Five players from the Connecticut Whale, the state’s professional women’s hockey team, will represent at the Premier Hockey Federation All Star Game at the end of January.
Of those five skaters, two played college hockey at Quinnipiac University. Goaltender Abbie Ives and forward Taylor Girard skated together in Hamden and now are back together on the ice in Simsbury, where the Whale plays its home games.
They’re two of three total former Bobcats on the team, the other is forward Melissa Samoskevich, who in addition to playing professional hockey, is also the director of player development and operations at her alma mater.
There’s plenty of friendly competition in the locker room among skaters from other strong college hockey programs, but well worth it for the chemistry on and off the ice.
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“Sometimes we bicker in the locker room about what team did better in the ECAC kind of thing,’ said forward Kennedy Marchment, another All Star. “But I think the chemistry that they bring off the ice is really important to us.”
Connecticut’s head coach, Colton Orr said he’s confident taking Quinnipiac players, knowing they come out of the program ready for the next level.
“Practice, game, even us, when we go on the ice just me and Abbie,” said Samoskevich. “We are competing, I think that makes us better and that also makes it fun.”
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The Whale plays its next home game on Friday, Jan. 27 at the ISCC in Simsbury.
The PHF All Star Game is set for Jan. 29 in Toronto.
