Game Highlights

LEGAL:  These Highlights, Game Summaries and Commentary are written and presented solely for the Little Flyer Girls from the perspective of the writer and in no way represent the opinion of the Little Flyer Organization, its players or parents.  These Highlights, Game Summaries, Commentary and Pictures are Copyrighted © and subject to the Copyright Laws of The United States of America.  Use of any Highlight, Game Summary Commentary or Picture in part or in its entirety, in any manner whatsoever, without the written permission of the author is a violation of the Copyright Law.

Sat., 10/11 at 7:00 PM VS National Sports Academy (NSA) at Lake Placid, NY  L 3-5

Game two on the weekend was against the strong National Sports Academy. NSA began with two goals in the first period, as Gina countered with an unassisted tally of her own. That gave the home team a 2 - 1 lead after one, with the Little Flyers getting three penalties to NSA's 2. In the second period Kaitlin Donovan found the back of the net on an unassisted goal of her own. NSA responded with two goals of their own to bring the score to 4 - 2. Each team scored in the third period- the Little Flyers added one to their total thanks to Mary Wojcik, with the assist going to Tiffany Baker. Shots on goal favored the Little Flyers by a 19 - 14 advantage.
 

Sun., 10/12 at 9:00 AM VS North Country Ice Storm at Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY  W 7-2

The rematch against the North Country Ice Storm came after another two hour bus ride and brought out the goal scorers in the Little Flyers. Leading the way in the first period - right off the first shift- was Gina Kearns, who really seemed to have this team's number. Assists were credited to Emily Johnston and Jess Bryan- who continues to show her offensive skills. This was followed by Tiffany scoring one of her own, and Megan Mosenson who was assisted by Laura White and Kaitlin Donovan.

In the second stanza, the Ice Storm rebounded with a pair of goals, but the Little Flyers matched them goal for goal. At 33 seconds, Megan Mosenson found the back of the net, with a little help from Gina and Trish Silvestri. It is great to see so many defenseman get into the scoring column! And Gina finished with her fifth goal on this team in two days, with Kaitlin Donovan garnering the assist, along with Lulu Herzog. Once again, there were very few penalties, but the thought on the bus going home was that the Little Flyers are beginning to develop a reputation on the East Coast as a real threat- no matter who the competition may be.
 

It was the second New York weekend in a row- and the question was whether or not the "new look" Little Flyers- in their orange and black would get their league schedule off to a solid beginning. At the Ice Hutch, the Sound Shore Warriors stepped onto the frozen surface with only 13 skaters. The anticipation of the crowd surrounded the question of whether the team from Pennsylvania could get off to a quick start.

But in the first period it was the Warriors who capitalized on a Flyer turnover on a power play. That was the lone marker in the first period, as the black and orange outshot the home team 20 - 4. Hats off to Christie Houser for a nice save on a Sound Shore breakaway at the 6:15 mark. 

To begin the second period, Kirsty Schoeninger gathered the puck behind the Warrior goal and found Gina Kearns open in the slot for a quick, low wrist shot. This tied the score until 6:20, when Jeannie O'Neill shot low again for the second Little Flyer goal. The visitors had created impressive pressure on the home team until that time. Next it was Gina on the ensuing faceoff, using her dance around the other center move. She skated to a breakaway, over the blue line and hit the back of the net just seven seconds later. Then ten seconds after that, Gina performed an instant replay off the center ice faceoff after Kirsty returned the puck back to her on the draw to make it 4 - 1.

In the third period, the Little Flyers sensed that the Warriors were tiring, due to their short bench. The fifth Little Flyer goal was a nice effort led by Mary Wojcik, who found Kaitlin Donavon open. Kaitlin then threaded a nice pass to Jeannie O'Neill who buried the puck into the twine.

Mary then caught fire and scored off a rebound, unassisted, on the power play. Jess Bryan then got back on the scoring pace as she lifted a nice shot over the goalie's shoulder. Jeannie and Mary then combined one more time as Mary fed her for the shot which became the eighth Little Flyer goal. 

Special mention goes to the Little Flyer defense who limited the Sound Shore squad to only five shots. As a matter of fact, Emily Johnston, Rachel Houser, Laura White, Jess Bryan, Trish Silvestri, and Alyssa Gable even kept Sound Shore shotless in the second period. And in addition to their top quality defense, they were a major factor in the offensive scheme as well!

Coaches Campagnolio, Cosgrove, and Hein had to be pleased with the power play puck movement and overall tenacity of the team after the first period. And to boot- two hat tricks as well- one for Gina and one for Jeannie. Nice job girls, next up the Washington Pride.
 

The Little Flyers 19U girls traveled south this weekend to meet a formidable opponent. The Washington Pride has always had a quality team- known for playing in two leagues at the same time- the AWHL and a league out of Chicago. Surely, such committed players would be a good test for the orange and black.

On Saturday, it was Christie Houser, the Little Flyer goalie who rescued the team early on, as she made several fine saves- one particular on a breakaway. Just when the team needed a boost, Christie was there to shut the Pride down.

In the second period one of the highlights was when Gina Kearns forced a turnover in her offensive end. She then created her own scoring opportunity then turned it into a fine shot, but was denied. The Pride was particularly physical, especially in front of their own net, keeping the Little Flyers from getting to "Heaven". Also in the second period was a rifle shot from the point position by none other than Trish Silvestri, who is getting the reputation of being quite a marksman. 

Also in the second period, Gina's new linemate, Kirsty Schoeninger hit Gina completely in stride as she broke through center ice. Gina waited for the five hole to open up, and she made no mistake with her shot as she converted it. It is amazing how effective Gina is on that type of shot!

In the third period, there were several costly Little Flyer penalties which led to the Pride taking the lead 2 - 1. But back came Gina, after a Kaitlin Donovan shot, to tie the score up. In case you are wondering- once again this came from the slot area directly in front of the Pride net. The Pride had several scoring opportunities late in the game, particularly when Christie had to stop a breakaway. It was a picture perfect pad save to protect the tie. The Little Flyers had the advantage in shots- 26 to 16, and the rematch was set for the following day.
 

Sun., 10/26 at 8:40 AM VS Washington Pride at ARC Rockville, MD   W 4-3

Saturday night featured a singing moose (right Ted and Mary Kate) and a lot of team bonding. But Sunday morning was all business. In the first period Gina Kearns scored a nice backhand goal off a rebound of her own shot to take the lead. Once again, Christie was a tower between the pipes as she thwarted several Pride advances. Then out of nowhere, the Pride scored on a delayed penalty call- and the Little Flyers knew they would have to continue their physical play without drawing any more penalties.

Throughout the second stanza Gina, Kirsty Schoeninger, and Jeannie O'Neill looked dominant. This was evident when Gina attempted to feed Kirsty, cruising at center ice, just as Kirsty had fed Gina the day before. The shot was delivered, but wasn't enough to foil the goaltender. Gina then had an opportunity of her own, later in the period, as she cut across the slot, and took the shot as she was falling. It was quite impressive, a classic Gina Kearns backhand- pure effort goal. But this was neutralized by the Pride when the took advantage of two Flyer penalties and scored on the ensuing 5 on 3.

In the third period, Trish Silvestri joined the rush with Gina while the teams were 4 on 4. Trish laid a beautiful pass right on Gina's stick who tucked it in to tie the game at three apiece. Was this to be the second tie in two days? Both teams deserved a point out of this game, but Megan Mosenson had another thought. There was a flurry of shots in front of the Pride net, where their goalie made save after save. But it was Megan who delivered the third shot after the puck popped out of the morass in front of the net- and the Little Flyers had the lead. Nice shot- high glove side.

The Pride didn't throw up the white flag, however, and battled on. As a matter of fact, they outshot the Little Flyers in the third period 10 - 8. But the strong Flyer defense forced the Pride to shoot low percentage shots, and the game ended in favor of the visiting squad 4 - 3. After the game Coach Cosgrove could be heard to say, "I wish we could play this team 10 times". The Pride seemed to bring out the competitive nature of the Little Flyers girls, that's for sure. These were two quality games. But the, "Who won the game?" cheer could be heard in the Little Flyer locker room before the trek north began. Congrats to the orange and black on a fine weekend.

Fri., 11/7 at 5:45 PM vs Leaside Ontario at ESL, Rink-1   W 3-0

The trip to Rochester, New York may have been over five hours, but the Little Flyers girls knew that there was going to be a test of their abilities awaiting them in western New York. Teams like the Syracuse Stars, Buffalo Bison, North American Hockey Academy and the Rochester Edge were all there. Many of which had been to previous National Championships. So the girls knew that this weekend would be a barometer of their progress to date.

Game one featured the a team from a community in Canada by the name of Leaside, Ontario. But rather than being taken aback by the Canadian squad, the Flyers pressed early and struck first off the stick of Megan Mosenson. It was Jeannie O'Neill who created the opportunity as she stole the breakout pass and fed it to Megan who buried it. The second goal of the game was during a delayed penalty for Leaside. Christie Houser rushed to the bench as Gina Kearns deftly cut across the goal line. She shot, and the goaltender made the stop, but couldn't control the rebound. Gina reacted quickly and lifted it high for a 2 - 0 lead.

