Female Goalie Holds The Line For College Team

LINDSTROM, Minn. - The Hamline University goalie moved up to cut down the angle, then slid to the ice to make a save on a breakaway.

"He's pretty good," a young boy named Robbie said.

What Robbie and many of the other fans didn't know until after Friday night's game was that "he" actually was a "she."

Jenny Hanley made 26 saves to help the Pipers to a 5-2 victory over Wisconsin-Stout's club team.

"I proved to myself that I'm capable," Hanley said.

Hanley proved she was the equal of just about any male goalie at the NCAA Division III level. The only goals she allowed came on a breakaway just 1:16 into the game and on a second-period power play. Otherwise, she was flawless in turning back the Blue Devils.

"She proved that she's a pretty good goaltender. She proved that she can play at a level beyond high school," Hamline Coach Tim Cornwell said.

Defending goal against onrushing male skaters is nothing new for Hanley. She has always played against boys, starting at age 4 with her three older brothers, then in youth programs, and last year as the starting goalie for Edina High School. She helped Edina, which has one of the most successful prep hockey programs in the country, to the sectional finals.