trade fundamentals for hitting.
Then came the first NW Selects tournament in Burnaby, BC. The NW Selects is Jerin's all girls team who, up to that point, she had never met. First, there was just the whole idea of playing in Canada. For Jerin playing in Canada is what she calls playing in the 'Motherland', she gets so stoked. Then, we arrived at the Burnaby 8 rinks, so called because there are actually eight (8) full size ice rinks under one roof. (1 was covered for indoor soccer at the time.) I thought we may never leave.
Then came the meeting of the team. Girls, just like Jerin, skating, playing and as excited about hockey as Jerin has always been. She felt connected right away. And the tournament...100's, nearly 1,000 girls, playing hockey on teams from across the north and west of Canada and the US. Despite the first time ever playing together, the NW Selects U12 team made it to the championship game, finally losing in the shootout. The whole tournament playing a goalie who had never played the position before.
What's so magical about Burnaby...quite possibly everything, but specifically for Jerin the Burnaby tournament rekindled something in her at just the right time in her season bringing her the passion and the desire to play the sport of hockey stronger and better than ever before. A passion and a strength that she'll be taking with her when she returns to Burnaby with the NW Selects this weekend.

slashing...

that's what a girl's got to do. today's Jr. Hawks' game wasn't good. no goals, no assists, but my 1st penalty of the year...slashing. we were close early on, but got run over in the third period. it happens, i guess. time to look forward to the burnaby tournament next weekend with the NW Selects. hopefully the outcome will be better.

what's a girl got to do to get a penalty...

So my Jr. Summits team got its first win today...5-1. I was able to get a goal, but more than that I thumped a few of the boys. I'm not sure what was up, but I didn't get a penalty. I guess they were all clean hits. It's all good...we won. I'm leaving for Portland in an hour for a Jr. Hawks game in the morning, watch for video coming soon...GO Hawks!

Happy Halloween

Hey, this weekend’s hockey was so awesome and I’m doing great. This weekend I scored 2 goals (Portland Jr. Hawks) but…… we lost. It was really close. The score was 6 to 7 which is great for our team because we had so many goals it really boosts the team’s confidence. Now the next game I’m sure the team will win.
I’m excited to go to Portland this weekend! I have a game for the Jr. Hawks. My goal for this weekend is to score three goals and of course I want us to win and have a great time. I will write again after this weekend so you can hear how I did. Oh yeah, Happy Halloween by the way! I’m a chimney sweep for Halloween. I can’t wait till I get to go trick or treating…actually, it’s time to go right now! Later.

The Drive for 25

Dear Family and Friends,

Most of you know that I have been a committed ice hockey player since I was 4 years old. As my only sport, I have played hockey year round since then taking every opportunity to become a skilled and competitive player. I have always tried to play my very best and I want to thank you all for your support and encouragement over the years. I definitely could not be playing at my current level without the help and support of you all. More recently opportunities to play at the most competitive levels for my age have come my way and I am in need of your support again.

This year I have a number of opportunities before me. Some are part of my regular season and some I have tried out for or been invited to be a part of. The opportunities I have to play hockey this year are listed below.
 I will continue playing and practicing in the Southern Oregon Jr. Summits house program in Medford. This is my home ice and where I work out 3-4 times a week. This year I will work on my fundamental skating skills, endurance, focus and basic team play strategies. We have a new hockey director from Northern Edge Elite Hockey Schools who will assist me.
 I will be traveling with the Jr. Summits Peewee Boys Team to a number of tournaments in Oregon, Washington and California. Realistically, this will be the last year that I can play boys travel hockey due to physical differences, so I am excited by this last chance to experience the physical play and checking that boys bring to the game. I’ll be a smarter and tougher player because of it.
 I made the NW Selects U12 team again this year. The NW Selects are a tournament team made up of the best girls playing hockey in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. We will be traveling to play in two tournaments in Canada this year at the highest levels available for girls my age, Tier 1 AA/AAA. The NW Selects is a highly competitive organization focused on my continued development as a premier player and will offer me opportunities to play at regional and national levels starting next year.
 I’ve also been invited to play with the Portland Jr. Hawks this year. The Jr. Hawks are a dedicated youth hockey program that has committed to creating house and travel opportunities for girls in the Portland/Vancouver area. The coach feels that I am a strong and valuable player, and although I live outside the Portland area, has invited me to play with this team this season. She is excited to have recruited the very best Peewee girls from Oregon and Washington and I am honored to be one of them. Playing for the Jr. Hawks team will allow me greater connection in a hockey program that could lead to playing during my high school years and beyond.

I am so excited to be on each of these teams this year. This is a wonderful opportunity for me and I will be able to do what I love best, play lots of hockey. However, hockey is an expensive sport and fundraising will have to be a key element in making this happen. I write this letter to ask for your support this year. Raising money helps me take ownership in all of these activities and demonstrates my willingness to help pay to play the sport I love. I am seeking 25 people who will support me with $20 or more in a push I am calling the “Drive for 25”. This $500 and more will offset almost all my house fees and leave my parents with travel and tournament fees associated with the other teams. This amount will help greatly and is a good compromise between my parents and I regarding how much I want to play the sport of hockey and the sheer cost of being involved at this level.

I want you to also get something in return for your investment. I want to invite you to be a part of my hockey season. Follow this “Drive for 25”, my season, the goals, the tournaments, my growth in the sport, the disappointments and the excitement online at www.thegirlplayshockey.blogspot.com. I will work to communicate everything going on with me this season on this site and you can participate in the community of family and friends that have helped me get to this place: playing the best hockey available in the Pacific Northwest.

Thanks again for your support, and I hope to hear from you and see you online soon.