Arizona Kachinas hockey teams set to play in national championships this week

The top three Arizona Kachinas' 14-and-under, 16-and-under, and 19-and-under hockey teams are moving up to the highest level of competition in youth hockey next season, Tier I, announced in January of this year. It's been years in the making and is a major step up that raises the bar for girls' hockey development in the region and state.

But first, the three teams have one more tournament to play, another chance to show they belong at the top tier with the nation's best youth teams. All three squads are in West Chester, Pa. for the USA Hockey Nationals Thursday through Sunday.

Each team won its respective tournament at the Rocky Mountain District Championships near Dallas earlier this month, all as Tier II teams for the final time. The 14-and-under Green team won all four games in Texas, led by head coach Taylor England and assistants Sheridan Gloyd and Aubrey Beskid.

The team was the one the late Matt Shott had been coaching until his sudden passing last December. Shott, formerly the Coyotes' senior director of hockey development, was also a Kachinas coach and made growing the program a big part of his life.

"He would just be so proud right now. So many of the things that we set out to do a few years ago before we were officially an organization are all kind of coming to fruition," said Lyndsey Fry, director of external engagement and female hockey for the Coyotes.

"Not just getting Tier I but all three of our Tier II teams winning the district championships. We'd love to see one of them medal at the national championship this coming weekend. These are all things that when we were just sitting around a table five years ago spit-balling ideas about what this could look like, this is part of the dream. This is what we ultimately wanted to get to."

The 16-and-under Green team shut out all of its opponents on its way to a Tier II title, led by head coach Brendan Shaw and assistants KC McGinley and Kenzie Lyons.

The team is 19-0-1 with a 14-game undefeated streak, and never lost a Tier II game this season. Its last five wins have been shutouts.

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"We had set this as one of our goals in August and we accomplished it. We received valuable contributions from all the players to help us achieve our success," Shaw said.

"I am proud of our coaches and this group of young women. The future is bright.”

The 19-and-under Green team lost once in five games, a 2-0 loss to the New Mexico Mustangs, but won the championship game against the same team 5-2. The coaching staff was made up of Jeremy Goltz, Bri Carrol, and Terry Tessmer.

Forward Aidyn DiGrazia scored all five goals in the final, and totaled eight for the tournament.

The Coyotes and Kachinas work together to ensure opportunities for young women and girls to play hockey.

"It's not just a reflection of them as athletes and hockey players," Coyotes President & CEO Xavier Gutierrez said. "It's a reflection of the caliber of youth hockey that we have here. Can hockey really survive here in the desert? What are you talking about? It is succeeding.

"We're all just really proud of them. It's just extra that this was the vision that Matt had."

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For Fry, who is also president of the Kachinas association, the significance of moving up to Tier I amateur hockey is that it offers girls the opportunity to play at their age and skill levels. The Kachinas now have teams at all levels, from recreational to the highest tier for a player hoping to get recruited to a college program.

"It's a complete pipeline," Fry said.

The Kachinas applied for Tier I status last year but were denied, and only one Tier II team made it to the national championship tournament. This season, the Kachinas teams proved they belonged with all of their wins that led to district titles.

"It's just kind of that 'Hey, USA Hockey, you made the right decision moving us up to Tier I,'" Fry said. "And here are all the wins to support that."

At Tier I, the Kachinas will be "on the map" nationally, Fry said, as far as college recruiting. Interest in women's college programs has gone up during the current run of success, and she anticipates the first NCAA Division I commit out of the Kachinas in the next three to five years, if not sooner.

It should also help increase interest from local girls players to join the association, Fry added.

Get in touch with Jose Romero at Jose.Romero@gannett.com. Find him on Twitter at @RomeroJoseM.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Local girls and young women's teams playing for USA Hockey titles