The Garrow Accounting 14U Tier III girls hockey team started the season behind the 8-ball, so to speak, existing hours away from competition within their own age bracket. To make matters worse, they needed an infusion of players from the 10U squad along with a collaboration with other U.P. hockey programs, just to be able to field a roster as a few of the girls of age were actually playing for the 19U team, Harter Auto Supply.

“Our 14 U girls team, a cooperation between Iron Range Hockey Association, Calumet Hockey Association, and, obviously, the CCJHA, we’re only one of five teams in the state of Michigan,” said coach Brian Rantanen. “Just for the sake of keeping a team together, I think we started off with a 10 year old, but I think she turned 11. Eleven years old was the youngest that we had on the team. (We had) a couple of first-time hockey players.”

Rantanen’s own daughter was one of the newer faces to the sport, having been a figure skater. The team’s leading scorer, Ella Schneiderhan, has also been a figure skater in the Calumet Skating Club.

With a team made up of such disparate parts, Rantanen spent practice time throughout the season focused on developing fundamentals.

The Garrow Accounting 14U Tier III girls hockey team celebrates a win during the state tournament during the weekend of March 9-11 at the Patterson Ice Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Provided photo)

“I kept it basic, trying to just give them the fundamentals,” he said. “Practice was always for the local girls up in the Copper Country, which required me to drive an hour one way just to get on the ice with them for an hour. My basics, I was looking forward for them to learn, obviously, the skill gaps were pretty drastic with some of the girls, but I made sure that each and every one of them kind of knew where they stood, and what they needed to work on. I made sure that we always moved a certain way with the basics, making sure that we move the ice up, try to get weak side, or look for open space, tape-to-tape passes.”

Already being reflective, Rantanen laments that the season is already over, because he finally got to see the fruits of all the hard work the team had done in practice throughout the season.

“It’s kind of sad that the season is over and we have that down pat, because the next evolution of skills is actual plays, putting a play together from one end of the ice to the other,” he said. “It was very surprising that, watching the girls play in a game before states, where they would get this panic and dump-the-puck-type mentality. Whereas this weekend, I didn’t see that. It was always tape-to-tape, looking for the next play up the ice, and it was impressive to see.”

During the course of the season, despite having to play competition that was older, and stronger, than they were, Rantanen was amazed at how the team responded to situations that other teams might struggle with.

“It’s funny. I also head coach a 10U coed boys team here down in Baraga, and I’ve made it known that the attitudes of the girls were on a whole different level in the positive realm,” he said. “It’s like they never really got down. They were always happy to get out on the ice, happy to be skating, and it was never a downer. It was always light. They were always after it, and it didn’t matter what the score was, they were always looking to improve.

“If you don’t have to coach keeping yourself motivated, it’s half the battle. I mean, I couldn’t have asked for a better group coming into the season.”

Garrow opened the state tournament at Patterson Ice Center in Grand Rapids on Friday, March 8, with a game against Biggby, which they won, 1-0. Their second game was against Mt. Clemens, who they again beat, 1-0, on Saturday morning. Following up that effort, they battled to a 1-1 tie with the Detroit Bulldogs Saturday evening.

Looking to secure a spot in the title game, they went out and defeated Livonia, 4-0, Sunday morning, setting up a rematch with the Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon.

“We outscored our competition, but we didn’t know that was going to happen,” said Rantanen. “The girls just kind of, I don’t know, more or less turned on a switch. When I saw it, like our defense, we were struggling defensively throughout the year. How should we handle a 3-on-1 situation or a 2-on-1 situation? But, it was, like I said, like a switch.

They were putting the plays to the sides, forcing the pressure to the outside to break the play up, or poke checks to regain possession, and get back up the other way.”

Of course, it helped that Oni Heinzel in net was there to stop almost anything else sent her way.

“My goalie, obviously defensively, only letting in four goals, and even the four games before the championship game, she only let in two goals all weekend,” said Rantanen. “Three shutouts the whole state tournament. It was an awesome experience to watch.”

Garrow lost the championship game 2-1.

In front of Heinzel, the team was made up of Aili Nelson, Bethany Garrow, Schneiderhan, Harper Haataja, Lilou Mack-Hutzler, Mary Gray, Mazie McPherson, Nizhoni Jacker, Sophia Hampton, Tenley Goldsworthy, and Valerie Hillstrom. Rantanen also credited the help of assistant coaches Brett Hillstrom, Jamie Haataja, and Jason Menguzzo with helping the team grow throughout the season.

Upon their return to the Copper Country on Monday, March 11, the girls and their families were greeted with fire trucks and a parade through downtown Houghton, Dollar Bay, Lake Linden, and Calumet, which was a very special moment for everyone involved.

“I can only speak for myself,” Rantanen said. “I had myself and my daughter with me. We drove along with the trophy in my vehicle. I knew my daughter, she’s really shy, and it was funny because she was giving a little hoot and waving to the fans on the side of the road.

“It was fun. It was an experience of a lifetime. I don’t know if they’re ever going to have that experience again, but hopefully we do. To actually experience that is, like I said, once in a lifetime. Getting recognized for your hard work from a hockey season.”