It was nice to have Kaitlin Hein back with the team, and she contributed to the solid defensive squad including Emily Johnston, Jess Bryan, Rachel Houser, Trish Silvestri, Laura White, and Alyssa Gable. All seven defenseman played well in this contest, as they steered the Ontario shooters to angles which left them little to shoot at. The defense has really jelled early on in this season. However, it should be noted that Christie made a great glove save off a wide open slot shot late in the period to hold the opposition off the scoreboard.

In the second period Christie stayed low, controlling rebounds and steering the puck out of harms way, into the corners. Several minutes into this stanza Kirsty Schoeninger had a nice shot on the breakaway, but it was muffled by the netminder. Another highlight was Rachel Houser covering a 2 on 1 with three minutes to go. Even though both players tried to stretch her wide, Rachel impressively covered both.

The last 12 minutes were exciting as Gina made a great play on a 5 on 3 against the Little Flyers, but was denied on the shot. Then Gina had a stellar faceoff, drawing it right to Laura White, who we all know has an impressive shot. Laura released it quickly, but it sailed just wide of the net. The final goal was Megan Mosenson's, as she drew the puck through the other center's legs, then broke through the slot for the shot, and the score.

It was a shutout for Christie and the defense, and the Little Flyers had gained valuable points toward advancing on Sunday.
 

Sat., 11/8 at 9:45 AM vs Rochester EDGE at ESL, Rink-2   W 5-0

On Saturday morning the Little Flyers met the Rochester Edge. This was the same club who had performed quite well against the Phantoms last year. Was the result going to be different today? Yes it was!

Kirsty Schoeninger and Gina Kearns played well together over the last few weeks, and showed their chemistry early on. At 11:19 they broke in 2 on 1, achieving separation, but the shot was smothered. Later that period Gina blasted a shot which the Edge goalie could not control, and it bounced out to Jeannie O'Neill who was in the perfect place at the perfect time and drilled the backhand into the net.

Next it was Lulu Herzog on a breakaway with Megan Mosenson. Megan launched the shot, and the rebound was captured by Lulu who was trailing the play perfectly. The shot sailed high glove side, nothing but net and the Little Flyers were up by a pair.

Goal three was Megan’s as she broke in, determined, and sent the puck through the five hole, unassisted. Next it was Gina Kearns who won the faceoff battle, and beat the Edge goalie just inside the post with 37 seconds in the period. 

In the second, Trish Silvestri found Megan cycling at center ice and threaded a pass right on Megan’s stick. Nice pass, nice goal to put the Flyers up by five. Also of note was Kirsty Schoeninger’s play in the offensive and defensive zone. She may be small, but the determination was surely witnessed in this contest. She must have hit at least two posts and one crossbar, but even though she wasn’t on the scoresheet, her presence was felt.

Once again, the defense played a terrific game. And let’s not forget Christie’s contribution. Especially in the third period where she had to make a textbook save to preserve the shutout. Two games into the tournament- eight goals for, zero against.
 

Sat., 11/8 at 3:45 PM vs Chatham Outlaws Int AA at ESL, Rink-1   L 1-3

Before game three on Saturday parents, coaches, and players crowded the area where the points were posted. Game three featured the Chatham Outlaws, and most Little Flyers members knew that a single point would land them in the semifinals.

Perhaps it was the fatigue from the 9:45 game, or the standings, but the orange and black squad seemed to spin its wheels from the drop of the first puck. It took until the second period for captain Gina Kearns to light the lamp as she walked in and scored at the end of a power play. It salvaged a point for the team, who won the period. But it was not enough of a rallying cry as the Outlaws punched in three goals and won the game.

But before you can even think about questioning the goaltending, just remember the Herculean effort turned in by Christie Houser. This battling force between our pipes had an outstanding game, particularly on an Outlaw 2 on 0 breakaway. Not only was the save made, but the rebound was smothered as well. The last Flyer moment came with two minutes remaining as Gina attempted to close the gap on a breakaway, but was stoned on her effort. the result was a 3 - 0 loss, but the question was whether the team would learn from the loss and climb back in the driver’s seat the next game.
 

Sun., 11/9 at 11:00 AM vs Syracuse Stars 16U at ESL, Rink-2   L 2-3

Semi-finals, #1 Fire vs #1 Ice, 3 periods + 3 on 3 + Shootout

On Sunday morning the air was crisp at the Monroe Community College rink and the Flyers players were rested. The opponent was the Syracuse Stars, a team which is very familiar with high level competition, having been to Nationals several times in the recent past. It was to become a memorable semifinal game.

The Stars struck first, but were neutralized by a hustling Megan Mosenson. It was a bizarre goal. Megan broke in on a Flyer line change, alone. She fired the puck, which traveled up the goalie’s arm and over her shoulder to tie the score. The Stars came back with a goal of their own, and led by one after the first.

In the second, Christie Houser made a miraculous save on a 3 on 1 after a neutral zone turnover. Christie showed that she is up to any challenge and kept the team in the game over and over again. Another fine play was made by Christie at the 2:53 mark as she made the stop on a breakaway, then steered the puck harmlessly into the corner.

Still in the second period Rachel Houser unleashed her wrist shot from the point. Megan drove it home, with Jeannie screening the goaltender. Also, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention a great play made by Trish Silvestri. she made a diving poke check from the Stars offensive player to deny them a shot on goal. End of two periods- tied.

The crowd held their collective breaths as the third began. Gina Kearns led the way off the penalty kill and attempted to shovel the puck in stick side, denied. Then came Kirsty Schoeninger with less than two minutes in the game. She dished off to Jeannie O’Neill, just sent the puck just wide of the net. Plenty of offense, but no goals.

So, it came down to overtime 3 on 3. The Stars looked tired, and seemed to back off their forecheck. Gina and Kaitlin Donovan had a nice 2 on 1, and Marykate Letts almost scored on a breakaway- but the score remained at 2 apiece. the Flyers seemed to pull every trick out of their bag, but no goals were scored.

Then it was time to end it with a shootout. Christie Houser started with a fine save. the tension grew as Jeannie O’Neill attempted some of her magic, but was denied low glove side. The Stars player then scored on her shot, and Megan Mosenson was left to keep the Flyers’ hopes alive. Unfortunately the goalie made the glove side, and the Stars advanced to the final.

Was the Little Flyer character challenged? You bet. Did they cave into the pressure? Absolutely not. Coaches Campagnolio, Cosgrove, and Hein had to be impressed with the character of the team. They have heart, and they have desire. Every girl showed how they belong at this level of competition. 
 

Fri., 11/28 at 2:00 PM vs N. Berkshire Black Bears 16U at Tabor Academy, MA   W 9-0 

The turkey was digested, the last crumbs of pumpkin pie were consumed, and the Little Flyers headed north to Cape Cod for the Cranberry Classic.

From the opening warm-up, the Flyers appeared ready to take on their first opponent- the North Bershire Black Bears.  

The Bears skated with only 10 players plus a goaltender and they didn't seem prepared to match the intensity of the Flyers on the very first shift. Just 40 seconds in Kirsty Schoeninger poked it home after a battle in front. Two Flyers were on their knees, but the puck was in the net. Goal number two belonged to Gina Kearns as she pulled one of her trademark moves out of the corner, danced in front and shot with Tiffany Baker screening. Next up was Megan Mosenson, who seemed to be fueled by her holiday dinner. Megan flew down the left board, beat the defenseman outside, swooped in on the net and deposited the puck between the goalie's skates.

The goals continued to mount as Gina found Mary Wojcik in the slot for a one time wrist shot- high into the twine. Not letting up, the fifth goal featured a nice pass by Trish Silvestri from the point onto the blade of Tiffany Baker, who delivered the backhand past the netminder.

The Flyers offense continued to roll as Gina picked a corner- high stick side and hit nothing but net. Gina's vision of the ice impressed all of the onlookers at the Tabor Academy Rink. Coupled with the way she can dangle the puck on her stick- in traffic- she seems to be able to monopolize possession of the black disk almost at will.

The Flyers were then shorthanded, and Mary and Kirsty worked some magic. Mary controlled a loose puck, Kirsty darted into the high slot, received the pass from Mary and scored high stick side. The goal was officially credited to Mary- giving her a well-deserved hat trick.

Megan then displayed her turbocharged skates a second time as she jumped on a loose puck in her own defensive zone, maneuvered her way through neutral ice and into the clear as she crossed the opponent's blue line. The shot was another five hole goal and the Little Flyers were up by 8.

The final tally went to Gina as she dropped the puck through the other center's feet on a faceoff. Instantaneously she accelerated past the center, collected the puck, checked the goalie's position and shot high to the stick side for the ninth and final goal.

