A hockey 'celebration'
The Orlando Sirens will play host to a women's hockey event in Kissimmee.

By Shawn A. Akers | Special to the Sentinel
Posted June 11, 2004

The FWHL isn't exactly the NHL, but then it doesn't claim to be, either.

Comprised of teams throughout the state, the Florida Women's Hockey League, which just completed its inaugural season, is trying to forge its own identity and to develop interest in women's hockey here. This weekend's Women's Hockey Jamboree, to be held at the Ice Factory in Kissimmee, could be a step in the right direction.

Six teams, including the Orlando Sirens, will participate in the two-day event, which gets under way Saturday at 2 p.m. Six games will be played on Saturday, with three, including the championship game, slated for Sunday. There is no charge for admission.

The Jamboree is a "celebration" of the completion of the FWHL season.

" This is a pretty big deal for us," said Lorraine Schneider, an assistant captain for the Sirens. "I know we're really looking forward to it and so are the other teams that are coming. We had another jamboree back in January down in Naples, and that sparked a lot of interest. Hopefully we'll have a lot of people come out and watch us and see what women's hockey is all about."

Schneider said the sport of women's hockey has been growing "tremendously" ever since the sport was introduced into the Olympics.

" I think it really has taken off," Schneider said. "Hockey was always thought of as a man's sport, but more and more girls are developing the interest in it at a younger age and it's really starting to take hold. Girls are going to the rink with a friend and they see women playing hockey, and they really like what they see. It's a lot of fun and it's very competitive."

Schneider said the Sirens have a minimum age of 18 for their players, and that the oldest player on the team is 51.

Ice Factory General Manager Angelo Gallo, from Montreal, Canada, where hockey is king, agrees that the sport, in general, is beginning to take a foothold in Florida. One need look no further than the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning and the fan following it has gathered over the past couple of years to see evidence of that.

The Women's Hockey Jamboree, Gallo said, should be a catalyst to spark even further interest, especially in women's hockey.

" We're happy to be able to host this event, and we certainly want to encourage girls to go out for hockey," Gallo said. "We've got some programs here, and you can see bigger and bigger numbers coming out over the last year or so. The girls are certainly as capable as the boys. It's about time society gets into the 21st century and realizes that girls can play hockey, too. I think people when they come out to watch these games will really be surprised at the quality of hockey being played."

The FWHL season begins in September and runs through June. And instead of taking three months off during the summer, Schneider said the Sirens are among a few teams that have a summer scrimmage league to keep the players sharp.

In addition to the Sirens, participating teams are: the Gulf Coast Ms. Conduct of Brandon, the East Coast Express of Miami, the Jacksonville Breakers, the Daytona Rayz and the Lady Everblades of Estero.

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