In First Season, New South Suburban Girls High School Hockey Team Needs Players

NEW LENOX, IL — A New Lenox man who has watched his daughter give her all to a predominantly male sport made it his goal to give her a place to play it in her high school years.

Chris Brach's daughter Mackenzie started playing hockey at 2 years old. Like many girls in the sport, she's honed her skillset while playing for club teams—and wouldn't have been able to play for her high school.

"The girls just don’t have that in high school," Brach said. "As she’s come up through the levels, they all play for a lot of teams around the area, mostly as travel teams."

Several months ago, Brach went to Amateur Hockey Association Illinois, in hopes of starting up a south suburban girls high school hockey team. Since there isn't enough density at any one school, they sought out potential skaters from nearby high schools to create a combined team, its website reads.

"It has been a decade since there was a team in the south suburbs for the girls and there is some excitement around giving them the opportunity to play for their schools and with the girls in their community," Brach told Patch. "Most skaters play all over Chicagoland and rarely locally depending on their club."

Named Lincoln-Way Southsiders Girls High School Hockey Club, the team accepts high school girls from New Lenox, Mokena, Frankfort, Orland, Lockport, and Lemont. Schools represented include Lincoln-Way D10 schools, Sandburg, Lemont, and Providence Catholic.

Any girls interested and attending other high schools in the south suburbs can still contact the team, and they will try to connect them with another team, said Brach, the team's president and hockey director.

They'll host tryouts on Friday, Aug. 22, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 24 at 1:10 p.m. Both tryouts are at Arctic Ice Arena, 10700 160th St., in Orland Park. Tryouts are $100 per player. Those interested in trying out can register online.

Brach hopes the team will be less intense than travel, and give girls like Mackenzie a chance to play with friends in the neighborhood, against girls she doesn't usually encounter. He's seen impressive excitement and support for the idea from other hockey families.

"Our goal is to build something that will start a new girls hockey legacy in the south suburbs," Brach said.

"I liked playing in high school. I was amazed that there is a level of excitement from other families—we’re getting some traction."

Hockey is unique, he said, in that it’s not an Illinois High School Association-sanctioned sport. It’s very much considered a club sport—the cost is out of pocket for the families.

"I'm really hoping to get something started that my daughter can enjoy for the next four years," he said.

The sport has stoked the competitive spirit in Mackenzie and others like her, he said, and he's hoping the team can give them a chance to take that to the ice. They'll play as part of the Metro Girls High School League.

"There’s a lot of nice flexibility with the type of teams they can play in Illinois," Brach said. "The goal is to have a competitive team, but a low-pressure, fun experience for the kids."

The game appeals to most girls, he thinks, for its opportunity for them to show strength and speed.

"It’s fun because a lot of people don’t expect girls who are meek or quiet to be competitive, but they don’t shy away from contact," he said. "The girls who do really take to it, there’s a lot of dedication, there’s a lot of passion."

Checking in the sport begins at 13 years old, he said, putting the girls at higher risk of injury if they're playing against boys.

"Boys turn big," he said, "and we don’t want them to get hurt."

The sport fosters a deep sense of teamwork and team spirit among girls.

"The camaraderie between the girls is phenomenal," he said. "They get tight pretty fast. They’re playing with and against the same people in different points throughout their life.

"For them, I think early on, it starts with wanting to beat the boys. But as they get bigger, they want to make their own name."

Players looking to try out can range from those new to hockey, to those playing elite, travel-level hockey. Girls interested should have some proficiency in skating, Brach said, and must be freshmen through seniors in high school.

With girls on the team playing for various other organizations throughout the year, they'll need a deep roster to accommodate scheduling conflicts, he said.

"We're in our first year, there’s plenty of room for anybody who wants to come out," he said.

Anyone who's interested but can't make the tryouts, should email SouthsideGHC@gmail.com for this season, Brach said. In the spring, the team will host skate opportunities for seventh- and eighth-grade players.

The team will have a 19-game season, with state playoff brackets. In total, it could amount to a 25 to 30-game season. Team registration cost is $1,250. Home and away jerseys and socks are covered in cost.

They're also accepting sponsors to help offset the cost for families, with opportunities ranging from $500 to $3,000.

"Our goal is to leave this legacy on the South side," Brach said, "or maybe it becomes a couple of teams down the road.

"There’s a lot of excitement from the league, when we were able to get the charter."

Tryouts will be held:

• Friday, Aug. 22, at 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Aug. 24 at 1:10 p.m.
• Both days are held at Arctic Ice Arena, 10700 160th St., in Orland Park:
  

Those interested in trying out can register online.