Gritty, hard charging, playing full out — the Traverse City Northstars girls U-16 travel hockey team has been carving a niche for itself around the state since October. The inaugural year of the team, the 15 members ages 12-16 are the elite female players in the region. Having played in boys and girls house leagues for years, they are in the midst of a busy season that through March has them traveling around the state and to Canada for games.
Just back from a successful weekend in the Detroit area, where they faced off with the two top U-16 teams in the state — netting a decisive 4-1 win and a heartbreaking 1-0 loss — the Northstars are gearing up for a Saturday match at Centre ICE.
Their .500 record over 47 games belies a hot streak since the Christmas break that has boosted both standings and self-assurance. Having qualified for the state finals scheduled for the second weekend of March in Marquette, the girls are in high spirits and a tightly honed unit.
"You have to be confident in your team and be there for them,” said Rachel Gillis, 15, the team's assistant captain who succinctly summarized the team's on-ice strategy: "You leave your heart out there.”
Northstars captain Danika Baker, a sophomore at Traverse City West Senior High School, acknowledged that the team has gelled as the season progressed. Only two members had previously played on a travel team, giving the Northstars a disadvantage as they faced off against veteran travel teams used to the rigors of a 60-game season. Transcending this handicap, the Northstars have been racking up wins or close games in 2007.
"I'm proud of them,” said Baker, who plays defense and has been playing hockey for nine years. "We've gotten a lot better as a new team, we've improved dramatically.”
Girls hockey, which is a booming sport downstate, has one major rule difference: no checking. This change makes the game more cerebral, though training, stamina, strength and fortitude are all fundamental to success for both genders.
"You have to think a lot more, it's more of a mental game because you can't hit and knock a boy off the puck,” said Gillis, a ninth grade student at West Junior High who has played hockey for ten years, on girls teams for three. "Like in boys, you have to keep your head up or you're down — [though] they didn't mess with me much because they knew I'd give as good as I got.”
Like many of her teammates, Lisa Ball plays hockey year round, attending hockey camps in the summer to prepare and keep in shape for the next season. The Northstars' other assistant captain, Ball has played hockey for six years: three years of boys and three years of girls.
"The difference is we skate a lot more and we play higher skilled teams,” said Ball, a ninth grade student at East Junior High, of her first travel season.
Northstars coach Keith Gillis, Rachel's dad, believes that his team is in a groove that could take it all the way to the championships at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
"The way they're playing right now, there's no reason they can't win it,” he said. "The girls on this team have given me all they've got — they've exceeded my expectations.”
"On the ice they are hockey players, off the ice they are ladies,” Gillis added.
Because a girls travel hockey team was a new idea in the region, founding the Northstars was an exercise in faith for Gillis and the players' families. The gamble paid off and the girls are learning and playing a sport they love against some of the best teams in the state.
"Traverse City is a hockey town,” said Gillis, praising the parents and families who made the travel season a reality. "The boys have high school hockey to look forward to and the girls do not.”
The Northstars Girls U-16 travel hockey team invites the public to celebrate Hockey Day in Michigan with them by attending Saturday night's game against the Kentwood Falcons at 7:30 p.m. at Centre ICE. Admission is free.