From the time she first stepped on the ice to play hockey with her year-older twin sisters, Alex Boal loved the game.
She was just six when her parents signed her and her sisters into the First Shift program, now sponsored by the NHL/NHL Players Association, which for $299 offers kids all their hockey gear and six introductory lessons to teach them some of the basics.
Alex and her sisters, Addison and Sydney, went on to play in the Prince George Minor Hockey Association initiation division and their enthusiasm continued to grow while they developed their skills.
All that changed for Alex in her second year of hockey when the family moved to Armstrong and she was placed on boys team that had one kid who made her life a nightmare. He was a bully who hit her in the head with his stick or took the feet out from under her when the coaches weren’t looking and her anxiety got the better of her.
Some of the other boys were also being mean to her and she looked for any excuse to miss games and practices. Finally, she had a tearful meltdown that revealed why she didn’t want to come to the rink. When her parents confronted her coaches and the minor hockey association to explain what was happening nothing was accomplished and their bullying accusations were dismissed. One of the coaches suggested, “Hockey’s not for everybody, maybe you should put her in figure skating.”
The Boals switched the following year to Vernon Minor Hockey and all three girls thrived, playing on female teams. Alex became a goaltender and they played two years in Vernon and anther two in Salmon Arm before they moved back to Prince George a year ago. After a year in the female house league, Alex, Sydney and Addison are now playing rep hockey together on the PGMHA U15 Capitals.
“It’s pretty cool to be on this team and with three siblings on a team you kind of know what each other’s thinking, so it’s easier to get open and get a pass,” said Addison, who plays forward with Sydney. “(Off the ice) we don’t get along, we just yell and argue pretty much all the time.”
The Capitals’ roster includes another set of twins, 13-year-olds Lily and Eve Naegeli. Including the Boals, five of the 13 players on the team come from just two families.
“None of the sisters have played rep hockey before, it is a commitment and I think they’re enjoying themselves and they fit in with the other girls, always smiling and laughing,” said Capitals head coach Jon Lafontaine. “Hockey is one thing but if they can grow into more confident adults, it’s nice to see that.”
There are about 150 female hockey players in the PGMHA, which also has U13 and U18 female traveling teams. Lafontaine would like to see the local rep team system continue to attract players to eventually play for the U18 triple-A Northern Capitals.
The opportunities are there for women in college hockey in Canada and the United States, plus now there’s an annual player draft for a female pro league with the six-team National Women’s Hockey League about to start its inaugural season Jan. 1.
There are only a few female goalies and last season Alex was an affiliated player with the U-13 Capitals. Having an in-house goalie to shoot at is a luxury Addison and Sydney take advantage of when they take shots at Alex in their shop or on the driveway.
“They’re shots aren’t very good, they just kind of throw it to the net,” said Alex.
Like most siblings, they have their disagreements, and when they are feuding with each other, Sydney is usually the peacemaker.
“We’re all equally mean to each other, it just depends on the situation,” said Sydney.
Added Alex: “Since we are on the same team we have to work together and be nice to each other on the ice.”
Like the Boal twins, the Naegelis are fraternal twins, but they are almost identical in appearance. They started playing hockey four years ago when their neighbour (Capitals defenceman Birkley Boyes) asked them to give it a try.
“It’s fun playing (with Lily), I like it,” said Eve. “More girls should try it. It’s fun being part of a hockey team, it’s fun traveling.”
The Capitals have been to three tournaments this year, including the 100-team Wickenheiser Female World Hockey Festival in Calgary two weeks ago, and they’ll host their own tournament in January. They play at the single-A level against teams from Fort St. John, Williams Lake and Northwest District (Vanderhoof to Prince Rupert).