Kudos also to the defense who were holding the blue line and not allowing the Bears to penetrate the FLyers defensive zone. Also the D to D passes from Laura White, Trish Silvestri, and all of the girls on defense gained time and space for the offense to work their magic. Hats off to Alyssa Gable, Emily Johnston, Kate Hein, Rachel Hauser, Laura and Trish. And let us not forget a shutout for Boosh! This unit became more solid and seemed to gel more and more throughout this tournament.
 

Fri., 11/28 at 9:00 PM vs Bay State Sharks at Tabor Academy, MA   W 9-1 

A trip to the Cape Cod Food Court, adjacent to the Little Flyers motel, provided the team with an opportunity to get refueled and rehydrated. The squad was now ready to play game 2 of the tournament against a group of Sharks- the Bay State Sharks. The Flyers coaching staff had seen this team play earlier in the tournament and knew the Little Flyers needed to control the game from the beginning.

But it was the Sharks who surprised the Flyers with the opening goal. Four minutes later, the orange and black switched gears and began the surge. Trish Silvestri smoked a tracer from the point, but unfortunately it was disallowed due to a crease violation. The first Flyer goal on the scoreboard was courtesy of Laura White with a top of the circle shot after nice pressure by Kaitlin Donovan, Marikate Letts, and Tiffany Baker. Tiff got the assist and the score was tied.

Next it was Gina Kearns whose heads up play found Jeannie O'Neill in front. Jeannie pulled the puck to her backhand and tucked it in. At 11:40 Gina launched a wrist shot from deep in the offensive zone. The goalie had it all the way, but accidentally dropped it into the net.

The Little Flyers were on a roll as Gina swooped in on the right wing like a cheetah circling its prey. She stopped, let it rip, and Jeannie converted the rebound into another goal.

The fifth Flyer goal was an unusual one as Jeannie took the shot- looking to go high on the netminder. In the stands you could hear the puck carom off the goalie's mask like the bells of Saint Mary. The goalie, temporarily stunned, couldn't find the puck and Gina drove it home from three feet out.

The momentum continued as Megan won a faceoff, broke in all alone and deposited the puck between the goalie's feet. The Little Flyers were dominating on the faceoffs throughout the game- and Gina followed Megan's lead as she faked a draw to Kirsty, danced around, and scored top shelf.

Gina continued her torrid scoring pace as she banked her fifth goal off the goalie who got a piece of the puck. However, it creeped over her shoulder and fell behind the goal line. Perhaps the lucky number for the game was nine- as it was Gina's number and the total number of Flyer goals. Megan got the final marker after a nice forechecking effort resulting in a backhand goal. 

It was a game featuring solid contributions from the entire squad. In particular Jeannie O'Neill was a dominant force- creating turnovers on the forecheck as well as making the puck dance as opponents tried to catch this whirling dervish.

Next up in the tournament was the South Coast Sharks- a formidable team featuring many fine New England prep school players. The South Coast Sharks had just tied the defending national champions, Assabet Valley, the previous week and were looking to extend their undefeated record in the tournament. Also undefeated, the Little Flyers knew they would this game would test their cohesiveness and force their game to another level.
 

Sat., 11/29 at 12:50 PM vs South Coast Sharks at Tabor Academy, MA   T 4-4 

The winds buffeted the Cape Cod peninsula as the Little Flyers arrived at Tabor Academy for their third contest of the tournament. The opponent, the South Coast Sharks, was known as a hard forechecking team with a defense who played physically in front of their own net.

On the very first shift Gina Kearns, Kirsty Schoeninger and Jeannie O'Neill worked their magic. The puck dropped and this trio created solid pressure. First Gina, then Kirsty, then Jeannie shot, but in the end it was Gina who vacuumed up the rebound and sent it in the back of the net.

The Sharks then capitalized on a breakaway as Christie Houser stopped the initial shot, but the Sharks sent the rebound home to tie the score.

In the second period the Sharks seemed to gather momentum. At 8:51 Gina's hard backchecking saved a goal. At 1:47 Megan Mosenson attracted more attention than a magnet in a pile scrap iron. She was able to get the shot off, but it was Lulu Herzog who was standing in the slot- unattended. Lulu lofted the rebound to close the gap for the Little Flyers as the score was now 3 - 2.

The Flyers then received a power play. Gina streaked into the zone, dropped a pass to Jeannie who craftily hesitated and waited for a screen to develop. She fired at the precise instant that the goalie's vision was impeded. The goalie dropped to make the save, but Megan was peeling off her check and redirected the puck, converting it into a goal.

With the score 4 - 3 in favor of the Sharks, Coach Campagnolio sent out Megan, Jeannie, and Gina for one last offensive opportunity. Less than a minute to play, Megan chugged through the neutral zone, legs churning, drawing Shark defenders too her. The Sharks knew Megan had jets on her skates and that she was a dangerous breakaway player. But what the defenders didn't notice was Gina Kearns flying down through the tops of the circles- all alone. Megan, knowing she had sucked the defenders into covering her, launched a picture perfect pass to Gina who cannoned it into the back of the net- high glove side- as the Flyers bench erupted.

This was surely an exciting matchup- the best of the tournament so far. The tourney directors realized the advantage of continuing this pairing and announced that the final would be a best of three series between the Flyers and South Bay Sharks. Stay tuned for more action Saturday night.
 

Sat., 11/29 at 7:50 PM vs South Coast Sharks at Tabor Academy, MA   W 3-1 

Game four of the tournament drew quite a crowd. Parents and players gathered as the two top seeds in the top division squared off for Sharks-Flyers round 2. Would this game result in another heart stopping tie? Or would one of the teams dig a little deeper and find a way to win? And would the pasta from the Olive Garden give the Flyers just a little extra boost?

At 8:37 of the first stanza, Boosh (Christie Houser) stood tall between the pipes and snuffed a breakaway. Not only did she make the save, but collected the puck in her pads and smartly prevented any rebound attempts. Then twenty seconds later Boosh was tested again as a laser jettisoned high to her glove side. But Christie was up to the challenge as she uncoiled her catching glove and robbed the shooter of a goal.

It was 0 - 0 after one and the game turned into a chess match. Both teams knew each other at this point and respected each others abilities. But the Little Flyers had garnered more scoring chances in the first twelve minutes. Also of note was some fine penalty killing by Kate Hein who was playing aggressively, along with Gina Kearns and Tiffany Baker.

The dual shutout ended courtesy of Megan Mosenson and Mary Wojcik. Megan cut through the crease and took the blast, gathered the rebound by going hard to the slot. She shot again, and the puck appeared on Mary's stick, who deposited it upstairs. Later in the first, Megan came down the wing like a bowling ball into a set of pins, knocked the goalie flat, but never got the puck to cross the line.

At 2:58 of the second Boosh came through again as she used her catlike reflexes making another textbook glove save. Late in the first period strong defensive play by Laura White and the backchecking of Kirsty Schoeninger and Gina Kearns forced several Shark turnovers.

The chess match continued through the third period as each team surged. Then Gina was called for a penalty and the Flyers cranked out their penalty killing unit. They were able to perform their job effectively, but as Gina's time in the box expired, she jumped through the neutral zone and received the puck in full flight. Down she swooped toward the Shark goalie and outfoxed her by going high glove side.

This created some welcome breathing room for the orange and black, but there was no quitting on the part of the Sharks. At 1:08 of the third period they broke the shutout, and the entire population of the rink knew this was going down to the wire.

But before the Sharks could take advantage of their momentum, even with a pulled goalie, Gina found the back of the open net and the game was over. It was an exhilarating victory for the Flyers, and there were high fives and congratulatory handshakes throughout the bus on the way back to the motel.

One more game- one more test. Flyers versus Sharks on Sunday morning.
 

Sun., 11/30 at 10:20 AM vs South Coast Sharks at Tabor Academy, MA   W 3-2 

Late Saturday evening, weary but self-satisfied, the Little Flyers returned to their new good luck charm. It is called the "Domino Effect." The young ladies feasted on Domino Pizza in the hotel lobby until coaches Campagnolio, Cosgrove, and Hein chased them back to their rooms. The complex carbohydrates had been consumed, now the team had to prepare themselves for the championship game on Sunday.

As the Sharks arrived at the rink, they appeared disjointed and introspective. Maybe they were looking for inner energy or perhaps a catalyst to turn the momentum in their favor. The Little Flyers arrived quiet, and as they jogged you could see their focus. There is something to be said for their cohesiveness, their camaraderie.

When the puck left the referees fingers for the first faceoff, the intensity level mushroomed. Evidence of this was when Tiffany Baker was knocked to the ice. But this resilient young lady was not about to let one check take her out of the game. Like the entire team, she had her eyes on the goal of the team- to win the tournament and prove they belonged with the elite teams in the country.

As in previous games, the Sharks controlled the boards well, intercepting passes up the wall. But the Flyers equaled their efforts as Rachel Houser, Jess Bryan, and Laura White made solid decisions about pinching as they attempted to continue the offensive pressure.

