ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) – This week, Premier Ice Prospects is hosting a camp for girls hockey players around late elementary school to middle school age. Former Olympian Bri McLaughlin is one of the many coaches helping the young players learn on and off ice skills.

While they’re far from their potential as hockey players, they’re already learning tons of things to set them up for bright future

But having a league of their own hasn’t always been the case for girl’s hockey.

“When we were little it was like, we want to play in the NHL! We didn’t have that option, I barely even knew about playing college hockey,” said McLaughlin.

But now – even for the youngest skaters – they’ve got their own leagues, teams, and even a high profile camp taking place this week at the Tim Horton’s Iceplex.

“I just want to improve on everything. I want to get to a really high level,” said camper Kenzie Brown.

“You learn how to stick handle, you know how to shoot, and I feel really comfortable with the coaches,” said camper Savina Veltri.

Of course, it’s easy to feel comfortable when you learn from the best, like two-time Olympian Bri McLaughlin, who had as long of a pro career as any women’s hockey player out there.

“Maybe it’s a little bit different than what they’ve been taught and you see this UGH in their face, they’re a little bit frustrated and then they put it together a little bit more, and they put it together a little bit more, and we’re finishing every single practice with a smile on our face and feeling a little bit better about that skillset,” said McLaughlin.

Campers have a week to really get better and improve on the ice. But off the ice it matters too. These girls are here to make friends with each other and also just improve character traits that matter in life in general.

“You see them on their boys teams and they have such a different personality when they get here, and they’re with their friends, and they get to learn together,” said McLaughlin.

“People can learn from each other by being good teammates, being nice to each other and picking each other up. People learn from that and then it can grow on,” said Brown.

And unlike when Bri McLaughlin started playing, there is a clear avenue to playing college hockey, and even in the pros.

“It’s an honor, cuz I get to play it as a kid and I want to play it through college hockey,” said Veltri.

“It makes me excited that there’s more women’s hockey in the world. Back then there was only boys hockey and there wasn’t a PWHL like there is now,” said Brown.

Making it to the PWHL isn’t too big of a dream. We just saw 2 Rochester natives get drafted to the league on Tuesday, in Haley Winn and Kiara Zanon. It looks like there could be more to follow in the future.

EASTON, Mass. (June 25, 2025) – Junior Makayla Strickulis and sophomore Julieta D’Antonio of the Stonehill College field hockey team have been named to the 2025 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® At-Large Team, as announced by the organization.

The CSC Academic All-District® At-Large program recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined achievements in athletic competition and academic excellence. Honorees are selected across four divisions — NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA — with consideration for sports not sponsored by specific CSC Academic All-America® teams.

Strickulis earns Academic All-District® honors for the second consecutive year, following another standout season on the field and in the classroom. A finance major, she is tied for the second-highest cumulative GPA on the team with a 3.97. In addition to being named to both the NEC Commissioner’s and Academic Honor Rolls and inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society, she appeared in all 18 games for the Skyhawks, making 16 starts. She matched her career-high with four goals, while setting new personal bests in minutes played (806), shot attempts (34), and shots on goal (18).

D’Antonio also turned in a strong sophomore campaign while maintaining a 3.97 GPA as a chemistry major. A two-time selection to the NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, she recorded career-highs in goals (2), assists (2), points (6), shot attempts (22), and shots on goal (10).

Stonehill concluded its 2024 season with a 7-11 overall record, including a 4-4 mark in NEC play, finishing sixth in the conference and just one game shy of a postseason berth. The Skyhawks continued to build momentum in their third NCAA Division I season, improving by two overall wins and three NEC victories compared to their inaugural 2022 campaign.

About College Sports Communicators

College Sports Communicators (CSC) was founded in 1957 and is a 3,200+ member national association for strategic, creative, and digital communicators across intercollegiate athletics in the United States and Canada. The current name of the organization was adopted following a member-wide vote on Aug. 31, 2022.

