Women's hockey club gaining numbers in weekly sessions

Every Thursday night this winter, the smack of pucks and slap shots fill the frigid air of the South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena. Hockey players wearing shoulder pads engage in skating motions that involve sprinting and cutting.

There are sounds of laughter, albeit higher-pitched versions than the ones heard in NHL locker rooms across North America. They come from Lake Tahoe, Carson City and Carson Valley, these voices. And they congregate once a week in Lake Tahoe for the same reason - a love for hockey.

"It's something that you want to fertilize," said Mark Heidt, who coaches Thursday's female-only practice sessions. "You want to be part of this as it grows. Anytime you see an adult woman smiling and having fun like a kid, that's a good thing."

The 20 or so players who regularly participate in the Lake Tahoe Women's Ice Hockey Association "Skills and Drills" clinics are part of one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. The book "Hockey for Dummies" estimates that there are 30,000 female ice hockey players in the United States, a 600 percent increase from the 5,000 who played in 1990.

After the sport debuted as a medal sport at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, it sparked a trend and now women's ice hockey is played in more than 30 countries. Exposing hockey to as many women as possible is what the club's most committed members want.

"A lot of our original members have moved away so we are working on rebuilding the program," said Heidi Ettlinger, who helped start the club in 2003. "Hockey, like many sports that require a certain level of equipment and skill, can be a little intimidating at first. But women feel when they have camaraderie of other women, it's less risky."

Ages range from 12 to 50, the skill level from beginner to advanced. However, the Lake Tahoe Women's Ice Hockey Association wants to attract enough members so it can form several teams competing in divisions of all levels.

While the club does have the "Tahoe Blizzard" women's team that competes in one of the ice arena's rec leagues, the initial goal is for women's ice hockey to get more popular within the boundaries of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area. But the ultimate goal is for it to spread outside those boundaries.

"We would like to be able to field women's teams in each of the four age divisions," said Cindy Rawlings, who, along with Ettlinger, is one of the club's original members. "We're hoping these clinics are laying the foundation for a program that can be recognized statewide and nationwide. San Jose has a women's program with 400 females in it. We think we can do that around here."

Lake Tahoe Women's Ice Hockey Association

What: Skills and Drills clinics

Who: Female players from Lake Tahoe and Northern Nevada

Where: South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena

When: Every Thursday (5:15-6:15 p.m.) through March 29

Cost: $15 per session for adults; $12 per session for juniors

More info: Call 530-544-5677 or visit www.laketahoewomensicehockeyassociation.com.

Note: Pre-registration isn't required; drop-ins are welcome.