Breaking the ice
Martha Rendahl (17) moves the puck down the ice during the C League game on Tuesday, November 16, at the Stumptown Ice Den.
Mary-Graham Rasco warms up with her team before the start of their game on Tuesday night at the Stumptown Ice Den.
Lini Reading's skates detail.
Dabney Langellier (5) comes up smiling after a spill on the ice during the Tuesday night game at the Stumptown Ice Den.
Cody McCarthy (60) gets enough of a lead to take a shot during the C League game on Tuesday, November 16, at the Stumptown Ice Den.
Kelly Davidson (80) re-tapes her stick after the game on Tuesday night in Whitefish.
Cris Coughlin, left, and Kelly Davidson, both of Whitefish, share Jell-O shots on Tuesday night as the women gear up in the locker room before their game.
Tuesday nights in the Stumptown Ice Den Adult Leagues have been a bit different this season. Commissioner Andy Hergesheimer agreed to the formation of the first all-women’s team in a league traditionally reserved for men.
The curiosity that convinced Hergesheimer to form the team has made for a worthwhile experiment.
“I love the energy having this team has created,” Hergesheimer said. “Having the all-girls team has created a buzz. I love that we get 50 to 60 fans out to watch a ‘C’ league game at 10 o’clock at night. I’m disappointed they haven’t been more competitive, but I love the energy of the whole group.”
The women begin arriving shortly before 9 p.m. Tracy Moll of Whitefish is there first, as usual. That night the women were taking on an undefeated team. So Moll has made blue Jell-O shots to start the evening off.
As game time draws nearer the doors begin to open more frequently as members of The Paddlers come in carrying large bags of gear. Mary-Graham Rasco arrives, having come to Whitefish from Ashley Lake. The small blonde in ponytails is married to an “A” league player. She carries one of the larger bags, filled with all the padding that goes along with playing goalie. For Rasco, being on the all women’s team has been an exciting experience.
“One of the greatest aspects of this team is that we are all ambitious busy women,” said Rasco. “We are driven in our lives and when we get together to do something as crazy as hockey it just stirs something up in our chemistry. It’s so much fun.”
“I’m very competitive,” Rasco laughs. “But for me, I’m realistic — I weigh 115 pounds, I am probably the worst goalie in the league. I like to win, but mostly I just want to be pushed to get better however that is going to happen.”
The women have yet to win a game this season. None of the men’s teams want to be the first one to lose to the girls. But the season isn’t over, so a win is not out of the question.
“Our successes may not come in terms of wins, but success is there,” Lini Reading of Whitefish said. “It’s in several successive passes leading up to a goal, or a strong defense. It’s in the little parts of the game, the little steps that we make that move us forward as players.”
The women have spent this season focusing on their skills. They play on Tuesdays but they also have a practice on Sundays.
“We are out there to learn, and to have fun,” Sarah Lundstrum of Whitefish said. “We are here to be with friends and to play hockey. No one gets caught up in the ‘we have to score, we have to win’ mentality.”
“Yeah, we’d love to win every game, but the point is to do the best we can do,” Lundstrum said. “The most important part of this is that even when we are losing, we are still having fun.”
The women-only team was a one-time experiment. Hergesheimer said he won’t close the door on the idea of a female team ever happening again, but some are just as happy playing in a co-rec environment.
“I like having the all-women team, but I like playing on the men’s teams too,” Reading said. “It’s really fun skating with these guys. What it comes down to is we have a wonderful hockey community here whether we are playing with the men, or against them.”
For those wanting to see the women’s team, there are at least three games left for the ladies on Tuesday nights. There is also the upcoming Whitefish Face Off Tournament for women, Dec. 3-5.