Another first period highlight was Trish Silvestri who did a fine job breaking up a 1 on 1 at the six minute mark. Not only did Trish win the confrontation, she also grabbed the puck and sent it to the wall. There was no score at the end of the first. The sense was that this was going to be one heck of a contest.

The Sharks emerged in the second period with a solid first shift and scored at the 11:42 mark. At this point you had to wonder if the Little Flyers would drop back and let the Sharks gain the advantage or would they dig in the heels of their skates and seek a higher level of play.

Maybe it was Lady Luck or perhaps the residual Domino Effect, but the Flyers scored next. It was an interesting carom shot off the stick of Kaitlin Donovan. She was in the right faceoff circle when she fired the blast. Marikate Letts was creating mayhem in front. The puck dinged off the Shark defenseman's shin pad and appeared in the Shark's net and the score was tied.

Next it was Megan Mosenson, who was a dominant force throughout the game, emerging from behind the net. She sent a low glove shot netward, and through the barest of openings, the puck squirted through. It gave the Flyers the lead and provided an energy boost.

It should be noted that Boosh (Christie Hauser), played splendidly. Anyone watching the game could see her cool confidence, directing puck after puck to harmless areas of the ice and smothering scoring attempts like a wet blanket over simmering embers. Her strength between the pipes gave the team the confidence they needed to continue the attack, instead of laying back and waiting for the Sharks to come to them.

Breathing room was attained by Megan as she followed Gina's shot just after a penalty to Alyssa Gable had expired. (Poor Alyssa, she could barely skate to the box due to an injured ankle.) But just as in the previous game the Sharks were not willing to raise the white flag just yet. With 40.7 seconds left in the game they scored to cut the Flyer lead to one single solitary goal.

The Sharks pulled their goalie and the pressure intensified. All eyes darted from the clock to the ice until the scoreboard buzzer sounded and the game had ended.

The Little Flyers celebrated, exhausted but elated at their accomplishments. They had met a formidable opponent and left Buzzard's Bay with gold medals draped around their necks. The on-ice ceremony led by the new voice of the Flyers- Kirsty Schoeninger- was verification of their accomplishments. They had faced the best New England had to offer and won. There was a long ride on the bus ahead, perhaps more time to enjoy the images of the victories. Let's hope this glow continues for tournaments to come. Next up is the Erie Lady Lions and Gilmour Academy. Wonder if they have Dominos delivery and an Olive Gardens there... 

It was December 5th, and it was time to get back on the bus, grin and bear the snowy elements. The journey to Gilmour Academy, in Ohio, was steady, but longer than expected. The Little Flyers arrived late for the game- but the question was whether the host team would regret holding the ice for these upstarts from Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Gilmour brought 22 players to the ice surface, indicating that they had plenty of firepower. But it was Megan Mosenson, playing the alternating center role with Gina Kearns, who started the scoring as she sent a nice feed to Jeannie O'Neill who was chugging down the slot. Jeannie sent the puck high glove side to give the Flyers the lead.

Goal two was another for the orange and black as Kirsty Schoeninger delivered a quick pass to Jeannie for a shot, then a rebound, then another shot. It would be Jeannie's second of the game as she sent the puck into the twine- again high glove side.

The Flyers controlled the tempo as Gina broke free with Jeannie and Kirsty. Gina threaded a picture perfect pass to Jeannie for the shot. The netminder foiled the effort, but while moving backwards, Jeannie scored a highlight reel goal on the backhand to complete the hat trick. This was followed by Gina charging in from the blue line, beating the defenseman, and picking her spot high glove side.

A highlight in the second period featured Laura White on defense. She was facing a two on one as two Gilmour skaters attempted to force Laura to commit. But Laura didn't fall for it- staying between the two, smothering the attempt.

Trish Silvestri played a strong defensive game. On one play in the third period she maintained her distance from an oncoming Gilmour attacker. The she pounced on the puck as the Gilmour girl shifted to make her move to the net. Trish not only broke up the play, she intercepted the disk and led the rush back through neutral ice.

The final Flyer marker was off the stick of Tiffany Baker. Tiff shot from the top of the circles with a quick release wrist shot. It appeared that the Gilmour goalie was fooled by the quickness of the shot, and it wound up as one more goal on the scoreboard. the final was 5 - 0, and the Flyers retreated to the hotel for their late night pizza fest to prepare for the rematch on Saturday morning.
 

Sat., 12/6 at 8:00 AM vs Gilmour Academy at Gilmour Academy, Gates Mills, OH   W 4-2

Early Saturday morning the Little Flyers walked past the Tornado Evacuation Direction sign at Gilmour's rink- with their minds set on creating a whirlwind of their own. As the game got underway- the Gilmour goalie was standing on her head. She stopped Gina Kearns and Megan Mosenson on quick low shots in the first period.

It took 24 shots before Gina was able to cut to center from the goal line. She scampered into the slot and finally found some breathing room in that area between their defensemen and the girls who were covering our points. Would this goal- high to the stick side- open the the gates? Well, Tiffany Baker answered this question as she broke in 2 on 1 with Kirsty Schoeninger. Tiff scored through the 5 hole on a nice quick release wrist shot. Assists went to Gina and Kate Hein.

Next Kirsty used her quick passing technique to get the puck to Trish Silvestri. Trish punched it through to Gina who scored on a backhand from five feet out. At 4:59 Gina saw an open Marikate Letts. With a quick motion she dished it off, but Marikate was foiled by a quick whistle.

The fourth Flyer goal was due to Megan Mosenson's solid work in the slot. Using her strength she maintained her position and received a pass from Kirsty and Jeannie O'Neill. She made no mistake when ripping the wrist shot on the feed from behind the net and the Flyers were ahead by four.

Gilmour didn't back off, however, and scored on the power play. They followed this with a second goal at 8:59 to set the final score at 4 - 2. The Flyers swarming forecheck had caused Gilmour to give up turnovers and the Little Flyers converted many of these opportunities into goals. Next up was a short "Enchanted" ride to Erie to face the Lady Lions after a nice lunch at Max and Erma's.
 

Sat., 12/6 at 7:00 PM vs Erie Lady Lions at JMC Ice Arena, Erie, PA   W 5-3

The bus rolled up at the John M. Cochran Memorial Arena with a group of confident Little Flyers hockey players. (There was no Tornado Evacuation Direction sign to be found!) Their seemed to be an air of self-assurance in the air as the Flyers reported first onto the freshly resurfaced ice.

The orange and black tallied the first goal of the game as Kirsty Schoeninger shuffled a quick outlet pass to Jeannie O'Neill. Jeannie and Gina demonstrated some of their hard drive skating to outdistance the Erie defenders. Gina delivered the puck top shelf- glove side to put the Flyers on the board.  Then it was Trish Silvestri's turn to send Gina loose while the Flyers were shorthanded. She deked forehand to backhand. as Gina loves to do, and sent the Flyers ahead by two.

Erie retaliated with a goal of their own. Gina, determined to show the spirit of the Little Flyers, cut across in front of the Lady Lion net. She received a nice feed from Tiffany Baker who was set up behind the net. Gina waited, waited, and waited some more for the goalie to drop into her butterfly stance. As soon as she did, Gina uncorked one off the crossbar for the completion of a hat trick.

But the captain of the Erie squad was not about to let the Flyers out of the building without showing some spunk. She led a comeback for her team as Erie scored twice to tie the score at three apiece.

It was getting late in the third period and the game became more of a tight checking affair. Each team wanted to limit the opponent's scoring chances, waiting for the opportunity that would break the game open.

The spotlight flicked on for Megan Mosenson as the clock wound down. Megan danced past a defenseman using her typical overpowering strides and sent the puck into the back of the net with a nice low backhand shot.

The Flyers captured the momentum back as Kirsty sent the puck to Laura White. Laura saw Gina out of the corner of her eye and laid a pass just out of the reach of 2 Erie defenders. Gina scored to lead the Flyers to a 5 - 3 victory. Gina (#9) had four goals, Megan (#19) had one and Tiff (#91) had a key assist. Sounds like 9-9-9 would be a good lottery pick on this night.
 

Sun., 12/7 at 8:45 AM vs Erie Lady Lions at JMC Ice Arena, Erie, PA   W 6-1

It would be safe to say that the Little FLyers had not played their best game on Saturday night. (Perhaps it was the switch to Pizza Hut instead of the reliable Domino Effect at midnight!) So when the rematch against Erie began on Sunday morning, the orange and black squad had a statement that they needed to make.

On the first two shifts Gina Kearns and Megan Mosenson were given space at the tops of the faceoff circles. Both tried to capitalize on quick shots, but were denied. It should be noted that partway into this 2003-04 season, there is not a team that the Little Flyers have faced who has better puck handling skills than the girls from Aston. Hats off to Coach Campagnolio, Cosgrove, and Hein who have emphasized Russian puck handling maneuvers over and over in practice. It surely has given the Flyers a clear cut advantage in being able to yo-yo the puck through traffic.

