TEAMS / SCHEDULES
NEWSLETTERS
SILVER STICK TOURNAMENT
DIRECTIONS / RINKS
TGHA KEY LEADERS
TRY HOCKEY / JOIN US
REGISTRATION INFO
ALUMNI
CUB CLUB
 


Page updated 8/20/03

Grainger Tops in Scoring at National 15 and Under Select Tournament

Ithaca Shooting Stars player, Maura Grainger, was the top scorer in this
year's USA Hockey Select 15 Festival http://www.offserv.com/usahockey/.

The tournament pits the best players of their age in the country against
each other. The festival, part of USA Hockey's development program for
elite players, was held the week of July 21st, in Rochester, NY. Players
are invited to attend after tryout sessions that are held throughout the
country. Players are "drafted" onto teams once they arrive at the
festival. Grainger played on the "Green" Team, and led that team to the
top position in the round robin tournament. The Green team was undefeated
during the week, with one win and four ties, for a total of six points.

Grainger notched four goals and added three assists, for a total of seven
points over five games. Sarah Smiddy of Michigan, playing for the "Gold"
team also recorded seven points, with a three-goal, four-assist performance. Grainger scored two goals in the tournament's final game,
including one at the 6:50 mark of the third period. That goal tied the
game and gave Green the point needed to capture first place.

Three different Minnesota players each had six points, to round out the
top five in scoring.

The Select Program is used by USA Hockey to reward and promote the best
players in the country in their respective age groups. Players are given
daily training off-ice, on-ice, and in lecture, in addition to the game
competition. College coaches work with the players and after the week's
activities, the players are rated and ranked. While a dozen or so college
coaches work with the teams, several dozen surround the ice as it is the
common summer gathering point for coaches looking to fill rosters for
upcoming seasons.

The Select program has only been underway a few years for the girls, with
the program growing as the number of female players has increased.
Nationally, participation in the girls' ranks has grown six-fold in the
past ten years, but is still only about one-tenth of the total registered
population in USA Hockey. In Ithaca, where the sport enjoys tremendous
popularity, girls make up about twenty percent of the hockey-playing population.

On the boy's side it is seen primarily as a path to college hockey.

On the girls' side, invitation to the Select program is also seen as a
path to college play - and for the best of the best - the Women's Olympic Team.

SEE THE IMAGES:
http://www.theithacajournal.com/news/stories/20020803/localsports/358099-photos.html#1

www.empirestategames.org web site
 

© TGHA, 2003/2004
>ABOUT THIS WEB SITE