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D2 New Player of the Year

#5 -- Caitlyn Jasberg, AU

Learning hockey for the 1st time is difficult enough.  Now imagine, while you're just getting the hang of things like stopping & passing, your new team looses its goalie.  So Caitlyn volunteered.  Though the scoreboard was lopsided behind her, she never gave up or grew frurstrated in net. She continued to strongly & quietly stop pucks for her team.  119 OF THEM!!!!!  Anyone who saw her play could not believe that she was just learning the position.  You should have seen their faces when we said 'she just leared to skate, too!'  When the season ended & Caitlyn could finally skate out for a scrimmage against the men's team, she was the only player to score on the guy's goalie.  Caitlyn may be new to hockey, but she can truly do it all.  Her love of hockey, devotion to improving & willingness to stand tall for her teammates makes her a great example of all a new star can achieve.

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#2 -- Jennifer Mannheim, PHOENIX

It is tough to write about Jen. She is such an amazing person that words truly fail. Jen has given the team much more than she has taken and has come from a person that literally couldn’t lift her skates to a dedicated player. Her growth is, to me, like watching my daughter. When she scored in the playoffs, you would have thought we won the Olympic Gold. The entire team mobbed her and jumped all over her. It was then that I realized that she touched everyone, not just me, with her personality, kindness, and generosity.
    Jen came to us very unsure about hockey. She did not want to play in games, and in fact asked me if she could skate during practice, and sit on the bench during games. Therefore, in her narration when she mentions stepping on the ice, for her it was a BIG step. For me, it was a realization that hockey could help her (or anyone) face fears, conquer them, and move on to the next thing.
    It has. Jen has become one of the team leaders. She is going to play in an Adult league and is taking every opportunity to play. She works hard, hockey does not come any more naturally to her than anyone else.
    I’ll end by stating we as coaches are never proud of penalties, in particular, in the final game against U Penn. However, Jen’s contact penalty (she checked someone) revealed to me that some of her fears had disappeared. She was able to stand up for herself and take on challenges. This was a true metaphor for what hockey has given her (and all of us) off the ice.  A new player is someone that is new to hockey, and Jen had no idea what hockey
was. Since none of us knew what the Phoenix could be, she took a chance. In her case, the Phoenix changed her life. But the change would not have happened if she didn’t work for it, open herself up to it, and apply the on ­ice lessons and victories to the off­ice. Yes, she is a better player, but in the end, what matters is she is a better person.
Jennifer writes: “I started playing hockey in October of 2013. I was originally taking figure skating lessons, and wanted to continue with that. When I came to Montclair, I used the ice rink everyday, and ended up meeting Joanna (one of the Phoenix players)! She kept pestering me to join the MSU hockey team until I finally agreed. 
Shortly after going to a few MSU practices, I realized that if I wanted to get better faster, it would be beneficial to join an actual team. Joanna introduced me to Lauren, and the rest of the Phoenix team. I remember the first time I met everyone on the team was at an away game in Pennsylvania. It’s a good thing I liked them because I was in a van with them for 6 hours each way. When I agreed to go on the road trip, I didn’t expect to be playing at all. Funny thing, Coach Keenan threw me in the second IUP game. It was only for two short shifts, but it gave me an idea of a real game situation.
After playing the rest of the season, I’ve become so much better from when I first stepped on the ice with hockey skates. Of course I’m still a beginner, but I know that I’ve come really far with the help and support of my teammates and coaches. I can’t wait to see where I am in the end!

 


#18 -- Kelly Monahan, SJU

Going from the style of skating figure skaters use to the style you need while playing hockey is not an easy thing to do, but Kelly picked it up and became a great defenseman.  She is very easy to teach and listens very well.  Defense is not an easy position to play, especially when we only had four defensemen, but every shift she got out there and gave it her all.  It is going to be a great next few years coaching you and I’m very excited for it! 


#25 -- Katelynn Mudgett, UPENN

First year player, who got convinced to play hockey by Elizabeth Hitti, who both played on the Varsity University of Pennsylvania Field Hockey team. The team calls her, Mudge. Mudge never played hockey, but was determined to figure out this sport if it killed her. Good news, it didn’t kill her, because she figured it out. Due to Field Hockey obligations, Mudge played in half the games this season, but she did score her very first goal against American University in Washington D.C. The team went crazy, and the grin on Mudge’s face was priceless. Mudge is very deserving of this award.


#20 -- Victoria Petrucha, ROWAN


#89 -- Emily Pittore, COLUMBIA

Lexington, Massachusetts native Emily Pittore started playing ice hockey just last semester, but within that short time she has already improved by leaps and bounds. Though she grew up figure skating, Emily was bitten by the hockey bug during the Boston Bruins’ Stanley Cup run and eventual victory in 2011. Emily has persevered despite the obvious and sometimes painful drawbacks of beginning the hockey-learning process later in life, and she was always a consistent and energetic presence at practices and games during her time with our club. As further proof of her perseverance, Emily frequently attended 6 AM hockey clinics in downtown Manhattan. A true fitness guru, Emily also participates in the November Project movement back in Boston, which is pretty badass, if you ask us.