Brookfield/Elm Grove Monthly

Freeman Brookfield & Elm Grove • Page 3B MARCH 2014 SPORTS 2 3 6 7 5 8 0 0 1 Awarded by the U.S. Department of Education with a National Blue Ribbon School Award 2013-14 LCMS Exemplary School 2010-2011, as awarded by National Lutheran School Accreditation Fully Accredited through National Lutheran School Accreditation Call for your personal tour anytime! 10025 W. North Avenue • Wauwatosa, WI 53226 414.258.4558 • www.orlctosa.org Focused on Preparing the Next Generation of Christian Leaders Strong Academics • Quality Classroom Environment • Special Learning Programs • Early Childhood Programming Outstanding Curriculum • Teachers Committed to Instructional Excellence • Managed Class Sizes • Full-Time Spanish Teacher • Technology Focused • P.E. 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Get Inspired This year's tour will feature: • New Homes • Condos • Lots • Developments The last weekend will feature remodeling & landscape projects. The MBA Spring Tour guide has all the details. Inside the April edition. Brookfield & Elm Grove T H I S M O N T H Weekends: March 29– April 13, 2014 By Pat Neumuth Freeman Staff WAUKESHA – Don't tell a female hockey player her game isn't physical – it might start a fight. Just because there isn't cross-checking in the girls game, that doesn't mean there is no contact. "Girls hockey, it's still full- contact – there's just no checking," Arrowhead/ Hamilton girls coach Andy Smith said. "There's physical play. There's just no open ice hits where sticks go flying up in the air and gloves go flying or the boards start rocking because they slam some- body." Smith said there are two types of people who watch hockey. He said a true fan thinks the lack of checking in girls hockey isn't a big deal because it opens the game up and is based more on techni- cal skill. "Then there are fans that only watch one or two games a year and only care about a big hit," Smith said. "They're kind of the same people that go to an Admirals game that chant for fights." With the limited options of girls youth hockey still in the state, girls often have to play with the boys in youth leagues. Arrowhead senior Jade Nielson played with the boys until the sixth grade, but in youth hockey there's not checking until bantam (under 15). Nielson said play- ing with the boys helped her with the speed of the game because it was faster. It was also more aggressive. "I'd say I had to cut down a little bit (of aggressiveness), but not too much," Nielson said of switching from boys to girls hockey. US Olympic team member and Dousman native Brianna Decker played with the boys until she got to high school. "Obviously there was checking in the boys leagues I played in until I reached ninth grade," Decker said. "I enjoyed it a lot. With women's hockey not having checking, there's a lot of skill and finesse in the game. "I can go either way. I like to be physical. Our games against Canada were physi- cal." Former Arrowhead girls coach Jinelle Siergiej (nee Zaugg) had a lot more experi- ence in boys hockey. The 2010 Olympic silver medalist played with the boys during the high school season for Northland Pines High School in Eagle River. Siergiej said she played boys high school hockey because the girls pro- gram at Northland Pines was a starter program and her skill level was just much higher than everyone else. However, Siergiej had adapted to the women's game prior to entering her fresh- man season at the University of Wisconsin. She played girls club hockey when she wasn't playing in the boys high school season. "One thing that girls hock- ey struggles with is there's a difference between body checking to me and playing the body," Siergiej said. "Sometimes with girls hock- ey, people think when hear- ing about it, and maybe they've never been to a game, is they think girls can't touch each other. When you watch the international hockey, there's a lot of physical play and a lot of calls that would be made back in high school and even college." Siergiej is now an assistant coach at Robert Morris Uni- versity in Pittsburgh. Siergiej said officials at each of the different levels call body checking differently, and she wishes there was more consistency. Smith said he doesn't have a problem with how his team has been officiated this sea- son. Arrowhead has not been called for a body checking penalty all season. "Some coaches don't coach any body contact," Smith said. "Some coach it correct- ly." There is a reason why girls are not allowed to cross- check. Siergiej said a woman's body just can't stand the amount of hitting that the guys endure. That's coming from a 6-foot-1 for- ward. Siergiej's 2010 Olympic teammate, Erika Lawler, was a 4-11 center. "If I would go up and hit her mid-ice, that's not really a fair match," Siergiej said. "There's a size difference in men's hockey as well, but the smaller players in men's hockey are normally built the strongest and prepared the most for them." Smith and Siergiej both agree a woman's bone struc- ture – especially the hips – couldn't take the constant hit- ting. "If they had that physical play, there would be more injuries for girls," Smith said. Siergiej said the higher the level of competition the more hitting there is because the women know how to do it properly. Brookfield Glacier coach Joe Anzivino said it wouldn't make sense to add checking to the international game because it's just too late to introduce. But Nielson is a hockey player. If it were up to her, she'd want to check. She doesn't like how she has to consciously think how hard she's hitting during a game. At 5-6, she considers herself an average size. "There's some girls that are tall with muscle on them, and they are scary," Nielson said. As for the fight between the U.S. and Canada on Dec. 21, Siergiej said those games are always heated. Women's hockey is gaining in popu- larity, and Siergiej recog- nizes fans like to see fights. Siergiej said the game prob- ably wouldn't have been news if the fight never hap- pened, which she said is a little sad. Nielson thought the fight was unexpected, but was not shocked by it. "It depends on the situa- tion," Nielson said on if she would engage in a fight. "Maybe. Well, probably not." Email: pneumuth@conleynet.com Many learn sport while playing with boys No checking doesn't mean no contact for female hockey players Aghjian finds right touch Robert F. Borkowski/Special to The Freeman Brookfield senior Cara Anzivino moves the puck past Arrowhead during an Eastern Shores Con- ference game this season. By Evan Frank Freeman Correspondent TOWN OF MERTON – Joe Anzivino was just hoping Alexis Aghjian could keep her shot down. The Brookfield co-op girls hockey coach wasn't sure exactly how his senior cap- tain adjusted, but whatever it was it worked. Aghjian scored two goals and nearly had a third to help Brookfield shutout Arrowhead/Hamilton 7-0 at the Mullett Center. "I don't know what it was," Anzivino said. "We had prac- tice a couple nights ago and she was shooting it over the net again. I said 'Alexis, you've got to hit it inside the net.' Today she found the net." Aghjian honed her shot in practice with an increased amount of time spent on pre- cision. "In practice, since we only have one goalie, on the other net, (Anzivino) tells us to shoot for the pipes," Aghjian said. "I think this year I've gotten a lot better at aiming where to shoot more toward the outside instead of right in the goalie's chest." With a 1-0 lead, Aghjian crashed Arrowhead/Hamil- ton's net 9 minutes, 25 sec- onds into the first period and scored off a loose puck. Aghjian, who attends Brookfield Central, kept Arrowhead/Hamilton at a distance in the second peri- od when her goal 9:05 into the second period to give Brookfield a 5-0 lead. Just 51 seconds into the second period, Aghjian fired a wrist shot from the right side of the ice. The puck collided with Brookfield senior forward Cara Anzivino and slipped past Arrowhead/Hamilton's goalie. Cara Anzivino was offi- cially awarded the goal, while Aghjian was credited with the assist. Brookfield kept Arrow- head/Hamilton's defense busy with 42 shots on goal. "We shoot a lot of pucks in practice," Cara Anzivino said. "I bet in practice we shoot over probably 200 pucks. We spend a lot of time shooting pucks."

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