HOLIDAY Team Parties are coming soon!!  Don't forget to be involved and make the Team Experience a positive one!  

Connecticut Polar Bear Tournament is 3 weeks away. Brrrr!!!   

The MLK Tournament in San Jose is 6 weeks away.  All teams should be enrolled and paid at this time.   

Pacific District Championships are coming soon:  February 23-26, 2012.  The 12aa, 14aa, 16aaa and 19aaa teams will be traveling up to the Great White North to compete and earn a birth to the National Championships, at the end of March.  

The Rinks are holding some Winter 3 on 3 and clinics for the week before the AAA trip to Connecticut.  Anyone who is interested should contact the rinks or go to Anaheimice.com   The 14uAAA team just came off a sound beating of the 16AAA Lady Leafs, 11-2. Woot!  

During Thanksgiving the 14uaaa, 16uaaa and 19aaa players teamed up as 2 mixed teams and both teams played off in the Final game.  It was a great opportunity to stay on the ice over the Thanksgiving holiday.

To all teams:  The January thru February Ice Slots will be available by next weekend.  We are waiting for them from the Rinks.

Lady Ducks had a strong Fall season with our younger teams showing individual skill improvement in the start of the season. National-Bound Teams at 12u, 14u, 16u and 19s are all working hard and showing their strengths in the SCAHA boys league, as well as at tournaments.  The Manon Rheaume Invitational in Detroit was AWESOME! Not only was the event well run but it also gave the AAA 14s, 16s and 19s great competition and well-needed games vs. elite girls' teams. I am very proud of the level of sportsmanship and skill that our teams showed that weekend.   

Winning vs. Development:  Parents sometimes feel frustrated when the girls teams don't win vs. the boys teams.  I want to take this time to remind you that we do not play in the scaha league to get wins.  Most teams win less than 5 games a season and for some its a challenge to earn 1 win or tie.  That is NOT the goal of playing in the travel league.  The girls and coaches gain valuable knowledge about speed of play, skills and decision making during these games that typically push the team to the limit.   

We could declare LOWER competitive levels for our teams and "win more" but there are a lot of factors that affect SCAHA and if we were going in and beating too many teams there would be a greater negative response from the boys/youth teams. It is a GREAT alternative for squirt/peewee and bantam girls to add the IN HOUSE league to your experience.  The Anaheim league is low key, you get lots of time on the puck, and can work on USING skills in a game situation which may be harder to do in a scaha game.  

We have used the In House -to- Travel League system for 10 years now, and it has been very supportive of the development of our players. We have several 96 and younger players who were able to gain confidence through these "slower" games from 8u, 10u and so on... and later apply those skills to girls elite hockey.  In fact, MOST of our 1996 girls will be college ready hockey players and have been very competitive in SCAHA, yet started in the house league at 8's and 10s.  

So, remember, when the score is a little high because the super star boy gets another double shift and buries one, remind yourself that we don't operate that way and our goals are long term for the benefit of the girls.  (those peewee B boys do NOT go on to play college hockey!  LD girls DO!).

Annie Pankowski (94) and Kaliya Johnson (94) were both named to the USA Women's 18u National team and are set to compete at the 18u World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic December 31, 2011 - January 7, 2012

The following senior Lady Ducks have signed college NCAA National Letters of Intent:  

Dylanne Crugnale -	Harvard
Celine Whitlinger -	Penn State
Micayla Catanzariti -	Penn State
Kaliya Johnson -	Boston College
Lauren Kilroy -	Mercyhurst
Allie Hughes -	University of Connecticut
Lexi Romanchuk (Sharks/Ducks) -	Providence
Annie Pankowski (Junior) -	committed to Univ. of Wisconsin, 2013

Additional Division I & III student athletes to be named later!

Congratulations to LD ALUMNI who each have already scored goals and multiple points in their freshman season!!

Player	School	G	A	P
Amanda Simpson	Neumann College	2	1	3
Alison Pankowski	Princeton Univ	1	6	7
Camille Corbin	Union	2	1	3
Jessica Hon	St. Lawrence U.	3	3	6

Krista Manzanares Holy Cross Goaltender: Started her season off 3-0 with a .961 save percentage!!  

Taylor Volpe is enjoying her sophomore year at Colgate and currently has 8 points on the season!  

Megan Myers is also a standout at Utica with 5 goals and 10 assists in her sophomore season!  

Sophomore defenseman Nicole Laurel-Silva also with 1 goal for Buffalo State.  

There are more LD's out there!!!  Please let us know if someone needs mentioning!!!