New Girls
Program Features
2 Tier II teams
Hockey International and Saddlebrook
form partnership for elite girls program
By Steve Lee
Hockey for girls has begun to thrive in Florida
in recent years, and another initiative is
under way to continue along those lines. This is
the inaugural season for a unique partnership
between Hockey International and Saddlebrook
Resort, which like Florida Hospital Center Ice is
located in Wesley Chapel.
Heading up the program is Brett Strot, Associate
Head Coach of the 2018 USA Women’s Gold
Medal –winning Olympic team and owner of
Hockey International.
He has teamed up with Kevin O’Connor, who
heads up the international sports program at
Saddlebrook Prep Academy.
The timing, noted Strot, could not have been better
since Team USA trained at the Wesley Chapelbased
ice and sports complex, which also hosted
several women’s games in the Four Nations Cup
last winter. Women’s teams from Canada, Finland
and Sweden, as well as Team USA players, stayed
at Saddlebrook while training and competing at
FHCI.
It was good timing to do this a few
months after the Olympic teams
were here, It’s just to get the name
out, the brand out and to get people
to understand we’re starting an elite
program here. - Strot
He has also designed the training and testing for
all of the youth programs in Hockey International,
has a couple of very capable assistant coaches
---highly accomplished former college hockey
players Alyssa Grogan and Abbey Krause--- who
have been instrumental in helping launch the girls
program.
“They’ve both been very involved with women’s
hockey and it’s great having them on board,”
Strot said of the pair that relies on their wealth
of experience as youth and young adult hockey
players in Minnesota to teach the younger set.
“They’re very passionate and very excited about
women’s hockey as well.”
Grogan is the associate head coach and goal
tending director. She is a former University of
Minnesota goaltender, USA 18u national team
member and created and operated her own ‘girlsonly’
goalie school. Like Krause, Grogan relishes
the chance to work with Strot.
Not many girls get an opportunity with an Olympiclevel
coach. As a coach I’ve learned so much from
him. He loves hockey and he loves developing the
kids.
Grogan said she primarily trains the goalies, but
also helps out with other aspects of coaching, office
conditioning and organizing. “It’s perfect,” she
said.
Krause was a four-year standout at St. Cloud
State University, a Division I school in northern
Minnesota. She takes pride in her penchant
to focus on strong skating skills. As a skating
instructor Krause works mostly with position
players.
“I really like to work with skating skills and edgework,”
she said, adding that the girls get more of
a chance to work on those aspects of their games
when they practice on the smaller rink at FHCI.
Skating with a strong emphasis on speed, is the
priority for Strot and his assistants. Other aspects
of the game, such as shooting, stick-handling,
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