Gina next pulled her favorite faceoff move as she dragged the puck through the other center's feet, darted around and drove to the net. She scored stick side on the Erie netminder who had played spectacularly in both games- making acrobatic saves and standing tall despite the number of shots that she faced.

But on this cold Sunday morning the game appeared to take on the appearance of a cat and mouse chase. The Flyers were the cats and the Lady Lions the mice. A short time later Megan rang one off the post after a nice move to split the two defenseman. Megan followed this by stretching to stay onsides and lifted a beautiful pass to Tiffany Baker. Tiff took it on her backhand and sent it over the goal line for a two goal Flyer lead after one period.

It seemed as if the Flyers confidence in maintaining puck possession grew as the game wore on. Gina demonstrated this on a shift late in the period. She sent the puck to Marikate Letts for the shot. But as it was blocked, Laura White magically appeared on the goalie's doorstep and sent the puck upstairs to increase the lead.

Special mention must be made about Trish Silvestri's work on the penalty kill. Not only was Trish terrific with shutting down the Erie opportunities, she seemed to be able to ice the puck at every critical juncture.  But as the Little Flyers took another penalty (they had four in the game), Erie countered at 6:35 with a power play goal. this cut the lead to two and the mood in the stands was best described as worry over the possibility or de ja vous. Could the Lady Lions come back to tie the Flyers again.

Give credit to Kirsty Schoeninger who covered a defensive position late in the period. As part of Coach Campagnolio's system, all forwards are required to be proficient as defenders, and all defenders must be capable of skating a wing. But on this given play, Kirsty leveled the forward to break up the scoring chance. It was particularly satisfying as Kirsty was at least four inches shorter and gave up more than a few pounds to this particular opponent.

In the third Gina took matters into her own hands as she picked a loose puck out of a rugby scrum. In a flash she drove to the net and scored low glove side with just under six minutes left.

Throughout the weekend, Gilmour and Erie discovered the Little Flyers ability to work down low. As a result, the backchecking forwards would sink further and further into their defensive zone for support.

To react to this late in the third period, Laura White was on the receiving end of a nice pass to the point. She blasted the shot netward, but it was wide. There stood Gina, however, who calmly lifted the puck over the fallen goaltender. Shortly after this Megan came barreling out of the bench, as Erie couldn't get a line change after an extended shift. She directed a hard shot on net which was kicked out by the nimble Erie goalie. But Megan anticipated this and sent the rebound through the five hole.

The 6 - 1 victory was hard fought. The Little Flyers outshot the home team 39 - 10, so credit had to be given to the Erie goalie. Boosh was also a steady force between the pipes as she rescued the team when the key saves had to be made. (Incidentally the shots on goal for the weekend were 176 - 54.) But as well as the two goalies had played, they were eclipsed by Gina's unbelievable scoring touch this weekend. In four games she tallied ten goals and four assists. That's quite a feat for some players in a given month- wouldn't you say?. Put a feather in the captain's cap for this performance. The Flyers wound their way home, along with Ralph (our driver), after four victories. Next up the rivalry between the Flyers and the Tiger Lilies hits the front burner. The Lilies have performed well this season, but surely their primary focus is on the Flyers.
 

As the Little Flyers entered Iceland on Saturday December 13th, they all knew what was at stake. The Flyers had been frequent opponents of the Tiger Lilies last year, and had proven they were formidable opponents. But in checking the standings for this year, comparing scores using common opponents, the entire population of the rink knew that this was a clash between two teams at the top of the AWHL.

In the first period, the Flyers made every attempt to get a piece of the puck as the swift Tiger Lily defensemen skated out of their zone. The contest became physical, as each team made their bid for taking control of the game. In addition, the Flyers points were pinching well. Every combination of Jess Bryan, Kate Hein, Rachel Houser, Trish Silvestri, Alyssa Gable, and Laura White made solid decisions about when to pursue the puck and when to stay back to support Christie Houser who was a tower of strength in the net.

Then out of the blue Trish Silvestri, during the second period, took a rifle shot from the point. Mary Wojcik pounced on the rebound and sent it high stick side to capture the lead. This was right after Megan had whistled a shot just wide.

That was all of the scoring for two periods. The shots on goal were virtually equal- 16 to 17 in favor of the Tiger Lilies. It was like two warships jockeying for position as the third stanza began. Then an opening was found as Rachel Hauser launched the puck netward from her point position. The goalie made the save, but Gina Kearns was parked in front, gathered the rebound and roofed it for a two goal margin.

The Tiger Lily defense started to throw quick passes out of their zone, and the Flyers read the tendency and began to steal them and turn these into offensive thrusts. With 11.6 seconds left, after being injured two shifts earlier, captain Gina Kearns had the puck on her stick. As Kirsty Schoeninger engaged the Tiger Lily defenseman- tying her up- Gina sent the puck into the back of the net and the game was over. Credit goes to Christie for the shutout, but certainly she would be the first to tell you that she had a lot of support front her defensemen. Next up is Sound Shore at the Ice Hutch.
 

Just a few days before Christmas and the Little Flyers U-19 team arrived at the Ice Hutch to face-off against the Sound Shore Warriors for a pair of games. This was a unique experience for the girls as they had never played back to back games. The situation called for playing at maximum potential but saving enough energy for both contests.

The Flyers jumped on top as Marikate Letts fed a nice pass to Tiffany Baker in the slot. The tally was a power play goal at 12:51 and put the Flyers in the lead. Then at 7:04, Kirsty Schoeninger jumped back on defense to cover for a pinching defenseman. She not only stopped the break, but stripped the Warrior player of the puck. It was a heads up play, as Coach Campagnolio encourages this kind of support in his offensive and defensive systems.

Next it was Gina Kearns sending the disc to Kirsty for the breakaway. Kirsty went forehand to backhand for the two goal lead. This was followed by a nice point play by Laura White. She accepted the puck and fired. The rebound went right to Gina in the slot. Gina calmly waited for the Warrior goalie to drop, then shot high for a 3 - 0 lead.

Just 40 seconds later Megan Mosenson gathered a loose puck off a scramble in front and sent it into the twine. The assists went to Laura and Tiffany. The Flyers weren't finished yet as Laura took another shot from the point. Megan got the rebound and shot again, but the save was made. But, Jeannie O'Neill finished the power play with a goal and the Flyers had a five goal lead. 

Goal number six of the offensive explosion was off the stick of Gina. The play began as Kirsty ran one off the post. Anticipating the bounce of the puck, Gina got the rebound again. She measured the goalie, shot high glove side and finished off the play. Tiff also assisted on the play.

But this was not all. Jess Bryan found Gina, who found Kirsty. Kirsty looked to shoot just inside the post, then banged it off the red pipe for goal number 7. Gina continued her six point game as she dangled the puck to an unsuspecting defenseman. Then she drew it back to her and was off on a breakaway for the backhand shot and score. This was followed by Laura with a nice rush in the midst of a Little Flyer line change. Laura followed her shot, hunting for the rebound and poked it home.

The ninth Flyer goal was a special one. It began as Gina fed Laura who was streaking toward "Heaven". She took the shot, but the rebound got away from the Sound Shore goalie and there was Alyssa Gable. Yes, Gable stuffed it home for her first goal of the season and the Flyers went to the locker room for the ice cut after outshooting Sound Shore 45 - 7. It was an impressive performance.
 

Sat., 12/20 at 4:30 PM vs Sound Shore at Ice Hutch, NY  W 7-2 

The rematch was a situation where Sound Shore was looking for a measure of revenge, especially since they had a few more players arrive for this game. The character of the Little Flyers would be tested. Could they continue their dominance?

Megan Mosenson set the mood early as she smoked a slapshot from the boards and scored at 13:47. Just over a minute later Kirsty Schoeninger lifted a pass to Gina Kearns. Gina then delivered it to Jeannie O'Neill for a backhand over the glove hand of the goalie for a two goal lead. Next it was Marikate Letts, YES I SAID MARIKATE!!, who finished off the play by Jeannie and Kaitlin Donovan. It was a nice rebound goal for Marikate, and hopefully the beginning of many more for this hard working winger.

Next it was Megan's turn. She cut into the slot area, but the goalie made the save. The puck squirted to Gina who was WIDE open. she hesitated on the shot to pick her spot and sent it into the back of the net.

Goal number five for the Flyers was thanks to Jeannie O'Neill. It was all hustle as she turned the defenseman, then dove to the net and went high stick side. Sweet goal! Megan, also showing sheer hustle, beat the Sound Shore defenseman and went streaking on a breakway. With her legs chugging and eating up large portions of the ice with each stride, she shot from a difficult angle but was rewarded with the goal. It was unassisted.