From its founding in 1957 until the 2022 name change, the organization was known as College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The name change signaled a significant step in a broader strategic plan to highlight the association’s evolution and growth. The move better aligns with the association’s membership makeup and further positions the organization to support and advocate for its members who serve in the communications, digital, and creative sports industry, regardless of position or title.

The organization, which celebrated its 65th anniversary during the 2021-22 academic year, is the second-oldest management association in all intercollegiate athletics. College Sports Communicators became an affiliated partner with NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics) in December 2008.

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Bemidji State University Men’s Hockey associate head coach Travis Winter has been named a Video Coach for the U.S. National Junior Team for the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship announced by USA Hockey.
 
Winter will join Greg Brown (Boston College), Steve Miller (Minnesota), Garrett Raboin (Augustana), David Lassonde (USA Hockey) and Jacob LeRoy (Minnesota) on head coach Bob Motzko’s (Minnesota) coaching staff for the U.S.
 
The U.S. enters the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship having won goal in the previous two World Juniors. The tournament will be played in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minn., from Dec. 26, 2025 – Jan. 5, 2026.
 
Travis Winter, associate head coach of the Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey team, is serving on the staff of the U.S. National Junior Team for the first time.

The St. Cloud, Minnesota, native has been part of the Beavers coaching staff for the last 11 campaigns, including the first eight as assistant coach and the last three as associate head coach.

Previous to his time at BSU, he was the head coach and director of hockey operations for the Aberdeen Wings of the NAHL for one season (2013-14). Prior to that, he spent parts of four seasons (2009-10 to 2012-13) serving as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the USHL’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. 

Winter was also a volunteer coach for the Saint Johns University (Minn.) men’s ice hockey program in 2009 and served on the coaching staff of the USA Hockey Selection 15 National Camp in 2010.

 

As player, Winter was a four-year letterwinner (2005-09) for Bemidji State where as a senior he served as captain and helped the Beavers to the program’s first-ever Frozen Four appearance in 2009.

 

For more information on the Bemidji State men’s hockey program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X or Instagram or like them on Facebook.

 

Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men’s hockey in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and women’s hockey in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

 

–bsu—

Mark Stoops is motivated. He’s said it plenty of times since Kentucky concluded a disappointing 4-8 campaign. His motivation has become the cornerstone of Big Blue Nation’s internet offseason conversations. However, it’s impossible to quantify how motivated he is, but we do have one data point that can confirm that he is, in fact, very, very motivated.

Even though there is no true offseason in college football, the summer months are a great way to find some time away from the office and sneak in a round of golf or two. Thanks to some sleuths in the state of Alabama, we actually know how often the Kentucky head football coach is hitting the links.

An AuburnLive message board poster noted that Hugh Freeze has frequented golf courses around the state of Alabama this offseason. It motivated AL.com’s investigative journalists to examine how many times he has golfed this year by using the USGA’s GHIN database, a tool golfers use to track their scores and create a handicap.

The AuburnLive message board user was correct. Hugh Freeze has played more golf than any other SEC coach this offseason, logging ten rounds during the first 20 days crucial recruiting month of June. After losing a few important recruits, Freeze’s golf game is inflaming the criticism. Shane Beamer had the second-most recorded rounds of any SEC coach, with three in June.

While scouring through the GHIN database, AL.com found that Mark Stoops did not pick up the sticks once in the month of June. During the month of May, when the entire team was off-campus, he posted seven scores at Lexington Country Club, but five of those were 9-hole rounds. Stoops’ best score this year was an 89. His all-time recorded low was an 84 last July. He has a handicap of 16.8.

It’s abundantly clear that Mark Stoops is motivated to turn-around the Kentucky football, too motivated to spend time on the golf course.

See Mark Stoops’ Golf Swing

KSR has actually spent some time with Mark Stoops on the links. Each year, the football program hosts the Schlarman Strong Golf Scramble, with this year’s event held in April. Back in 2023, we followed along a few former Cats at Keene Trace. Even though he just underwent surgery, Stoops took out the sticks and hit a few balls. The Kentucky head coach takes a long, full swing, but he hit his driver straight down the fairway. Enjoy this rare footage now, because you aren’t going to be seeing it anytime soon.

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