When longtime hockey coach, player and enthusiast Chris Palombi set out to start a girls ice hockey team this past fall, he didn't expect such a large number of girls to show interest.

 

But with a little nudge from the school to get back into a head coaching position after as stint as the director of hockey operations, Palombi is now spearheading the St. Mary's Ryken first-ever all-girls ice hockey squad.

 

Palombi could tell there was an interest in a girls hockey team at St. Mary's Ryken after the Washington Capitals won their first-ever Stanley Cup championship in June of last year.

 

"Last school year, the girls were into the Capitals playoff run and I saw a lot of them wearing the gear around the school,: Palombi said.

 

Palombi decided to test the water by sending out an email and was shocked by the 40 responses he got back.

 

"It's new, we got it started at the end of October," Palombi said. "we had one returning player, sophomore captain Robyn Strauss. Four of five years ago, we had about four or five girls on the team. So this year at the beginning of the season we had a bunch of female students who wanted to be managers, and I asked them if they'd want to just play."

 

Palombi has been coaching at St. Mary's Ryken since 2008 when as a varsity head coach he took over the program from Jan Deregt.

 

"She started the program in 2002 and they got a hockey team together, and I took over the program after one year as an assistant," Palombi said. "I stepped down from coaching the varsity team a couple years ago to help balance with family, so we brought on the two assistant coaches to take over, Matt Billman and Cameron Beckner. I still help out behind the scenes, making sure the ice is booked, so they can focus on coaching and managing the team, and so for the girls team this year, I took over at the last second." 

 

Starting a new hockey team, however, requires ice to skate on, and more importantly, skates, pads, helmets, and sticks.

 

"Hockey is a pay to play for the costs, which can get expensive," Palombi said. "We didn't have any gear and a nonprofit had a warehouse full of gear for donations. I applied for the grant and we got it. The Principal at St. Mary's Ryken was great to support us, too. And our returning captain Strauss was a good ambassador getting other girls on board."

 

Strauss, who is in her fifth year playing hockey, was voted team captain as she is one of two girls on the team who have ever played ice hockey before. She has played for the Southern Maryland Sabres, Nova Ice Dogs, and the Tri-City Eagles.

 

"I started out learning how to skate in some skills classes," Strauss said. "I think it is different with all girls. I played on a boys team ever since I started. It's different because boys check more, and with girl's it's a lot more focused on skill."

 

Strauss is excited to take part in a new team with new goals and is ready to lead the team of mostly novice players.

 

"It's really kind of cool because being the first for something is cool to be a part of," Strauss said. "It's a lot of fun, so it's new for everyone and we're all in the same boat, and I can be a leader. I've been trying to lead in the way that I was lead when I first started playing. I like teaching them some basic hockey skills. I just want everyone to improve, and take advantage of being a leader on the team."

 

Some girls who are joining the team fresh this year have experienced figure skating, but they will be wearing hockey pads for the first time.

 

"I think it is a little bit different for them because the blades are different, but they have muscles in their ankles already," Strauss said.

 

Strauss believes Palombi is the best coach that the team could have starting new this year.

 

"It's great that Palombi decided to do this," she said. "He is really passionate and brings a good energy to practices and games. Our coach gets everyone very excited about playing and that makes them try their hardest."

 

Getting a new team of mostly new skaters to learn the basics was a challenge that Palombi was excited about from the start. He did this by starting from the basics. 

 

"We had about three players who played hockey before including Robyn," Palombi said. "Probably we didn't even have a handful of girls who had figure skated before, so it was a transition. Even for the first timers who had only done public skate, the first couple practices were great with them. They're very attentive and driven. I worked with a group of girls who had never skated before. We taught them how to push off and skate and then do a hockey stop."

 

Palombi had taken some time off from coaching to spend with his family, but he quickly realized that he couldn't get too far away from the sport that he loves.

 

"Hockey is in my blood," he said. "I've always missed coaching, and it's given me so much growing up. Playing as well as coaching, it's great seeing these new players develop a passion for the sport and competitiveness for playing the game. That riles me up to find ways to get the best out of them. I get excited to take it up a notch, and take on the challenges."

 

St. Mary's Ryken is playing as an independent team this season and get a lot of good competition in the Mid-Atlantic Girls Hockey League, while playing out of the Capital Clubhouse in Waldorf. Palombi has even booked the team a game at the Capital One Arena, home ice for the Washington Capitals.

 

"Because of how late we came in, we can't support having enough home games and the league games were already scheduled, so now we are an independent team," he said. "The Mid-Atlantic Girls Hockey League has Archbishop Spalding, Georgetown Visitation, St. John's and other area private schools, so we will play against those teams."

 

St. Mary's Ryken has five games this year with the next contest scheduled for Thursday.