Locals contributing nicely to USA women’s inline teams By Phillip Brents
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rizona has long been a source of talented female inline hockey players who have competed in such major events as NARCh, State Wars, Tour Pacific Cup, Amateur Athletic Union and other regional and state tournaments from the late 1990s onward. Arizona has also begun to make a significant contribution to women’s inline hockey at the international level. The seven Arizonans named to the U.S. senior women’s and U.S. junior women’s nationals teams competing at the 2018 International Roller Sports Federation (FIRS) inline hockey world championship tournament appears to be proof of that. Youngstown’s Allison Era, Tempe’s Katherine McGovern and Chandler’s Lyndsey Fry represented the defending gold medalist U.S. senior women’s team July 14-21 in Asiago, Italy. Yuma’s Isabella Clark, Scottsdale’s Lauren Power, Ahwatukee’s Macy Eide and Phoenix’s Tatum Proud will represent the U.S. junior women’s team in competition July 22-28 in Roana, Italy. Head coaches Dave Marmorstein (U.S. senior women) and Greg Era (U.S. junior women) both hail from Arizona to further enhance the Grand Canyon State theme. The younger Era is the group’s trailblazer. She became the youngest member to make the U.S. senior women’s team at age 15 in 2008; she was also to the first Arizonan to make the team. The 2018 tournament will mark her 11th consecutive year on Team USA. She has competed in Germany, Italy (four times), Czech Republic, Colombia, USA,
France, Argentina and China, where the United States not wait to get to Italy and show the world what USA defeated Spain to win last year’s tournament. girls roller hockey is all about.” Era is serving as this year’s U.S. team captain. The West Coast is well represented on the U.S. ju“We can’t take any country lightly,” she said before nior women’s team with four players from Arizona, three departing for Italy. “We are a talented team, but every- players from California, two players from Oregon and one needs to play up to their potential. Inline hockey is one player from Nevada. a team game and we will need to play as one to win.” “This year’s team has a good age mix for competA new generation appears waiting to take the play- ing and growing the team,” the elder Era said. “With a ing court. group of senior-age This is the third 19U players, a group year the world champiof 16U players and a onships have featured couple of really good a junior women’s diviskating 14U playsion. Chinese Taipei ers, we will compete defeated Italy to win against some of the last year’s title. best junior women Proud is very exteams in the world cited to be part of such as Spain, Italy this year’s Team USA and Chinese Taipei.” junior women’s team Clark and Proud that will be looking to (goaltender) are both claim its first medal in products of the Inline the division. Hockey Association “I am so excited Arizona’s contribution to this year’s U.S. junior women’s national inline hockey of Arizona (IHAAZ) to be goalie for Team team includes, from left, head coach Greg Era, Macy Eide, Izzy Clark, Tatum playing on 16U USA,” Proud ex- Proud, Lauren Power and assistant coach Lyndsey Fry. boys teams. Clark is plained. “This has been a dream of mine since I started representing the Yuma Blaze and Proud, the Arizona playing, and to be able to compete with my great friend Knighthawks. Izzy Clark from Yuma is simply amazing. Power and Eide are 1999 birth years and come “I have made a bunch of new friends and teammates from ice hockey programs. Power is a product of the and this group of girls are extremely awesome. I have long-standing AZ Lady Coyotes, while Eide won a state been lucky to have some fantastic coaches along the championship as a goaltender with Desert Vista High way. We have a lot of families and friends who are School in 2016-17 and has been named to Arizona cheering for us and it is truly an amazing feeling. I can- State University’s women’s ice hockey team.
Glendale’s Taylor making international saves on floor and 14-2 in the best-of-three semifinals. The Liberty was the only team the Outcasts were unable to defeat at this year’s Champions Cup tournament, dropping 3-2 and 6-3 decisions in the best-ofthree finals. “In both games (in the championship finals) we got down 2-0 early and struggled to regain momentum,”
championship tournament July 22-28 in Asiago, Italy. It will be Taylor’s first time representing his country lendale’s Clay Taylor is having a star-spangled in international competition, though he will not be the summer. first in his family to do so. That honor belongs to his The former Arizona State University goaltender father, Hank Taylor. led the Arizona Outcasts to a runner-up finish in the “Being selected for Team USA is definitely a surreal Elite Division at May’s American Inline Hockey League thing as my father won gold in 1995 and 1996 with (AIHL) national championship tournament in PhilaTeam USA at the IIHF Inline World Championships,” delphia. the younger Taylor said. “It has always been a dream For an encore, he’d like to help steer the United of mine to be able to compete on the international States senior men’s national team to a medal at the stage and represent my country. I definitely owe a 2018 International Roller Sports Federation (FIRS) lot to my teammates and the AIHL for giving me a inline hockey world championship tournament in Itplatform to showcase my abilities. aly. “I also definitely owe (AIHL commissioner) Jeff The AIHL national championship tournament Haze a huge debt as he was very bullish to the UStook place May 18-20. It was the third consecutive ARS (USA Roller Sports) selection committee that runner-up finish in the finals for the Arizona-based they consider what I have been able to accomplish team. in the league and that was ultimately the foot in the “We played relatively well but definitely not to our door that led to my selection.” potential, which was a little disappointing,” Taylor Taylor played five seasons with ASU in the Westexplained. “The two East Coast teams we played in ern Collegiate Roller Hockey League, posting a the tournament played a physical style of game with 41-23-7 record in 72 game appearances between a more aggressive forecheck than what we were Arizona Outcasts goaltender Clay Taylor (center) was among several 2008-13. Team USA players showcased at May’s American Inline Hockey League used to playing in the Western Conference.” Taylor said while he was definitely inspired to The Outcasts qualified for the national champi- national championship playoff tournament in Philadelphia. Photo/AIHL play hockey by his father, an Oakland native who onship tournament for the fifth consecutive year after Taylor explained. was among five alternates chosen for the 1980 U.S. emerging on top of April’s Pacific Southwest Division Several Outcasts did come home highly decorated. Olympic ice hockey team, the younger Taylor said playchampionship playoffs. Taylor earned honors as the Western Conference’s ing the goaltender position was not by design. The Outcasts finished 4-3 in Philadelphia – 2-1 in Most Valuable Player during the regular season while “I didn’t necessarily choose being a goalie; it sort pool play (with a 2-1 loss to the host Philadelphia Lib- Tommy Tuohy earned the conference’s Most Valu- of chose me,” he explained. “When I was eight, our erty), 2-0 in the semifinals (against the Pacific North Di- able Defenseman award during the regular season. travel team didn’t have any goalies trying out for the vision champion East Bay Jawz) and 0-2 in the champiWill Heinze received recognition as the Most team, so my father, who was the coach, put me at that onship round (against the Liberty). Valuable Defenseman at the AIHL Finals. position and it was just a natural fit that has stuck ever The Outcasts defeated the Jawz by scores of 9-2 Taylor will suit up for Team USA at the FIRS world since.”
By Phillip Brents
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