I was chosen to officiate at the 2008 USA Hockey Girls’ Nationals last week in West Chester, PA. This was a marathon tournament that ran from April 2 to 6 and covered four different age groups:
- 12 and Under
- 14 and Under
- 16 and Under
- 19 and Under
The tournament was structured so that 12 teams could participate in each age group, and they were divided into two six-team pools for round robin play on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The quarterfinals of each age group were Saturday morning. The semifinals were Saturday evening. The final game in each age group took place on Sunday.
Amazingly, a total of 15 overtime periods were needed in the four age group finals on Sunday. This included a remarkable 8 overtimes in the 12 and Under game where Assabet Valley, Massachusetts beat the Pittsburgh Aviators.
I was impressed with all of the teams I officiated in this tournament. I was selected to work the Girls’ and Women’s Nationals five years ago in 2003. I must say that it’s clear that the number of players and the overall skill level of each player has dramatically improved since then.
I got to work with a number of female officials from all over the country this past weekend, and they all did a great job. The Girls’ Nationals is really a showcase tournament for these women, and every one of them showed why they were selected by their local supervisors.