Navy’s nomination to the Sportsmanship Award is Midshipman First Class Katie Chambless.  Katie is a graduating 4-season senior who was introduced to ice skating and ice hockey as a Plebe (freshman.) She was one of the stalwart pioneers who figured out that Navy needed a women’s ice hockey team, and somebody had to do it!

Katie is a leader---which is good, since she will be doing it every day after graduation in our Naval Air Force.  She has been a quiet but forceful role model on the team. As a senior, a starter, but clearly not the best player, Katie uses gentleness and personal charisma to exude calmness and warrior intensity all at the same time! She is remarkably stable emotionally, and deals with adversity and disappointment with stoic resolve, and without typical girlish drama or tears.  She is composed, but resolved to right the wrong or do better next time.  She is one of those players who will die on the battlefield but with a smile on her face. 

I have been coaching females (high school and college) for 11 years, and rarely seen a gentle spirit who always smiles, laughs, and is in a constant good mood; yet is always ready for a battle in practice or a scrap on the boards!  She is my penalty killer because I know she will not give up the puck!  Yet she has almost no penalties herself---in 4 years!  She never uses foul language--- a rarity in today’s young adults.  She is polite and respectful when critiqued or coached.  She always says thank you.  She is one of those young adults that most parents look at, and say, “Why isn’t my kid that nice?”

Katie is the model of civility and sportsmanship.  She treats the game AS  BOTH A GAME and as a war, but knows the meaning of both.  She is one of those inspirational players you don’t want to graduate because the new players watch her and say, “Oh, this is how we do it!”  Katie is awesome and could make the training video on how to be a fiercely competitive sportsman.  She has never  let her emotions or her amazing refusal to lose get in the way of a remarkable self-control, and impressive personal values.  As such, she is the Naval Academy’s choice for the Sportsmanship Award.

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Regan's impact at AU has been immeasurable but her level of sportsmanship this season was above and beyond.  Though our team was always outgunned and our teammates often frustrating, Regan was a rock of calm leadership and good graces. 

She saved the team from disbanding (almost singlehandedly), fostered new players, organized essential events, represented the squad to the school, kept the locker room running positive and led the way on the ice -- in this season alone!

Beyond this leadership off-ice, Regan is always classy in games.  Because she was 1 of 2 defensemen this season, she volunteered to play nearly every shift without a break.  With all that ice and hard work on D, she never once got a penalty.

With her abilities, you'd never guess Regan learned the position as a freshman in college.She's competitve & very talented, her love of skating shining in every stride. 

Regan volunteered as President, doing all the thankless work without ever letting it get her down & still found time to help out the DVCHC.  She steps up for anything the team needs & does it with a smile.  In the hardest of times, she encourages us at practice & looks after players in the way a good leader and friend should.  She wants everyone to feel important and that good attitude is simply contagious.  We'll miss Regan when she graduates this year and are thankful for her setting the bar at AU for leadership and sportsmanship.

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Stephanie Johnson should have the sportmanship of the year because of her consistent dedication on and off the ice to the sport of hockey. Steph held herself to the highest standard of anyone on the team, and as assistant captain she led by example, playing with the extreme heart and dedication that she expected from her teammates. That included playing a clean game and not letting herself or her teammates lose focus or deviate from Terps hockey when it might have been more appealing to play unfairly. I have lost count of the number of times over the last four years that I have seen Steph take a hit, get up, and keep playing, with no eye for retaliation or any kind of grudge. As center, she led the team in backchecking and always made it a point to be faster than opponents, rather than resort to using her stick to disrupt the puck. In practices Stephanie pushed herself and her teammates to never settle and to constantly improve by doing that herself and letting people follow her example. Sportsmanship does not mean having no penalty minutes or not fighting, because sportmanship encompasses many aspects both on and off the ice. It's a way of playing hard while respecting your opponents and a way of demanding the most of the girls on your bench without criticizing them. I cannot think of anyone better suited for this award than Steph.

When one thinks of Jamie, there is never a negative thought.  She not only is a strong player for our team, but she also has a great attitude on and off the ice.  You never find Jamie saying anything negative.  She’s constantly providing the team with positive feedback trying to benefit everyone as a whole.  Even in the most stressful of games, Jamie never loses her head.  When you think of sportsmanship, you think of Jamie Moelis.

Hockey is a complex and demanding sport.  It doesn’t just build character; many times it exposes it.  With a short bench, UVa had a very challenging season this year.  Lesser teams would have folded under the pressure we endured.  Every one of our players deserves credit for dedication, but one comes to mind for sportsmanship.  Allie Griswold is a diplomat and an outstanding ambassador for our game.  She puts others first, cares deeply about our players, our game, and our role in the DVCHC family.  A great athlete is competitive, and Allie is a fierce competitor, but she is always balanced with poise, self-control, and concern for fairness. Griz never makes excuses about poor outcomes, never cites unfavorable conditions as an excuse, and recognizes when the opponent should be recognized as simply a better team.  It is with great confidence that I nominate Allie Griswold for 2013 DVCHC Sportsmanship Award.