The girls varsity Chicago Central hockey team fought valiantly last Sunday against rival Naper Valley, but they fell short in their quest to cap their annual Senior Night with a victory on the ice. The final score was 4–2.
Alongside Stanley Cup pennants and North American flags at the Blackhawks Community Ice Rink hung large posters of the team’s three seniors: Vaeda Vojticek (of Whitney Young High School), Izzy Radecki (of St. Ignatius College Prep), and Charlie Wolin (Latin’s very own!). Originating with—though now independent of—the Latin School Athletic Department, the Chicago Central team includes players from seven high schools.
Each senior, in casually-cool ice hockey fashion, skated across the rink to join their parents, followed by a speech from Head Coach Bruce Turpin.
Parents Kate and Dylan Wolin joined Charlie in celebrating her accomplishments as a defensive player.
Mrs. Wolin said, “It’s been super fun [supporting Charlie] because she’s always been a phenomenal skater, even when she was really early in her career.”
Since their separation from Latin, the team’s visibility has suffered due to exclusion from Homecoming and media festivities, compounded by the viewership challenges that every women’s sport faces. Indeed, it was almost all girls filling the student section, bundled resiliently in puffers and Sherpa wool.
“I think it’s really important for us to support each other, especially since we don’t get a lot of support ourselves, whether it’s having teams for the sport we play or just from the media and professional leagues in general,” Latin senior Avery Hellweg said. “Seeing all these girls show out for their friends, especially in a womens sport that isn’t highlighted as much, is super important.”
The impact of other female athletes on Charlie’s career have been immeasurable. Mrs. Wolin relayed encouragement given to a young Charlie by U.S. Women’s Olympic ice hockey player Kendall Coyne. “Kendall came up to Charlie’s dad and said, ‘Charlie’s just such a great athlete and skater.’ It’s been really fun to watch her continue to build on that in her career,” she said.
As the buzzer blared, the players glided out onto the ice, and the game commenced.
“I can’t wait to see Charlie kill it out there,” Latin senior Ruby Larsen said.
Though girls hockey doesn’t permit checking (all the body-slamming maneuvers seen in the NHL), there was no shortage of blade-footed action. Latin junior Annie Chen, passing the puck back and forth with Latin junior Mickey O’Malley, shot a tight goal with eight minutes left in the first period, giving Latin an early lead..
With two minutes remaining in the first period, Naper Valley equalized the score despite Central’s airtight goaltending from Braelyn Barker.
With nine and a half minutes remaining in the second period, Naper Valley scored another goal with a strong offensive maneuver, giving them a 2–1 edge. Seven minutes later, they scored again, netting an impressive shot to the top-right from near the center line.
Still highly motivated, Central’s Maddie Zolna slapped in a shot in halfway through the final period. Mickey attempted another close shot but was unsuccessful, and Naper Valley clinched wtih a goal in the third period, bringing the score to 4-2.
With one minute left, Coach Turpin pulled Central’s goaltender to focus on offense. Naper Valley’s defense held firm, though, securing the victory.
In a post-game cooldown, Charlie said, “I felt like we struggled to convert our breakouts into offensive opportunities once we got through the neutral zone. Our shot count was too high against us, but obviously Mickey and Annie are always a dynamic duo on the ice.”
Team-wide, players expressed a sense of warmth and camaraderie analogous to Charlie’s descriptions of Mickey and Annie. Latin freshman and Central ice hockey player Isabelle Goodwillie said, “We’ve lost some games, we’ve won some games, and it’s all really fun because I feel like our team is all really close with each other. … The seniors are good leaders, and it’s definitely going to be sad when they’re gone.”
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Charlie said, “Even though we lost, it was nice to see how much progress the team will be able to make in the next couple of years. [Izzy and Vaeda] are both just incredible people.”
