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Women’s hockey grows in popularity
Female hockey players are in Wesley Chapel competing in a professional championship for the Isobel Cup, which is named for Lord Stanley’s daughter.
WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. - The Bay Area’s love of hockey is on display this weekend in Wesley Chapel.
The professional women's league, the Premier Hockey Federation, is holding its championship tournament at Advent Health Center Ice.
The Isobel Cup - which is named after the daughter of Lord Stanley - will be awarded Monday night.
Metropolitan Riveters defender Rachael Ade is from what used to be the most un-hotbed of hockey imaginable-Polk County.
She says the presence of the tournament in Florida shows how far the sport has come, and even more so for women’s hockey.
"Growing up, I couldn't have imagined anything like this," she stated.
The Riveters is one of six Premier Hockey Federation teams capping a 20-game regular season with a playoff for the Isobel Cup.
Groups of youth hockey players surrounded the boards and cheered during the game between the Riveters and Minnesota Whitecaps.
"I hope that they see there is opportunity for them," explained Ade. "Growing up, there wasn't. My career had an expiration date on it."
Eleven-year-old Raina Fitzpatrick of St. Petersburg was at the game with her father.
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"I am on three teams right now," she said of the amount of youth hockey she plays.
She’s on a Florida-based travel team that has played teams in Chicago and the northeast.
"It's just really fun. Nothing else matters when you’re on the ice."
AdventHealth Center Ice runs two all-girls travel teams and says one-sixth of their house league players are girls.
The building has already hosted a training camp for the women's national team and is helping to train seven women's prospects.
"When it comes to girls and women's hockey in the United States, we have seen monumental growth," said PHF Vice President of communications Paul Krotz, "and Florida is a perfect example of this."
Rachael Ade once had palm trees on her jersey.
Now there is a professional crest, with a league that plans on growing by two more teams next year.
Florida is by nature hot, but the hottest place to be is on ice.
"It is just about perseverance, everyone is going to have their challenges. Everyone is going to have their strong set of skills," said Ade. "It is about believing in yourself and following where your heart takes you."