Women’s Hockey Partner with NBYHL For Skills Clinic

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The MCLA Women's Ice Hockey team had an opportunity to give back to the community that has welcomed them so whole heartedly since the program began play last season. The student-athletes offered a clinic for the North Berkshire Youth Hockey "Learn to Play" group at the Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Memorial Rink.

The clinic which was organized by Erica and Aaron Girgenti, and Jason Canales with help from MCLA Women's Hockey Head Coach Julia Dessart and Assistant Coach Evelyn Fuls. 14 Trailblazers took part in the event that included the student athletes working on drills with about 30 beginner players and included skills like stick handling, skating, one-on-one drills as well as games of keep away.

Associate Athletic Director for Administration, Compliance, and Academics Dot Houston said lots of smiles on the children's faces!  Well worth the effort especially when a dad approaches me and says, "it is very meaningful for my daughter to see women playing ice hockey"!  and a mom says "My daughter was on the fence about ice hockey, but this has made all the difference today seeing the women giving the clinic".

Per the NBYHL website site, since 1969 Northern Berkshire Youth Hockey (NBYHL) has been a league that has promoted and developed the game of hockey among the youth of Northern Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and Southern Vermont.  Our league has travel teams (Black Bears) for boys and girls from age 6 through high school.  We also boast a learn to skate and learn to play program for ages 4-10.

The purpose of the league is to provide the best available instruction in order to teach the game of hockey, stress the importance of physical fitness, and provide the core values of USA Hockey: sportsmanship; respect for the individual; integrity; pursuit of excellence as an individual, team, and organization; enjoyment; loyalty; and teamwork.

A special thank you to the Trailblazers who helped with the event, including Alexandrea Bednar, Brigh Cote, Juliette Barney, Kaia Borski, Maggie Danchak, Milena Monell, Kiera Grom, Summer Bissaillion, Nicolette Bardsley, Katie Pica, Carlen Bertrand, Rebekah Ade, Kaitlyn O'Brien, and Rozene Sabeti-Seidel.

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