skip navigation

Gilmour Academy 19U Girls Make School History

By Jim Smith, 03/23/17, 8:15AM MDT

Share

Team will be the first to represent the school at Tier I 19U nationals

GATES MILLS, Ohio -- When the Tier I 19U girls team from Gilmour Academy returned to their history classes this week, they did so having already made some history of their own.

They became the first team to represent Gilmour Academy at the USA Hockey Girls Tier I 19U National Championships. They will head north to Rochester/Macomb, Michigan, for the tournament, scheduled for April 6-10.

The Lancers charged through the Mid-American District Tournament unscathed, winning each of their three games and limiting each opponent to a single goal.

“This group of girls is highly intelligent and they worked really hard all year and they put it all together at the right time, when it mattered most,” said Rob Potter, Gilmour Academy head coach.

Potter became head coach in late October after his predecessor accepted a college-level position.

“They were without a coach for a period and I came in and they listened right away and made great strides,” added Potter.

One of those players who made great strides and a proved to have a major impact at this year’s district tournament was forward Annmarie Fitzgerald.

Over a span of three games, the speedy Fitzgerald registered six points on evenly balanced score sheets, with a goal and an assist in each of the games.

“I just feel like we were ready when it came down to it. I was just there to play for my teammates and nothing else,” said Fitzgerald. “Throughout the season, we just kept pushing through and we knew that, when it came down to it, we were going to be ready. This weekend we really showed up and I am really proud of my team."

Teammate Rachel Allen added two assists over the course of the tournament to aid her team’s effort.

Supporting the offensive effort provided by Fitzgerald and her linemates were Gilmour goaltenders Gabrielle Venne and Lynsey Wallace.

The duo combined for 67 saves on 70 shots during the tournament while allowing a scant one goal per game for their adversaries.

In the deciding round-robin game, it appeared that the speed of Potter’s team was a key factor, and eventually seemed to wear down their final game opponent, the Pittsburgh Pens Elite.

“When I came in, our training started with skill,” explained Potter. “How to skate properly, get down low and stay in those positions and build the endurance to skate three periods. It took a lot of heart for these kids to hang in there every game, grind it out and they kept finding ways to win.”

“For a lot of these kids their goal is to play [NCAA Division I] hockey and to make it to that [Nationals] stage, the opportunity it gives plus the confidence and camaraderie that they built through all this, makes this one of the biggest things in their lives at this point.” Potter continued.

Simply put, according to Potter, his team “is pumped” to be advancing.

During their historic 2016-17 season, Gilmour Academy had a trio of captains that Potter identified as great leaders, but the tournament-bound coach was quick to point out the leadership qualities in each of his players.

“Every one of these kids is a pretty outstanding kid and they’re all leaders,” summarized Potter.  

As the Gilmour squad continues to prepare for Nationals, the memories of the effort and commitment it required to achieve that level of success and the experience of winning the district title assuredly won’t be lost on any of the team members, especially Fitzgerald who said, “I never wanted anything so badly and it was the best feeling I could have.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.

Connect With Us

More Nationals News

2017 USA Hockey National Championship Sites

Division Location Host Dates
Youth Tier I (14U) Scottsdale, Arizona Arizona Amateur Hockey April 6-10, 2017
Youth Tier I (15-year-olds only) Scottsdale, Arizona Arizona Amateur Hockey April 6-10, 2017
Youth Tier I (16U, 18U) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Penguins Elite April 6-10, 2017
Girls Tier I Rochester/Macomb, Michigan HoneyBaked Hockey Club April 6-10, 2017
Women's A, B, C Rochester/Macomb, Michigan HoneyBaked Hockey Club April 6-9, 2017
High School Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland Suburban Hockey March 22-26, 2017
Girls Tier II Troy, Michigan Troy Youth Hockey Association April 6-10, 2017
Youth Tier II (14U) Coral Springs, Florida Florida Panthers Ice Den April 6-10, 2017
Youth Tier II (16U) Frisco, Texas Texas Amateur Hockey April 6-10, 2017
Youth Tier II (18U) Lansing, Michigan Lansing Hockey Club April 6-10, 2017
Sled San Jose, California Sharks Ice April 6-9, 2017
Adult Rec Men's Wesley Chapel, Florida Florida Hospital Center Ice April 20-23, 2017
Adult Rec Women's Ellenton, Florida Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex April 27-30, 2017