The Warriors then found some offensive momentum and scored twice to close the gap. But Gina wasn't going to allow Sound Shore to come storming back. She turned on the jets in her skates and took off wire-to-wire. Kirsty planted herself on the doorstep, got the puck and sent it high into the net to seal the victory. It turned out to be an offensive display and an answer to the test of the character with the 7 - 2 Flyer win. In the two games Gina had nine points, and Kirsty, Laura, Megan and Jeannie each had 5. Quite a performance. The Flyers returned home and continued their preparation for the Connecticut Polar Bears Tournament after Christmas. That would surely be the test for this up and coming team.
 

Connecticut Polar Bears Tournament ~ December 27 - 30 ~ 19U AA

Sat., 12/27 at 10:30 AM vs North Country Ice Storm, Potsdam, NY at Newington Blue   W 5-2

Two days after Christmas the Little Flyers made the trek north to the Connecticut Skating Center, also known as Newington. For some of the veterans on the team this was their fourth Polar Bears Tournament. And their particular pool looked very advantageous to the orange and black. Their first opponent was the North Country Ice Storm out of New York.

The Flyers almost grabbed the early lead as Megan Mosenson drove in on a breakaway after the Ice Storm defenseman accidentally tripped. But Megan’s shot was repelled and the Ice Storm countered with the first goal at 6:13.

About 45 seconds later Megan retaliated with a goal of her own, It was a fine wrist shot from the top of the right circle, right through the goalie’s skates. In the second period Gina Kearns scored for the Flyers at 10:46. She was on the power play, working the left side. Gina has a special kind of knack for shielding the puck so the defender can’t poke it loose. Then Gina turned and drove the puck home on the backhand.

The seesaw battle continued as the New Yorkers scored again. Then at 4:02 the Ice Storm skated to a 2 on 1 against Rachel Hauser. Rachel stayed between the two, as all solid defensemen do, then at just the right moment pounced and broke up the play- and got possession as well. What a play! The Flyers then gained some momentum as Mary Wojcik skated in alone for the shot. It was blocked, but Megan grabbed the rebound and shot high glove side. The Ice Storm netminder had it in her sights, however, and the score remained tied.

Period three was a defining moment in the order of events for this game. From the stands it appeared as if the Flyers switched gears and went on the offensive. At 11:49 Megan dished off to Gina who went high stick side as she roofed it. At 8:05 Kirsty Schoeninger broke free thanks to Jeannie O’Neill. Then at the last moment she passed to a wide open Gina Kearns for the goal.

The explosion continued at 6:33 with Megan dropping the puck to Mary. Mary cranked the slapshot from the top of the circle and scored to give the Flyers a three goal lead.

The storm felt the pressure and tried to recover. But the swarming Flyers defense, along with Christie Houser’s strong play in net, kept them off the scoreboard. The period and the game were won, but the physical Michigan Capitals lay in wait for game two.
 

Sun., 12/28 at 3:00 PM vs Michigan Capitals at Newington Blue   L 1-2

It was back to Newington for Game 2 the next day. The Little Flyers had seen the Michigan Capitals play the previous day- against a team from Quebec named Le Cheminot. That game had been a physical one, and in watching the girls knew the Michigan squad had a fierce forecheck and cut the boards off from easy outlet passes.

To begin the game, there were volleys from both squads. One in particular was an alert play by Kaitlin Donovan. She stole the puck at the blue line, went in on the breakaway and shot high glove side. Unfortunately she was denied with a nice save.

Gina Kearns had a similar steal in the second period on a 4 on 4 play. But she just couldn’t get all of it. At 3:51 the Flyers had a barrage of shots- first Gina, then Jess Bryan, then Kate Hein, but the Capitals goalie stood tall. Late in the period the Capitals scored and the Flyers had to dig themselves out of a hole.

At 7:38 of the third period there was a flicker of hope. On the power play Gina took the shot and followed it to the net. Not one to miss an opportunity for a rebound, Gina was bound and determined to stuff the puck over the line. Seconds later the referee pointed to the net to signal the goal and the Flyers were only a goal behind.

The Capitals had scouted the Flyers well and were giving Megan and Gina no room to demonstrate their stickhandling prowess. Time out was called at 1:15 by Coach Campagnolio to set up the pulling of the goalie. The puck was dropped, and shortly after Trish Silvestri had a nice deflection, but it was not enough to cross the goal line. It turned out to be a disappointing loss to a team that many felt the Flyers could have beaten.
 

Mon., 12/29 at 10:40 AM vs Le Cheminot, QC at Newington Blue   L 0-2

On Sunday, back at Newington, the Little FLyers seemed a bit more quiet. Perhaps introspective would be the best word to describe their demeanor. After the loss to Michigan the Flyers knew they were going to have to step up to defeat the team from Quebec named Le Cheminot.

While Le Cheminot scored first on a fluky goal, the Little Flyers were focused and looked to capitalize on any mistake made by the opponent. In particular Christie Houser, alias Boooooosh, was quite impressive. Every tracer fired by Le Cheminot's guns was harmlessly steered aside or gloved and held.

After one period the Flyers were down by a goal, but players like Kirsty Schoeninger were impressing the many scouts in the rink. Kirsty’s solid two way play assisted the defensemen in letting them jump up into the offense- particularly Jess Bryan with her ability to join the rush in just a few quick strides.

As the second period began the physical nature of the game seemed to escalate. At 11:03 Gina Kearns found an opening, but could only get off a single shot which was smothered. The Quebec team’s defense was superb at holding up the Flyer forwards who were determined to find a path to the goal. Also credit Le Cheminot’s forwards with intercepting the Flyer breakout passes.

At 9:04 Le Cheminot scored their second goal off a break on the right side by their biggest player- Sophie Lachapelle. Some observers question whether the puck even crossed the goal line. Nevertheless it was a two goal deficit to dig out of for the hungry Flyers.

With six minutes to go in the second period Kate Hein broke up a break by Le Cheminot using her speed to foil the opportunity. Later, while shorthanded, Laura White and Gina had nice shots on net.

In the third period, Boooosh saved the day at 11:06. She made a great lightning quick glove save while shorthanded to keep the game close. But even though the Flyers huffed and puffed, they couldn’t blow the house down. It was an impressive performance by the black and orange, but unfortunately not enough to lift them into the playoff picture.
 

Tue., 12/30 at 10:30 AM vs Colorado Selects at Wesleyan   W 4-0 
(This game was scheduled to be with the North Country Ice Storm)

On Monday morning the Little Flyers appeared at Wesleyan College for their consolation game. But what they did not realize was that the North Country Ice Storm had no intentions of facing the Flyers a second time, and had headed home. But credit the Colorado Selects for stepping into the picture. This team from out west had played four games in the last 30 hours, and even though they had just stepped off the ice after a 7 - 0 win over the Little Penguins, they were willing to accept the challenge to play the Little Flyers.

The Flyers got off onto a positive start as Tiffany Baker blocked a puck and sent it to Megan Mosenson. Megan took off, wristed the shot, and rang it off the post. Shortly after this Gina hustled down the right side, drawing the defender. Then she smartly floated a pass to Jeannie who buried the opportunity. Still in the first, on the power play, the Little Flyers worked on the 1-3-1. Megan received the feed from Jeannie O’Neill and sent it over the netminder’s shoulder for a two goal advantage.

In the second period Gina continued to rack up points as she cut in front of the defenseman on a breakaway, then roofed it to make the score 3 - 0. Special mention also goes to Christie Houser who made several key saves late in the period. Also hats off to Jeannie O’Neill and Kirsty Schoeninger who bottled up a Colorado power play and also managed to squeeze off several shots of their own. At 4:20 Kirsty threaded the pass to Laura for a great point shot, but was denied.

The final Flyers goal was the second of the game for winger Jeannie O’Neill. It was quite a shot, taken from her knees, after a scramble, giving Jeannie three points in this contest. At 2:36 Booosh again saves the day, and completes her shutout win. It was a fine way to end the tournament, especially knowing the Le Cheminot wound up going to the finals, eventually losing to the Polar Bears 1 - 0 in the championship game. Next up is the Tiger Lilies. 
 

Perhaps it was the 8:00 A.M. ice slot. Perhaps it was because the Flyers were off from practice for a week. Or perhaps the rivalry between the Little Flyers and Tiger Lilies had reached another level. Regardless, it was an exciting game for players and fans alike.

The Tiger Lilies found the first break at 11:25, and it took the best save Christie House had up her sleeve to stop the puck. The Tiger Lilies continued their quick transition offense, and seemed to step it up a peg after their performance in the 221 team Connecticut Polar Bears Tournament. Another first period highlight was Gina Kearns who ragged at least 30 seconds off a penalty kill all by herself, much to the dismay of the Tiger Lily forwards.

Megan Mosenson’s line of Megan, Tiffany Baker, and Mary Wojcik buzzed the net several times, and featured two nice point shots by Jess Bryan. But it was Gina who lit the scoreboard up first on the power play. She darted past the Tiger Lily defense and hit the glove side of the net for the goal. Then at even strength Megan dangled the puck on her stick, skated across the slot, held, held, held, then picked her spot- stick side- for a two goal lead.

