On the Ice -- Lessons from the Pros

The Greenwich Panthers girls hockey teams from the Boys & Girls Club Greenwich are like all athletes, continually looking for pointers and tips on how to improve their winning skills.

And to that end, the girls had an intensive clinic with the pros last week.

On Tuesday, the National Women’s Hockey League Connecticut Whale players Katia Smolentseva (#17), Brittany Dougherty (#19), Jordan Brickner (#26), Kaleigh Fratkin (#13) and Kelli Stack (#61) visited the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich to share winning hockey strategies and instruct players from the Panthers teams on the ‘how to’s’ of making the goal.

More than 25 Panthers in the Under 14, Under 12 and Under 10 age groups were thrilled to meet women who make a living ‘doing what they love’ by playing professional hockey and getting paid for it. Even just a year ago, this clinic would have had a different vibe as 2015 marked the inaugural season for women playing hockey as a career.

“What an experience for the younger players to interact with professional female athletes,” said Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich CEO, Bobby Walker Jr. “We were thrilled to host the clinic at our rink for these future hockey stars.”

The Greenwich Panthers was created in 2011 to give girls in Fairfield and Westchester counties the chance to learn to play hockey in a competitive and fun environment.

“Our coaches focus on the fundamentals: skating, stick handling, passing and shooting,” according to Greenwich Panthers Girls Hockey Director Katy Gray. ”For our more advanced players, the emphasis is on honing overall hockey strategy and team play. We are especially excited that the Connecticut Whale could demonstrate to our team that girls ice hockey can take you so much farther than ever before,” Gray continued.

Recently, the Panthers U12 team won their division in the 2016 Green Mountain Girls Tournament in Brattleboro, VT. The team was runner up in the CGHL finals in 2015 as well. The Panthers U14 team was runner up in the 2016 Green Mountain Girls Tourney.

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During the clinic, the Panthers practiced their hockey techniques, enjoyed one-on-one direction from the Connecticut Whale players, scrimmaged and received autographs from their hockey mentors. Connecticut Whale Kelli Stack (#61) said, “[the Panthers] had some really good players out there. If they keep it up, they can be right in our shoes some day.”

The Panthers compete in the Connecticut Girls Hockey League (CGHL) with the season running from September through the CGHL state tournaments in early March. The Panthers welcome players from Greenwich as well as surrounding towns in Fairfield and Westchester counties. The team is affiliated with the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, and as of 2015, is part of the Greenwich Blues organization, which has coached competitive coed hockey teams for more than 40 years.

Tryouts for the 2016-2017 season begin on March 30 and continue through April 3 at Stamford Twin Rinks. Register online at www.greenwichblues.com or contact Gray for more information at 917-848-8997 or katygray39@gmail.com.

Photos contributed by the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich: Photo 1: The National Women’s Hockey League’s Connecticut Whale Kelli Stack (#61) coaches Greenwich Panthers players at the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich. Photo 2: Kelli Stack (#61) and Katia Smolentseva (#17), players from National Women’s Hockey League’s Connecticut Whale, pose with Greenwich Panthers Daniela Pedlow, Lila Cabot and Emma Kunschner at a hockey clinic at the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich. Photo 3: The National Women’s Hockey League’s Connecticut Whale Kelli Stack (#61) gives pointers to Valerie Zhang of the Greenwich Panthers at the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich.