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ABOUT PUFFINS HOCKEY
The Pittsburgh Puffins are a
recreational women’s ice hockey team made up of women ages 20 to 61. We come
from all backgrounds and levels of hockey experience. Some women have played
since they were children, some just started this year. But the one thing we have
in common is that we all want to learn more about the game of hockey and have
fun. Our players come from all parts of Pittsburgh and beyond, as far away as
West Virginia. We are based in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. The Puffins practice on Wednesday nights at 9pm at
Ice Castle in Castle Shannon.
The Puffins are a founding
member of the Pennsylvania-Ohio Women’s Hockey Association (POWHA). We compete
in the league’s lower division against teams based in Cleveland, Columbus,
Dayton, and Cincinnati. Our season is structured around POWHA play running from
September through April, but we also play games against other women’s teams in
the area and travel to tournaments around the US and Canada. The Puffins have
hosted the Southpointe Women’s Classic, a summertime tournament held in
Canonsburg, PA.
As part of
our commitment to learning the game, we also have regular practices during the
season. Starting in September, the Puffins practice on Wednesday nights at 9pm at
Ice Castle in Castle Shannon.
Home games are played at the Mt. Lebanon Recreation Center. We have dedicated
coaches who work with us on both skills and game play. Many of us also
participate in local hockey and skating clinics as a supplement.
The Puffins are a USA
Hockey-registered team. All players and coaches must be USA Hockey members.
Puffin
History
The Puffins are entering their 10th
season together. Founded in 1998, the organization began as the Mothers of
Hockey program based at the Iceoplex at Southpointe in Canonsburg, PA. This was
a group of women, many of whom had hockey-playing children, who wanted to give
the sport a try and came out to skate together on weekday mornings. Eventually
the group formed a team, the Pittsburgh Puffins. When the Pennsylvania-Ohio
Women’s Hockey Association formed in 2002, the Puffins were a founding member
and have played in the league ever since.
When the Puffins began all those years ago, there
were very few opportunities for women to play hockey in the area. Now, however,
there are several women’s teams as well as developmental programs exclusively to
women. Did the Puffins play a role in this movement? We like to think so. Either
way, it’s a good time to be a hockey lady in Pittsburgh!
A letter from the founder of the Puffins:
"In 1998, the
Pittsburgh Puffins were formed by a dedicated group of 15 women-the majority
having never played ice hockey. We have since grown to over 30 women with
various levels of commitment. The Puffins' organization was founded on the
premise that all women of whatever age, physical ability or skill level could
benefit from all the attributes the sport of ice hockey has to offer. Women's
ice hockey is not a sport of violence and aggressiveness, but of finesse, skill
and team camaraderie. Our women have worked very hard on the skills required to
play the game-skating, passing, shooting, stick handling, and team strategy-
skills that we continue to work on at every practice and take very seriously.
The Puffins offer nothing but the best in skill development and instruction. The
joy and accomplishment that our women have experienced from their hard work,
always with the acceptance for each player's ability level and family
commitments, has been one of the Puffins' greatest strengths. We are an
organization for all women. So if you are interested in a hockey team that knows
that there is more to life than hockey, we are the team for you. Come and learn
the game-don't be afraid. Puffins are women just like you."
Puffins' Founder
Joanne DeFazio
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