(Photo: Reagan Smith/WCSN)
Freshman defenseman Abi McGee has gotten off to a hot start scoring four goals in the first six games of the season. Before joining the Sun Devils, McGee was cutting her teeth in hockey over a 1,000 miles away in Bozeman, Montana.
Just like many other female hockey players, McGee not only played girls hockey, but she also participated in boys hockey as well at Bozeman High School.
“I played boys until freshman year, switched over to girls and then senior year played boys and girls because I got asked by the high school boys’ coach to play again,” she said.
McGee was a multi-sport athlete in high school taking part in four years of varsity softball while playing hockey. Beyond high school, she was also a captain for the Montana Wildcats — the state’s youth girls hockey program.
The new culture revolving around the sport of hockey is growing in Bozeman and it’s part of the reason why the freshman enjoyed playing there.
“The culture is mainly a bunch of parents who like the sport and got their kids into the sport and support every other kid who plays the sport,” McGee said. “Every weekend team dinner wasn’t like an ‘oh a team dinner.’ It was fun, exciting event that you got to hang out with your teammates outside of hockey and you just get to know everyone’s parents.”
Living in Montana meant there wasn’t an NHL team close by to check out, but one local product was a big influence for the Bozeman native.
“A girl named Megan Delaney, who is about three years older than me, was a Montana girls hockey record-setter,” McGee said. “I remember telling my Dad… I want to be like that and just wanted to be the best in the state and didn’t stop until I was satisfied.”
Her motivation to be the best paid off. Now as she begins her collegiate career, it’s going to take some getting used to by playing in the desert.
“It’s definitely faster pace, I like the intensity of the game right now,” McGee said. “The weird thing is that we have so many caps in between periods, we were used to an hour and 15-minute cap and if you didn’t get your game done you got off the ice.”
It hasn’t taken long for the freshman to adjust to a new climate in Tempe. However, continuing to keep up the pace offensively will require some adjustments and friendly reminders throughout the season.
“Just trying to do my thing, last year I was a very offense defenseman as well,” McGee said. “So just trying to remember what I did and get to pick it up a little faster and make it around these big older girls.”
Although McGee is the lone Montana native on the team, she’s part of a stellar freshman class made up of nine members.
So far, the young team’s success has stemmed from newcomers Taylor Northcott, Andi Main, Emily Kline and McGee, which have all combined for 22 points in the team’s first six games.
For McGee, solidifying a mix of offense and fundamental defense will be key to improving on her freshman year.
“The consistency of my playing, I do have goals, but I need to make sure that I’m playing defense well and getting that puck, taking it away, not giving them the opportunity to get in our zone while I’m on the ice,” she said.
