Shoreline Sharks U14 Black Team Wins USA Hockey National Championship

The U14 Black (AA) Shoreline Sharks girl’s hockey team won the USA Hockey’s 2017 Tier II National Championship. Undefeated in State, Regional and now, National tournament play, the Sharks earned the title by beating the Wisconsin Black Cats 2 – 0 in a competitive game on April 10th at the Troy Sports Center in Troy, Michigan.

“It was a phenomenal tournament run, I am proud of what the girls accomplished,” said Head Coach Ed Rodham. “We played and beat teams from Alaska, Michigan, Colorado, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Wisconsin to win the championship title. The dedication of our players and their countless hours of practice paid off. We headed into the tournament undefeated in our last 20 games of the season, giving us the powerful momentum needed to win the USA Hockey National Championship.”

The Sharks became the 16th team from Connecticut to win a National girls title since the championship tournament started in 1978.

The overall season was strong for the Sharks with a 43-11-10 record and the constancy of a top 10 national ranking according to myhockey.com. The team competed in the Connecticut Hockey Conference (CHC), winning the state Championship in early March. They advanced to the USA Hockey Regional Tournament in Augusta, Maine in mid-March. The Sharks defeated the Casco Bay Mariners 3-1 in the finals.

“From the moment I saw these girls play together at tryouts last year, I knew there was a powerful combination of talent and chemistry,” commented Rodham. “We added 7 new players last fall who were immediately welcomed, making the transition to a new team seamless. The camaraderie with this group of players is the best I have seen in all of my years of coaching.”

With the National title under their belts, the players will continue to skate and train through the summer, further developing skills and game play for the 2017-2018 season. A large number of the girls move up to U16 next year which will provide the Sharks with strong teams at multiple age levels.

The Sharks organization looks to expand the program by adding national tournament bound teams at the U16 and U19 levels and select participation in the competitive New England Girls Hockey League (NEGHL).

Team Members
The Sharks' team consists of players from all over southern Connecticut including:

First row: Claire Gavin (Durham), Meagan Spring (North Haven), Carina Mancini (Middlefield), Jenna Guglielmi (Branford), Lauren Mullally (New Haven), Katie Porrello (Milford), Lucy Schumann (Stratford)

Back row: Coach Joe Buccheri (Cromwell), Daniella Buccheri (Cromwell), McAllister Dixon (Woodbridge), Sophia Rodham (Madison), Melissa Montesi (North Haven), Juliana Constantinople (East Haven), Taylor Nowak (West Haven), Cecile Tobin (North Haven), Megan Froehlich (West Haven), Kate Hagness (Guilford), Coach Ed Rodham (Madison), Abby Hart (Fairfield)

About the Shoreline Sharks

The Shoreline Sharks is the fastest growing and largest girls program in southern, CT offering developmental and competitive hockey programs for girls ages 3-19. The organization’s goal is to foster teamwork, skill building and a passion for the game in a fun, challenging environment. Heading into the 2017-2018 season, the Sharks organization is adding competitiveness through participation in the New England Girls Hockey League (NEGHL) in addition to the Connecticut Hockey Conference (CHC) and Connecticut Girls Hockey League (CGHL). With teams at all age brackets and a focus on development, the Sharks offer something for everyone. from the tier one player to the newcomer. For more information, visit shorelinesharkshockey.com.