E-Edition
Sign up for email newsletters
Sign up for email newsletters
E-Edition
FRASER – The Michigan High School Girls Hockey League College Showcase returned to Big Boy Arena in Fraser this past Saturday for the first time since the pre-COVID era.
The event featured 12 games and 24 teams from across the lower peninsula, with programs coming from as far away as Traverse City.
“We had several before COVID, so this is the re-emergence of the event again and bringing it back,” league president Sue McDowell said. “It’s always a fun event.”
The showcase is one of the season’s bright spots for the league as it attempts to shine a light on girls hockey in Michigan and grow the sport towards becoming an MHSAA (Michigan High School Athletic Association) recognized sport.
Currently, the league has 21 full teams, two affiliate teams, and two JV teams.
“As we understand the requirements, we have to have 59 schools. We have more than that in terms of schools. But the way MHSAA works is, the athletic directors have to bring that proposal forward for the MHSAA to review. So we have to keep running the league, keep giving girls the opportunity to play high school hockey,” McDowell said. “The athletic directors for those schools need to get together and have a conversation. We’ve had some athletic directors begin to express interest in doing that on our behalf.”
The league is also trying to add as many teams as possible in an effort to grow the sport.
“It’s such an up and down process every year,” McDowell said. “It’s the entry program because you have to pull together over a wide geographic area to get enough girls to make a team, but then it’s hard to get the schools that don’t have more than one goal playing to dedicate the resources to build up a program. It’s a challenge.”
But it is a challenge that is being met. The league added a few teams and split into three full divisions this year after having only two divisions last year.
One issue as they try to build up the programs is just getting enough ice time since most high school teams, both boys and girls, must buy ice in a public rink.
“I think that’s the limiting factor is that ability to get ice is really hard,” McDowell. “But other than that, it’s still a rebuilding year for all of us. You think (that we’re) four, five years out from COVID, but it’s still a rebuilding year.”
Photos from the 2025 Michigan Girls Hockey High School Hockey League College Showcase
She added, “I think all of us across the league have realized that we can’t always rely on the youth hockey programs. We can’t always rely on girls who have played travel and now want to play high school. We have to start growing our own from that middle school age on up, and that’s a challenge.”
Even with all the challenges, McDowell remains optimistic about the league’s future. “It has been fun,” she said. “There is growth, which is nice, and it’s a fantastic product.”
Here's a look at the results from games at the MGHSHL College Showcase:
St. Mary’s came from behind after trailing 4-3 at the end of the first period. Sydney Schaer scored seven goals to lead St. Mary’s. Porsche Cariera added a four-point effort for the Eaglets. Madison Stevens had four points (one goal, three assists) for Livonia United.
Holdyn Fulkerson and Grace De Klerk scored for Mercy. Ellie Heben had both goals for Pioneer. Laine Templeton (Mercy) and Sophie Tursi (Pioneer) both turned in solid performances in goal.
Walled Lake jumped out to a 3-1 lead after the first period and held off Greater Flint United for the win. Mikayla Ratliff scored all four goals for Walled Lake. Sophia Secord and Isabella Jones found the net for Greater Flint United.
Mackenna Doyle, Teagan Pafford, Anna Salaghaia, and Sofie Warburton all scored twice for Troy United. Blen O’Brien had the lone goal for Pioneer JV.
Molly Greenberg scored two goals and Julianna Heung added one goal and two assists to lead Huron-Skyline. Brooke Skurda scored for St. Clair Shores.
Grosse Pointe North exploded for seven goals in the second period. Josie Cueter had a six-point night (four goals, two assists) to lead the way for Grosse Pointe North. Leah Burney added five points (one goal, four assists) and Leanna Phillips and Ava Villani each scored twice. Washtenaw United was led by two goals from Veonica Holmstrom. Luciana Sweeny and Caroline White each had one goal and one assist for United.
Sacred Heart United started fast, leading 4-0 after one period and cruised to an 8-4 win. Yana Higgins and Jordyn Farida each had hat tricks for Sacred Heart United. Isabella Jackowicz scored all four goals for Livingston United, running her season total to 36.
Goalies Rosie Smith (Grosse Pointe South) and Riley Scollard (Traverse City) stopped everything in sight as the teams skated to a scoreless draw.
Ella Barnhard scored twice for Regina-Lutheran North while Sophie Domke had four points (one goal, three assists). Carli Jakubiec notched a goal for Downriver United.
Margaret Lux had one goal and one assist for Mid-Michigan who came back to beat Liggett after Sophia Secco gave the Knights a first period lead.
Copyright © 2025 MediaNews Group
