After only one season, the future of the first girls’ varsity hockey team in Skaneateles was skating on thin ice. A lack of interest following that inaugural 2003 season left them without enough players to field a competitive squad.

But now, the program has skated back from adversity and is challenging the state’s top powerhouse programs.

The road to hockey glory started in 2005, when a dedicated group of hockey parents pledged to raise enough money to bring the Skaneateles girls’ hockey program back after failing just two years prior. Following three years of fundraising, along with a generous donation to build the girls a locker room at the Austin Park Pavilion, the Skaneateles Board of Education approved the team to become an official, sustainable, varsity sport.

The 2008-09 season marked the first-ever Skaneateles High School funded girls’ varsity ice hockey program. The team was coached by Jerry Morrissey with assistant Andy Rozak.

Presently in its fourth year (since becoming a “true” varsity sport), the Skaneateles girls’ hockey team is bigger and better, thanks to a number of players who do not even attend Skaneateles schools.

The team reached out to other local schools to assure they have enough players to maintain the team both now and in the future. Last year was the first time the Skaneateles School District allowed the coaches to draw from outlying Central New York schools. This year the Lady Lakers welcomed 13 girls from outside districts.

For some of the girls from other schools, being invited to play on the Skaneateles team has given their hockey career a second wind.

Erin Ganley, senior captain from Baldwinsville, said she did not play hockey as a freshmen or sophomore, but got back into the sport thanks to Skaneateles opening up their roster. She was urged to join the group by current players, many of whom are friends and former youth hockey teammates.

As for the members of the team from Skaneateles, they welcome the players from other schools with open arms.

“I like having all the different girls on the team because it gives them the opportunity to play varsity,” said Nina Elia, Skaneateles senior and captain. “The only teams that are close to us are Ithaca and Oswego and we play all northern teams. It’s all Massena, Canton, Chazy, which are all way up north. That’s something that is new to them (players from other schools). It’s extensive traveling on a school bus, but it’s great.”

In his second year as head coach, Mike Major, also assistant principal at Skaneateles High School, and Assistant Coach Stephanie Sauda, assembled the 25 girls from seven schools, including Skaneateles, West Genesee, Port Byron, Auburn, Marcellus, Baldwinsville and CBA to take on perennial powerhouse programs from the North Country.

Playing the teams from the North Country presents a tremendous challenge, because while the girls on Skaneateles have been playing hockey most of their lives, they have not played together as long as their competitors. Major credits his captains for establishing team unity and helping the younger players — some seventh graders — adjust to the competitive style of play.

While the sport of girls’ hockey continues to gain momentum in CNY, it has not yet matched the popularity in the north. But this doesn’t faze the Lady Lakers, Elia said.

“In the north, their life is hockey,” she said. “Once you get up to Chazy, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid, it’s huge. Salmon River has their rink attached to their high school, it’s just ridiculous up there.”

Elia explained that playing against such strong programs gives the team an underdog mentality. “It’s not the biggest sport down here, so the northern teams underestimate us,” she said.

Skaneateles joins Ithaca, Oswego and Alexandria Bay to make up the Section III regional division. They face teams from the Section VII regional division, including Albany Academy for Girls, Beekmantown, Lake Placid and Saranac Lake; and will face Section X foes, including Canton, Massena, Potsdam, Salmon River and St. Lawrence Central.

Looking to the future, Major said he sees the sport continuing to gain ground, thanks to the continued growth of youth hockey and the lack of winter athletic opportunities for girls in high school.

“If you don’t play basketball and you don’t run indoor track, volleyball has moved out of the winter around here and there is not a lot of opportunity for girls to play a winter sport,” Major said.

The Skaneateles Youth Hockey Association girls’ program, which was started in 2000, is now feeding the high school team with greater numbers of dedicated, skilled and passionate hockey players.

With the support of both the community and the district, along with a pipeline of upcoming talent, the future is bright for girls’ hockey in Skaneateles.

By Dan Bernardi

Follow @DanielCNYnews
//