Egg Harbor Township Women’s Street Hockey League as competitive as ever

By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher Like any hockey-crazed mom, Beth Newman occasionally found herself critiquing the goalie play of her 10-year-old son after his ice hockey games. The tables have turned this spring, however, and now Newman’s son gets to break down her game — when it breaks down. Newman is one of many newcomers in the South Jersey Women’s Street Hockey League (also known as Egg Harbor Township Women’s Hockey), which began four years ago under the direction of Sara Henry, who has since given birth to twins and moved to Florida. Sarah Winkel and Maeghan Kurz picked up where Henry left off, and the league is more popular — and more competitive — than ever before. The league, which hosts four games each Wednesday night at the deck rinks off Ocean Heights Avenue from March until June, brings together women of all ages and athletic backgrounds, and while it’s played with sneakers instead of ice skates, games have all the intensity of an NHL matchup between the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers. Newcomers quickly learn that if they don’t bring the intensity every week, they run the risk of being embarrassed on the deck. “It has grown so much. I think we started the first year with maybe four teams and now we’re up to eight, and the competition has grown each year. Every year the girls have been more excited about it and wanting to get better, so the league in general has become more competitive,” said Maria-Elise Cassara, a member of the team called “Cluster Puck.” “I can’t wait until Wednesday. It feels like it takes forever to get to Wednesday. Of all the sports I’ve played — and I think a lot of the girls will agree with me — it’s the most intense in terms of running, and it’s challenged me the most. I’ve played basketball, but it’s just a different type of running.” The teams have catchy names, such as “Ms. Conducts” and “Dek Divas,” but once the lights come on the competition is as fierce as the men’s league, which has a winter and a summer league at the same location. “We have a group text, and each week girls will post pictures of the bruises they have. I’m not someone who bruises easily, but you definitely get a lot of bruises,” Cassara said. “I had been told when we were thinking about joining that some of the girls take the league pretty seriously,” Newman said. “It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be. But this is the most fun I’ve had since Girl Scout camp, so I’m having a really good time. The league seems pretty intense. I know there are some teams that have been playing together for a long time.” Linda Gisondi, a former star athlete at Egg Harbor Township High School, takes a shot during warmups prior to a recent game. “It’s a really fun sport and great exercise, and it’s a really good gathering. Everybody gets together after the games,” Cassara added. The games have become as much a social event as an athletic contest, with kids milling around the outside of the rink, and if they are old enough they even get to sit on the bench with mom — provided they wear a helmet, of course. “I was looking forward to meeting new friends and getting more out of my comfort zone, getting more into shape, and find some other outlet other than my crafting hobbies,” Newman said. “It’s nice to get out and meet new people. And I’ve recruited some of my friends, so now it’s something we have in common other than just our kids.” Spending Wednesday nights in front of the net with a mask, chest protector and shin guards on has given Newman newfound respect for her son, she said. “I get to be able to say I’ve been in his shoes, at least a little bit,” Newman said. “We try to tell him what he should and shouldn’t do, and he would come back at us and say, ‘well, I don’t see you playing goalie. You’ve never been a goalie.’ So now I feel like I can relate to him, and I can empathize with how much pressure there really is on this poor little kid. It’s been an eye-opener in a lot of ways. Being a goalie, all the eyes are on you.” Newman said she gives a lot of credit to Cassara, Kurz and Winkel for helping her team, “Dek Divas,” get enough players to field a team, as well as members of the men’s league, who assist by serving as coaches and referees. “The girls that run the league really helped us out. We only had seven girls and they found more girls to join our team, so they made it possible for us to play. They were really helpful with us pursuing our little hockey dream,” Newman said. “It’s more than what I thought it would be, and I’m having a really good time with it. We’re only a few games into my first season ever, and I’m already talking about next season.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays [adsense]