The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Making this league her own
Goalie VanHouten helps lead Lyman Hall-co-op boys team to CIAC D-III semis
There is no getting around it — Finley VanHouten is a female goalie, albeit a very talented goalie.
What separates her from most other female goalies? She is a starter on the No. 5 seeded Lyman Hall/ Haddam-Killingworth/Coginchaug boys hockey team which will face No. 1 Woodstock Academy in the CIAC Division III semifinals on at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Ingalls Rink in New Haven.
For Lyman Hall co-op coach Rich Minnix and the Lyman Hall co-op players, they see VanHouten very differently, with gender having nothing to do with the position she plays. The bottom line is she is simply a goalie. She is a solid goalie who led the Trojans to the Southern Connecticut Conference/SouthWest Conference Division III tournament finals (runner-up) and one that has led them to a deep run in the CIAC D-III tournament with a 13-11 record.
“We don’t see Finley as a specific gender, we see Finley as our starting goalie who has been a huge part of this team’s success,” Minnix said. “Finley’s performance in the (CIAC D-III) quarterfinal game against Tri-Town was remarkable (3-2 win). Without her in net, I don’t think we would be at Ingalls on Thursday.
“Finley does a great job tracking the puck and her rebound control has been very good. She is very calm and collected during games, which helps the team settle in as a whole.”
In the SCC/SWC Division III final, Lyman Hall/HK/Coginchaug played to a 2-2 tie after regulation with Newtown. The Nighthawks won the title by winning the OT shootout 2-0. VanHouten had 18
saves in the game.
VanHouten, a senior at Lyman Hall, hasn’t been surprised by her team’s success or her personal success.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m surprised by our success this year,” VanHouten said. “I had high expectations for this season coming in, so for me it’s just the season living up to those expectations. One of our biggest strengths this year has been our ability to finish games in the third period.
“Personally, I don’t really feel any more pressure than I think any other goalie does in the postseason. That’s because you’re always just trying to help the team get another win and advance to the next round. I think my strongest asset as a goalie is my mentality.”
It’s likely VanHouten will be making history when the puck drops on Thursday. It is believed that she will be the first female goalie to start for a boys hockey team in a CIAC tournament semifinal (all divisions).
Tom Neagle, chairman of the CIAC boys hockey committee, said he can’t remember a female starting goaltender leading her team into the CIAC tournament semifinals.
“There have been a number of female players and goalies on boys teams over the years,” Neagle said. “Many of the goalies played a backup role. Finley VanHouten is the first I can remember who has been the starter for her team. What I also think makes the Lyman Hall coop team unique is that Finley is backed up by another female goalie, freshman Christina Meadows.
“They have yet another female on the team, sophomore forward Anneliese Kursk. They represent, I think, another first and that’s three female players on a semifinalist team. Girls rule. They are proof, for anyone that still needs it, that girls can truly compete with the guys.”
VanHouten has been patient waiting for her chance to start for the Lyman Hall co-op team. She got her chance this season after last season’s talented goalie Zach O’Toole graduated.
“Finley has waited three years to show what she can do at the high school level and she has risen to the occasion,” Minnix said. “We have a group of upperclassmen, Finley included, who set out a goal early in the season to make it to Yale and they accomplished that.
“A few of our top players like Hunter Boileau (forward) and Chris Blanchard (defenseman) missed significant time this year with injuries. The SCC/ SWC championship game was the first time the two of them shared the ice all season.”
VanHouten will be facing Woodstock Academy in the semifinals, one of the most prolific scoring teams in the state, which also has a solid goalie. Entering the CIAC tournament, Woodstock Academy’s Ryan Black had 42 goals and 27 assists and Nathan Deluca had 33 goals and 20 assists. Goalie Cal Wilcox had a 1.70 goals-against average with six shutouts.
“It’s really exciting to be playing in the semifinals,” VanHouten said. “I don’t want the season to end, so I’ll take as many games as we can get. As far as the key to our success, I don’t think it’s much different from any other game. It’s going to be a tough game so we’ll just have to play 45 minutes of our best hockey.