In the second period Megan almost increased the lead to three as she had a nice break at 4:27, but was shut down by Chelsea Ward. To this point the Little Flyers had lead the shot parade 14 to 13, even though they had taken several penalties. After two periods the Flyers had been given six penalties to the Tiger Lilies two.

Most observers of the game thought the game had been locked up by the Little Flyers after Jeannie O’Neill fed Gina in the slot to send the Flyers up by three. But there is a lot of character in the Tiger Lilies, as they turned the heat up a notch. Looking to spring their forwards open, they scored at 8:47. Then before the impact of that goal had set in, they scored again at 7:09 to close within one single goal as their forwards found openings to drive past our defenseman.

It seemed as if the Little Flyers then started digging in to prove how much they wanted to win the game. The Flyer forecheck seemed a bit more diligent. The defense was a bit more wary about pinching and leaving their partners. As the clock wound down, the spectators looked to see when the Tiger Lilies were going to pull their goalie. Megan had a nice rush, as she dashed past the defensemen. But she was taken down, and the Tiger Lilies were called for the penalty. With ten seconds to go the Tiger Lily net was empty, and Boooosh was called on to make some crafty saves. But the bottom line was that the Little Flyers had prevailed to keep their unblemished league record in tact. And it is back to practice this week to get ready for the Troy Albany Ice Cats Tournament. 
 

6th Annual Ice Cats Invitational Tournament January 9, 10 & 11 Troy, NY

January 10th the Little Flyers braved the cold of the Adirondack Mountains to test their skills at the 6th Annual Troy Albany Ice Cats Tournament. Temperatures outside hovered around the zero degree mark. And it wasn't much warmer inside the Frear Ice Rink. Game one pitted the orange and black against the Hudson River Waves.

The River Waves, a women's team, grabbed the first opportunity of the contest in skating to a breakaway. But there stood Christie Houser (Boooosh) to shut the door and keep the Waves off the scoreboard. At 9:08 Laura White connected on a terrific play. As Gina Kearns lunged out of the corner, Laura broke from the opposite point skating in a diagonal line right to the net. No one but Gina spotted her, and Gina sent the disc onto Laura's tape and the Flyers had the lead. Also in the first period Tiffany Baker found the tiniest gap between the Waves goalie's pads and the post. Like a marksman, Tiff sent the puck into the twine and the Flyers were up by a pair.

Kirsty Schoeninger sent the Flyers ahead by one more after collecting a rebound off the stick of Laura White and Jeannie O'Neill. This was followed by Marikate Letts shifting left and then right and sending another puck past the Waves' goalie.

At 8:14 there was an extremely unusual play. As a matter of fact, it was a first for the Flyers on the 2003- 04 year. The Flyers had solid pressure in front of the net. The Waves were trying to organize a breakout, but the Flyers gained control and surged again and again. The puck landed in the crease and the Waves defenseman panicked and covered it with her hand. The result? Penalty shot!

Megan Mosenson was the beneficiary. Calmly she stepped to center ice. As the goalie set herself in the crease, Megan gathered the puck and built up speed. She dangled the puck back and forth. As she met the goalie, she shot high and hit nothing but net. Score!

In the third period Kirsty took out a defenseman behind the net as the Flyers continued their offensive pressure. This left Jeannie alone in front. She scored on her backhand to make it 6 - 0, with the assist going to Gina.

Megan also had a crafty play late in the third period. Using her long reach she drifted a puck to Mary Wojcik barreling down the center of the ice. Mary calmly accepted the feed and sent the puck rising over the goal line to make the final 7 - 0.

Hats off to Alyssa Gable, Emily Johnston, Trish Silvestri, Kate Hein, Rachel Hauser and Laura White for protecting Boooosh. It was a shutout for the defensive corps- allowing only 13 shots, compared to the Flyers 23. Next up in the tournament would be the Mohawk Valley Herricanes.
 

Sat., 1/10 at 3:40 PM vs Mohawk Valley at Frear Park   W 8-2

The rink seemed to warm up as the day went by- perhaps inching over the zero degree mark by at least one or two notches. This may be why the Little Flyers got off to a slow start in this matchup. It took until the 6:34 mark for Emily Johnston to fire a low shot from the point. The puck skittered by the goalie with the assist being awarded to Gina Kearns. The momentum shifted to the Flyers and seconds later Jeannie O¹Neill centered a pass to Gina, who was in the perfect position to score the second Flyer goal.

In the second stanza Megan Mosenson took over just after a Flyer power play ended. She flew over the blue line leaving the defenseman behind, darted to the net, shifted forehand to backhand and sent the puck through the goalie's skates. Great move, impressive goal!

The next Flyer goal was also scored just after a power play expired. Gina fed Alyssa Gable on the point. through many legs Alyssa guided her shot to the net and she was rewarded. Alyssa¹s goal, Gina got the assist, her 99th point on the season, a feat many girls hope to achieve in a career, let alone in four months.

But Gina's point total didn't get stuck at 99 for long. In the second period she turned on the jet power in her skates and beat the defenseman wide. She stared at the goalie as she continued goalward. With a simple fake she sent the puck past the goalie and reached the 100 point milestone. We all salute you, Gina, for a masterful season so far.

All teams, however, face ebbs and flows. The Herricanes scored with only 5.2 seconds left in the period, and the spectators wondered if they were going to surge and get themselves back into the game. Gina responded to this challenge by flying down the left wing, jumping in front of the backchecker, fought off the defender and scored to give the Flyers a 6 - 1 lead. Then at 8:24 Laura White loaded her musket and fired a nice shot off a break and the Flyers were up by six. Next Tiffany Baker ruled a scramble in front of the Mohawk Valley net after Alyssa Gable had another fine shot from the point. Goal!

The Herricanes didn't run out of steam, however, and put some pressure on the Flyers in their offensive zone. In fact they managed to tally eleven shots in the third period, which matched the Flyer output. But the orange and black garnered the win, their second of the tournament with the third game coming against the host Troy Albany Ice Cats at the Thomas and Helen Knickerbacker Recreational Facility and Ice Skating Arena.
 

Sun., 1/11 at 7:00 AM vs Albany Ice Cats at Knickerbacker Arena W 3 1

Overnight the temperature dropped to -9 degrees. The clock on the wall said 7:00 a.m. But it remained to be seen whether the Little Flyers would face the challenges of these conditions and rise above, or bow to the host team- the Troy Albany Ice Cats.

As the first faceoff faded into the memory of the crowd the Flyers began to take control. Shot one, shot two, shot three all belonged to the orange and black. Then at the 11:19 mark Lulu Herzog came out of the right corner with the puck nestled on her stick. She maintained possession as she shot from an odd angle. Luck was with the Flyers as it banked off the defenseman¹s skate and into the back of the net.

The Flyers had the predominant number of offensive opportunities, but between the pipes Christie Houser continued her efficient as well as effective play. At 1:15 Jeannie O'Neill broke free. Eyes on the goalie, an intense look on her face, she broke down the goalie's move as the goalie dropped into the butterfly position. Jeannie knew how to counter this and converted on a 'dead eye' shot to lift the team to a two goal lead.

But in the second stanza the Ice Cats fought back and scored early. Then at the 7:00 mark they changed netminders. But what seemed most effective for the Flyers was their ability to break out of their defensive zone quickly, while maintaining possession. Time and again Laura White, Trish Silvestri, and Rachel Hauser threaded quick passes out of their end- leading the rush the other way.

In the third period the Little Flyers were awarded a rare two man advantage. They were able to muster several solid shots on net with sustained pressure. But the Ice Cats goalie stood the test.

As the period wound down at 1:05, Boooosh was called on to make a key stick save. It was a superb display of guts and determination, not only blocking the shot but also steering it into the corner. The Ice Cats pulled their goalie, but substituted a replacement too quickly. They were called for it, and the clock seemed frozen on the ensuing faceoff.

With 19 seconds on the board the Ice Cats threw a 'Hail Mary' pass out of their defensive zone. The forward broke free and streaked toward Booosh. But Booosh met the shooter and snuffed the opportunity. It was a character save by a focused goalie- a display of her leadership role in this game. then with only nine seconds left on the clock Kaitlin Donovan sent the puck to Gina at center ice who netted the open net goal and put the finishing touch on the 3 - 1 victory.

Shots on goal favored the Flyers 23 to 16. And the penalties were close, four for the Ice Cats three for the Flyers. So the championship game would be round two for these two teams. Chalk this victory up to Booosh. She and her teammates had met the challenge and wound up with the victory.
 

Sun., 1/11 at 12:40 PM Championship vs Albany Ice Cats at Knickerbacker Arena W 3 2

Just four hours later the championship game began at Knickerbacker Rink. You could see in the Flyers eyes the need to make up for the disappointing finish in the Polar Bears Tournament and the recent close victory over the Tiger Lilies. The Flyers 28 - 5 -2 records speaks for itself, but as the playoffs loom on the horizon they needed to win this tournament to climb higher in their mental and physical preparation.

