The Gilmour 16U girls hockey team won the Mid-American District title this past weekend by posting a 4-2 victory over Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 16U in a winner-take-all contest at OBM Arena in Strongsville, Ohio.
By winning the District title, Gilmour earns an automatic berth into next month's USA Hockey National Championships. Gilmour has previously sent its girls 16U team to the national tournament at the Tier II level, but this is the first time the team has qualified for the Tier I national tournament.
"The game was extremely special because many of the girls have been teammates for several years, growing up together as members of the Cleveland Lady Barons," Gilmour head coach Seanna Conway said. "None of them have ever been to nationals before. Last season, the Lady Barons lost to Pens Elite in a shootout at Districts, which was devastating. We have always been the underdogs and while we knew this game would be tight, the girls pulled off this incredible win by committing to our systems and style of play, never backing off of a fast and talented Pens team."
Alaina Giampietro '22 had a huge game to lead Gilmour offensively. She tallied a pair of goals, including the game-winner, while also adding an assist.
Emma Pickering '23, perhaps one of the most dynamic players in the game, scored Gilmour's opening goal. Taylor Stirling '22 also found the net while Cailin Schwarzer '22 added an assist in the game.
Alex Cistolo '23 was integral on the other end of the ice as her aggressive, yet disciplined, one-on-one defensive play helped shut down one of the Penguins' top forwards on several occasions.
Anna Lisac '24, Caroline Thomas '24 and Lyla Tsu '23 also performed brilliantly in the defensive zone, taking away several big Pens scoring chances by blocking shots. In a memorable moment late in the game, Thomas sacrificed her body, diving into a shot by one of the Pens' top defensemen, to help preserve the Gilmour lead. Allison Schuh '23 recorded the win in goal.
Gilmour will compete at the USA National Championships, which are taking place April 29 through May 3 in West Chester, Pa. The 16-team tournament has historically featured round-robin play contested within four-team groups with the top-performing teams then advancing to the quarterfinal round.
"We are really looking forward to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete for a national championship and will savor every moment, particularly during a season that was never guaranteed to happen," Conway said. "We are so grateful for the support from our hockey program and for the continued sacrifices the families on this team have made to get us where we are."
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