Zarg

Two other things I have heard around the rinks, but no confirmation of the current situation- Erie Otters girls, who have played in the 12U and 14U PAHL divisions were considering moving to independent status or joining a New York State based league depending on how the PAHL ruling on double rostering girls across age groups goes. Pittsburgh Vengeance are merging with the Steel City Ice Renegades and looking to form all some girls teams, no further details on tryouts that I can find on the Vengeance website.

A few updates- 1) The meeting is tonight, but according to the PAHL 'Pulse' email it seems like they are going to table any change in the rules regarding rostering girls teams for 2024-25 and revisit the supposed gender equality issue again next year after further discussion. 2) Here are some additional tryouts / open skates for Girls teams I have found- Westmoreland Eagles- 12U Girls (Birth Years 2015-2012) April 5- 7:10 pm - 8:40 pm 14U/19U Girls April 12- 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm 2024-2025 Tryouts (westmorelandhockeyassociation.com) Mid-State Mustangs- 16UAA Girls Tryout: March 25 and March 27 8-9PM, Galatic Ice, Altoona, PA Register at www.mid-statemustangs.com North Pittsburgh Wildcats- All Girls Teams April 27 & 28 Registration (wildcatshockey.net) Johnstown Warriors Girls Hockey- Grow the Game open skates- 3/27/24- 5:50PM, Try hockey for free, stay for pizza after- Cambria County War Memorial, Johnstown. 4/4/24- 7:20PM Open Skate- Cambria County War Memorial, Johnstown. Allegheny Badgers- Wednesday, March 20th from 7-8PM All Girls free skate & Girls Try hockey for free- Palmer Imaging Arena, Delmont. SHAHA- Girls Free Skate- 4/7/24- 3:00-3:50PM, Bethel Park Spencer YMCA, All 2010-2015 birth year girls are welcome Mon Valley Thunder- Free Girls Tryouts- Girls 14U- March 26 8-8:50PM / March 30 11-11:50AM Girls 16U/19U- March 26 8-8:50PM / March 30 11-11:50AM Pre-Registration is required, bondsports.co/activity/programs/FEMALE-adult-HOCKEY/3650 Morgantown Lady Blades- Girls Tryouts, 12U, 14U, and 19U March 17 6:15 March 21 6:15 www.morgantownhockey.com girls@morgantownhockey.com

We still do not have a firm answer on the pending PAHL rules on girls playing Pens Elite / PAHL co-ed and/or doubling on two separate aged all girls rosters, but some organizations are posting tryout days and times for the 2024-25 season so I figured we can start a thread of potential all girls teams looking for players. So far I have seen information out there for Steel City Selects, Arctic Foxes, Armstrong Arrows, and South Pittsburgh Rebellion, but please feel free to add more to this thread- Steel City Selects 2024-2025 Tryouts (steelcityselectshockey.com) 14U tryouts 4/9 thru 4/14 16U tryouts 4/10 thru 4/14 19U tryouts 4/10 thru 4/14 All Goalies: Sunday 4/14 They also run a 12U supplemental team, but information on that and tryouts will be later Arctic Foxes Schedule | Arctic Foxes Hockey All players will try out for a skills session for their age category, 4/6 for all goalies then rolling tryouts after that, then a girls selection tryout will be on 4/20 for the following teams- 10U (playing in PAHL coed division) 12U 14U 19U Armstrong Arrows Armstrong Arrows | Arrows PAHL 14U Girls Team 12U and 14U tryouts are March 18th (clinic) with tryouts on March 19th and 20th Armstrong Arrows | Arrows Nat. Bound 19U Girls 19U tier 2 national bound team tryouts April 10th thru 12th South Pittsburgh Rebellion Home - South Pittsburgh Rebellion (southpittsburghhockey.org) 12U Girls 4/3 an 4/4 14U Girls 4/20 and 4/21 16U and 19U Girls - tbd

If you want to drive young girls away from hockey, this is a great mentality. Just let them play coed and it will be an "equal" playing field for all. Right now you have 8 PAHL organizations fielding 20 girls only teams from 10U thru 19U (with a 19U division that includes a 16U team). I know a lot of those organizations have to double roster kids on both the 12U and 14U teams in order to fill out entire rosters, so you can have *barely* enough teams to keep the divisions running. The rule change wording even acknowledges "this will likely be a step backwards in a few places and therefore could cost us a small number of girls teams." The rule about double rostering for girls to play on two teams is somewhat unfortunate necessity. It is not like these girls are taking roster spots away from other girls on those teams, there are just not enough players to go around. I suspect another onus for these proposed rule changes is parents on birth year PAHL teams being upset about talented girls who play 10U and 12U Pens Elite girls while also playing on the AA coed teams for the PAHL. Sometimes they may have to pick and choose which team they play for on a tournament or for a certain weekend, and that gets the other parents upset. Every person is different, but most girls I've seen and known playing hockey seem to thrive on the competition playing with and against the boys at their age plus enjoy the comradery and sense of fitting in with their girls teams as well. Limiting their choices and number of teams that organizations are even able to field for them as options to satisfy some legal sense of obligation of gender equality really goes against the mission and objective of making hockey fun, fair, and accessible to as many young people who want to participate as possible. If any of you have any influence on the organizations or people in organizations voting on these proposed rules, if you care about the present and future of girls hockey in the region, I would strongly urge you to vote "no" on these changes.

The girls roster rule preventing girls from playing on 12U and 14U rosters for the same season is a potential huge problem. They even stated in the rational that: "It is acknowledged that this will likely be a “step backwards” in a few places and therefore could cost us a small number of girls teams. But the change is deemed necessary and could ultimately lead to long-term improvements." The PAHL Girls divisions are often only 4/5 teams per division, costing them a "small number of girls teams" may very well make it so they cannot even have a girls division at certain age groups!

Bear League?! Don't tell Bryzgalov about that one 🙃

Steel City Selects also still have spots available for their 12U Girls supplemental program- Details for our 12U program: Practice at least once a week focused on skill development. Generally on Thursdays at Shadyside Academy. Possible weekend practices at Alpha Ice and/or Baierl Ice Practices run September through February Approximately 15 games with a light travel schedule Players in this program are required to have a separate full time team. Open to birth years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Cost to be $1350. Includes jersey and socks. 2023-2024 LIMITED SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE 12U 2023-2024 Interest Link - Spots Available (steelcityselectshockey.com)

Arctic Foxes still have space for more girls on the 10U, 12U, and 14U team rosters. Reach out if interested or if you want to learn more! Email info@arcticfoxeshockey.org or coaching@arcticfoxeshockey.org to inquire.

Hope the Pens and their Fenway Sports overlords find a way to keep this rink up and running past this season. More rinks in the area are always a good thing for the growth of the game overall in the region.

Arctic Foxes have on their tryout page that they will be holding 2 supplemental sessions for their girls' teams next weekend, one for Girls 10U and 12U and the other for Girls 14U and 19U.