The Little Flyers started strong as Gina Kearns broke 2 on 1 with Kirsty Schoeninger at 12:53. Kirsty got off the shot but was denied. Back and forth the action went. Tight checking was the order of the day. Then with 25 seconds left in the first period Megan Mosenson sent a shot netward. It trickled horizontally across the goal line, just inches from counting as a goal. But there was no trailer on the play to convert it into the game's first goal.

The Ice Cats scored first, and momentum shifted in their favor. Megan didn't let this tarnish her enthusiasm as she then darted through two defensemen deked forehand to backhand and slid the puck across the goal line to tie the game.

Each team played tentatively, not willing to sacrifice defense to take offensive risks. To start the third period Kirsty, Gina, and Jeannie O'Neill created some impressive chances. Defensively Laura White was making plays at her blue line to foil any Ice Cat attempts toward Booosh.

At each faceoff all eyes were on the clock. It seemed a predetermined guarantee that the next goal would crown the champion. With 4:23 remaining in the game Kirsty sent a nice pass to Jeannie who, like a runaway railroad engine, steamed down the slot. However the puck ended up on the netting next to the goal without crossing the line.

With thirty seconds left the Little Flyers drew a penalty for delay of game in front of their own net. But the Ice Cats couldn't capitalize on the advantage. Strong Flyer defense kept each opportunity away from the critical area in front of the net. There was nervous applause from both sets of parents as regulation time ended. The Ice Cats would start sudden death overtime with the advantage, but could they convert that into one more goal?

Booosh had another idea. At 4:01 Megan skated to a nice break at center ice, even getting the rebound of her own shot- no goal however. At 1:25 Booosh captures a puck in the breadbasket and stifles another offensive thrust. The crowd grew more and more quiet knowing one shot from either team would earn the championship. One minute left, 30 seconds, ten...nine...the buzzer sounds and it is time to end the tie. Shootout time- three skaters apiece.

Coach Campagnolio polled his coaches. Gina skated to center ice. She was followed by Kirsty, as the two linemates discussed strategy. By virtue of a coin flip Kirsty was the first to go. Nervously she circled at center ice, then powered ten strides toward the net. High in the slot she dropped her shoulder to go backhand, then using the Russian puckhandling skills learned at practice she whipped the puck back to her forehand as the goalie dropped to the ice. Meanwhile Kirsty lofted it over the goalie¹s shoulder- GOAL!

The Ice Cats then countered with a goal of their own, leaving the responsibility to Gina, the next shooter. Secretly, Gina and Kirsty consulted at the bench before the shot and Kirsty recounted her strategy. Gina stepped to center ice, knowing what she was going to attempt. Having the confidence of being the AWHL leading scorer, she powered to the goal, at the last minute faked the backhand, drew it to the forehand and sent the puck into the top corner of the net - GOAL!

Booosh was left to hold onto the advantage. The Ice Cat forward drove to Booosh¹s crease, but was instantly sent to a bad angle and the attempt was stifled. Okay 2-1 in favor of the Flyers with Megan on tap. Remember, it was Megan who had the lone Flyers goal during regulation. Smartly on her opportunity Megan thought about what Kirsty and Gina had done. She decided to go the other way, hoping the goalie would overcompensate. Megan gathered the puck at the center faceoff dot, strode to the goalie faked the forehand and went backhand. But the goalie threw out her leg and stopped the puck. 2 -1 still in favor of the Flyers.

The drama escalated. There stood Booosh- the lone Flyer on the ice. She had only the encouraging words of her teammates to lift her up for this next crucial play. If she makes the save, the Flyers win. If the girl scores, there will be a second shootout. The skater grabbed the puck at center ice, picking up speed. She drives for the net shot- Booosh would not be fooled! SMOTHERED!! Flyers win!!! Booosh is deservedly mobbed. It was a spellbinding game won by a team that showed a lot of heart. Congrats to the Flyers on their second tournament championship win this season. Next up is the Tiger Lilies next weekend.
 

Fresh off the tournament victory in Albany, the Little Flyers met the Princeton Tiger Lilies for a welcome home game on Sunday January 18th. The Flyers had beaten this squad just two weeks ago, but in all fairness it was a one goal game. So, the intensity of this contest heated up from the opening faceoff.

You knew this was going to be a rough game, as Gina Kearns was checked hard on the very first shift. The Tiger Lilies up tempo transition game caught the Little Flyers as they scored the first four goals. This seemed to handcuff the home team, as they pushed the rules to the limit and wound up in the penalty box on more than one occasion. Then Trish Silvestri led a rush while the Flyers were in the process of a line change. She deked around the defenseman and got the shot off, then Kaitlin Donovan drilled the rebound home.

In the second period, at 5:10, Gina Kearns drove past the Tiger Lily defenseman. This led to a flurry of shots, and who was there to capitalize on the rebound? None other than Kaitlin Donovan to make the score 4 - 2. Later in the period, a tip of the cap went to Marikate Letts who performed exceptionally in killing a 5 on 3 penalty.

Playing catch-up against a hungry team is always a difficult task. But leave it to Kaitlin Donovan to fight through a series of checks to score on the breakaway after a pass from Emily Johnston. Nice hat trick, Kaitlin- just when we needed goals the most. At 2:29 the Tiger Lilies scored again to go up 5 - 3. The Little Flyers rallied, however, and retaliated just ten seconds later as Mary Wojcik fired a great wrist shot from the circle. The assist went to...Kaitlin Donovan, who wound up with a four point game.

At 1:08 the Flyers pulled Booosh, but the Tiger Lilies were able to hold on. With seven penalties for the Flyers and only three for the Tiger Lilies- one could see that maintaining composure at all times was something the team needs to remember when faced with a fast paced game like this one. Look for the next match up between these two teams on February 7th to be a highlight of the season.
 

10th Annual Sarah Backstrom Girls Tournament January 30, 31, 2004 & February 1, 2004 Erie, PA

Fri., 1/30 at 10:30 PM vs Dundas Cyclones at JMC Ice Arena   W 8-0

Thanks to Ralph from Enchanted Tours, the seven hour bus ride to Erie was uneventful, despite the snow, and filled with bushy haired pictures of coaches and photos of Chubby Bunny! But the business at hand was a meeting with the Dundas Cyclones at the John M. Cochran Arena in game one of the Erie Lady Lion's Tournament.

After Kirsty Schoeninger led the pregame cheer, Gina Kearns, Jeannie O'Neill, and Kirsty set the early pace with 2 good scoring chances on the very first shift. At 10:43 the Little Flyers got a scare as Dundas inched the puck over the goal line, but the goal was disallowed. This was countered just two minutes later as Tiffany Baker unleashed a shot. The Cyclones goalie made the stop, but allowed the rebound to land on Mary Wojcik's stick. Mary made no mistake about it and scored to give the Flyers the lead.

Then at the end of a power play Gina scored with some help from Jeannie and Megan Mosenson to win the period for the orange and black. But special congratulations need to be extended to Christie Houser, as Booosh made a dandy stick save with just two seconds left in the period.

In the next period Kate Hein drove a blast from her point position and the rebound bounced right to Gina who buried it at 11:31. The action continued mostly in the Cyclones end, but at 6:18 Laura White single-handedly broke up a 2 on 1 by stepping in between two Dundas forwards. Another defensive nod goes to Jeannie, who late in the period flew back into defensive coverage to stop a breakaway. Nice play, Jeannie! Coach Hein was impressed, thinking perhaps Jeannie would like to become a blueliner some day.

Throughout the game the Flyers defense played confidently. Kate Hein and Jess Bryan used their point positions effectively, and pinched when the opportunity arose. It kept the Cyclones buried in their defensive zone and limited their breakout capabilities.

This was to be a strong period for the Flyers as Kate Donovan turned behind the goal and centered to Gina. Gina anticipated the pass and immediately sent it into the twine. Later in the period Trish Silvestri sent the puck to Mary who let it rip. Nice shot, nice save, but there was Tiffany Baker crashing down the slot. She converted the loose puck into another goal for the orange and black.

At 1:33 Jeannie held the puck, skating out from the boards, looking for Gina. Gina was doing her best tango with the defenseman and broke loose. She released at just the right moment and buried the puck in the net.

Late in this period Megan found a break and shot. The Dundas goalie, who was playing the initial shots quite well, blocked the shot but let the rebound lay in the slot. Marikate picked it up and sent it over the goal line. Then as the clock wound down to 0:00, Tiffany got her shot off the faceoff and Megan chipped it past the netminder to conclude the six goal period.

The third period did not feature as many goals, as Dundas struggled to get some "period points". they even pulled their goalie with less than 2 minutes to give them a man advantage. But unfortunately for them this was not successful as Kirsty Schoeninger scored into the open net to give the Little Flyers the shutout and 5 points for the game, the maximum. Quite a nice beginning after a long bus ride to this snowy city.
 

Sat., 1/31 at 10:30 AM vs 19U Niagara Coyotes at Igloo Ice Arena   W 6-1

Twelve hours later the Little Fly