With every glide across the ice, sophomore Elsie Calahan inches closer to the conclusion of her second year on the Glenbrook Girls’ Hockey team. The entire team has pushed themselves to their limits, defying odds on and off the ice, Steve Hamelin, Girls’ Varsity Hockey Coach, said.

The Girls’ Hockey team currently has 21 players, mainly from North and South, but a few from nearby schools, Hamelin said. The team’s season began in August and ends with their state championships in March, allowing them to play about 20 games per season and roughly one per week, Mark McGuire, parent volunteer and team manager, said. The team is run by Hamelin and their Board of Directors who manage fees, hire coaches, and communicate with the Amateur Hockey Association, McGuire said. The team practices only once a week at the Glenview Community Ice Center due to the players prior commitments to club hockey teams, McGuire said.

“The [team does not] have a lot of chances to practice and play with each other other than for games [but] they [still] do pretty well because they enjoy [playing],” McGuire said.

As the majority of the players are on a club team, Hamelin and the board must coordinate games based on the girls’ club schedules. Hamelin’s primary concern is the relationships built between players because he believes that strong bonds manifest as success in games.

“In the dressing room, everybody is encouraged and supported,” Hamelin said. “When we [are] together, there [is] unity within the room.”

Calahan is grateful for her time on the team because she has been able to show off her talents with a South-associated team.

“It [is] important to support the girls and their talent,” Calahan said. “Hockey has [not] always been popular, [but] has been gaining more recognition. It [is] cool to see girls highlighting their talent.”