Page 21 - ARUBA TODAY

A21
SPORTS Friday 17 January 2020
Top women's players to be part of NHL All-Star Weekend

By JOHN WAWROW Jayna Hefford, will serve as
AP Hockey Writer coaches. And the four-per-
The magnitude of the mo- son officiating crew will be
ment wasn't lost on Kendall made up of women who
Coyne Schofield — wear- made their debuts at vari-
ing her No. 26 Team USA jer- ous NHL prospect tourna-
sey — as she dug her skates ments in September.
into the ice waiting for the One player from each team
starter's whistle to blow. will be selected through
It took 14.346 seconds, to a Twitter poll to compete
be exact, for Coyne Scho- in the newly introduced
field to complete her lap in "Shooting Stars" event, dur-
the NHL All-Star fastest skat- ing which All-Stars will shoot
er competition in San Jose pucks from the stands at
last year. And the 27-year- various targets on the ice.
old from Illinois didn't need This marks the third con-
to hear the roar from the secutive year women have
crowd, see the smiling NHL played a role in the All-Star
players' faces or under- game.
stand how the video would In 2018 at Tampa Bay, with
go viral on social media to Team USA holding its pre-
appreciate what she had Olympic camp nearby, the
accomplished. NHL invited three players
In becoming the first wom- In this Jan. 25, 2019, file photo, United States' Kendall Coyne Schofield skates during the Skills to demonstrate each skill
an to participate in a skills Competition, part of the NHL All-Star weekend, in San Jose, Calif. event. They included Hil-
competition event, and fin- Associated Press ary Knight, whose preview
ishing seventh among eight of the shooting accuracy
participants, Coyne Scho- 10-player women's teams lap. Rather than attempt girls that are playing, and event took just 11.64 sec-
field had an inkling of how — nine skaters and a goal- to duplicate the series of an event like this is another onds, which would have
much she opened the door ie each from the national events that led to Coyne way to influence them, to placed her second, just
of opportunity for expand- teams of the U.S. and Can- Schofield's participation, show that, 'Hey, I can be on behind Brian Boyle's time of
ing female player involve- ada, the world's two best. which came only after this stage some day.'" 11.626 seconds.
ment at the NHL level. "I was the individual that Colorado Avalanche for- He already foresees the Coyne Schofield said the
"The moment in San Jose skated that lap," said ward Nathan MacKinnon women's game becoming the exposure comes with
was incredibly special," she Coyne Schofield, selected backed out with an injury, an All-Star weekend fixture. additional pressure as
told The Associated Press to play for Team USA. "So to Mayer chose to expand "That's the intention here to women showcase their
this week. "And to see how step on that ice alongside the women's involvement. give them a forum they de- abilities before an interna-
many people it impacted 19 other women just shows The teams feature play- serve, that they've earned," tional television audience.
in such a positive way, I how we've earned this op- ers who have combined Mayer said. "We have to take advan-
had an optimistic feeling portunity to have more to win 39 Olympic and 108 The American team will in- tage of every moment
something special was go- women involved." world championship med- clude Brianna Decker, Joc- and every opportunity we
ing to be done here." The league couldn't help als, and the game provides elyn Lamoureau-Davidson have because at the end
Coyne Schofield was re- but take notice after last much-needed exposure to and Alex Carpenter, cur- of the day, we've earned
ferring to the the NHL All- year. a sport in flux. The game rently playing professionally those moments," Coyne
Star festivities taking place NHL chief content officer also builds on the league's in China. The Canadian Schofield said. "And we're
in St. Louis next week. Steve Mayer, who oversees bid to expand its audience. roster includes Marie-Philip going to keep fighting and
The league announced the game's production, "Yes, we're trying to obvi- Poulin, Sarah Nurse and Re- keep playing, because we
Wednesday that the skills was already dreaming up ously bring more folks into becca Johnston. know if we do both of those
competition on Jan. 24 will ideas to add female play- the fold, and this is just one Two Hockey Hall of Fame things, more opportunities
feature a 20-minute 3-on-3 ers in St. Louis before Coyne way to do it," Mayer said. inductees, American Cam- will be created for the next
scrimmage between two Schofield completed her "There are so many young mi Granato and Canadian generation."q

Giants make Alyssa Nakken first female major league coach

By JANIE McCAULEY as an intern in baseball op- veloping, producing and went on to earn a master's to assisting the rest of the
AP Baseball Writer erations. She and Mark Hall- directing a number of the degree in sport manage- coaching staff on the field,
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — berg, who was also named organization's health and ment from the University of Mark and Alyssa will focus
Alyssa Nakken became as an assistant Thursday, wellness initiatives and San Francisco in 2015. on fostering a clubhouse
the first female coach on will work to promote high events." "Alyssa and Mark are high- culture that promotes high
a major league staff in performance along with The NBA has several female ly respected members of performance through,
baseball history Thursday a close-knit team atmo- assistant coaches. The NFL's the organization and I'm among other attributes, a
when she was named an sphere. San Francisco 49ers, play- delighted that they will deep sense of collabora-
assistant under new Giants Kapler, who expressed dur- ing in this Sunday's NFC now focus their talents on tion and team."
manager Gabe Kapler. ing the winter meetings championship game, have helping to build a winning San Francisco also signed
Major League Baseball that he would hire some Katie Sowers as an offen- culture in the clubhouse," left-hander Drew Smyly to
confirmed Nakken is the coaches for nontraditional sive assistant. Kapler said. a one-year contract. Smyly
first woman coach in the roles, said in a text message At Sacramento State from "In every organization, went a combined 4-7 with
majors. Nakken is a former Nakken (nack-in) will be in 2009-2012, Nakken was a environment affects per- a 6.24 ERA over 25 appear-
softball standout at first uniform. three-time all-conference formance, and baseball ances with 21 starts and 114
base for Sacramento State The team said Nakken has player and four-time Aca- clubhouses are no differ- innings between Texas and
who joined the club in 2014 been responsible for "de- demic All American. She ent. That's why in addition Philadelphia last season.q