Flathead girls hockey teams bring home state championships

A weekend capped with double state championships for Flathead Fusion hockey in the girls division was one that will go down in history.

Both the 14U and the 19U teams fought hard through a series of games over two days in order to take the Treasure State League State Championship. For the 19U team, it was the girls’ first-ever championship; it was also the first time both girls teams representing the Flathead captured titles in both age groups.

The 19U team has a new head coach Alexis Kinder who in her first year at the helm led the team to the championship. Longtime Flathead girls hockey coach Lini Reading, who is the head coach for the 14U team, says Kinder’s leadership has really made a difference for the girls this season.

“She just did a phenomenal job with the 19s,” Reading said. “It was really awesome to see.”

The 19U girls finished the season with a 15-3-2 record. As a team the girls scored 85 goals and gave up just 34 in a tough field; goalie Summer Newman in net had a stellar .949 save percentage.

Kinder says the season was full of ups and downs, including an injury to the team's goalkeeper early on. But the players all came together to keep working through the hard times and celebrate the victories.

“We really started to work as a team…” Kinder recalled, stating girls stepped into net to fill in for their goalie while she recovered from injury. “Throughout the season they really supported each other.”

At the tournament, the 19U Fusion team started out a little rocky according to Kinder. The girls managed a 5-2 win over Glasgow and then tied Havre 3-3. It wasn’t the start they hoped for, but Kinder says the girls stayed focused and won the semifinal round over Missoula 6-1.

“That’s when we kind of turned it on and played our game — we played Fusion hockey,” she said.

The win over Missoula set up an intense game with Bozeman who had been playing well all throughout the tournament. In overtime, Flathead knocked one in to take the 3-2 win.

Flathead has had a 19U girls team for 16 years and this was the first state title.

“I’m just really excited, kind of shocked a little bit still,” Kinder said. “It’s a really good group of girls… they just kept working for it. I’m really proud of them too.”

Following the tournament, 19U player Emma Cummings was selected as a first team all-state forward and Nya Barber Castro was a second team all-state forward.

For the 14U Flathead Fusion girls, state championships aren’t necessarily uncommon. However it had been a few years since the team found themselves on the top at state. Also after the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted hockey in Montana, last year there was no 14U team and they were able to revive the program this year. As head coach, Reading is grateful they have a team at all.

“There was no team last season and we just got it back this year which is great for the development of girls hockey in the state,” she said.

Throughout the season, the 14U girls went 18-2-1. They outscored opponents with 116 goals for and 33 goals against, and goalie Chelsey Hart led the team in net with a .917 save percentage.

At the tournament the 14U girls started out with a game against a team that had caused trouble for them all season — Butte. Flathead came out on the wrong side of that one, losing 4-3 to Butte in the opening round.

“Butte was our biggest nemesis…” Reading recalled. “We got to state and lost our first game against Butte. So the girls realized, OK we need to be humbled, we need some humility which was great to see.”

After that, the girls steamrolled Bozeman twice in a row which set up the final game against their rival Butte.

The Fusion were able to score early in the game and toughed out a narrow 1-0 win to secure the championship.

“The girls just played hard, they played together as a team and to get that state championship was hard-fought and well deserved from them,” Reading said.

Every player on the 14U team this season earned points, she added. But topping the league is Grace Wentzel who was second in the 14U in goal scoring with 23. However, the part that stands out is she finished first in the state across all ages in assists with 21.

Reading was thrilled for her 14U girls to secure the title, but to have both teams win state championships together was truly memorable.

“To have both girls teams be at the same location together where they could support each other, the families, it was just wonderful. It was really an awesome weekend,” she said.

The Flathead Fusion girls programs are hosting a Girls Hockey Jamboree on April 2-3. Several different age groups will be participating from 6U to 19U. For more information visit glacierhockey.org/tournaments.