Girls Tryouts
Black Bear Girls Tryouts
Registration Deadline: April 1, 2024
Tryout Date: Saturday, April 13, 2024
Location: Waterbury Ice Center
Birth Years: 2007 - 2015
Registration Fee: $20
Returning Black Bears, and players new to the organization, are required to attend tryouts to determine 2024-2025 season team placement.
Tryout Schedule:
April 13, 2024:
U10 Girls: 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM
U12 Girls: 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM
U14 Girls: 2:30 PM - 3:45 PM
April 14, 2024:
U16/18 Girls: 2:15 - 3:15 PM
2024-25 Girls Teams
Black Bear Hockey will offer two different tier placements for the upcoming season. Athletes will be anonymously evaluated and recommended for teams based on independent third-party assessment.
Tier 2 Teams
Offered For: U14, U12, and U10
After tryouts, selected players will be invited to roster with our Tier 2 team. Tier 2 participants can expect:
- 3 practices per week beginning in October - 1 of which will include collegiate-level skill development instruction.
- 45+ games. Anticipated opponents include, but are not limited to, ADK Northstars, CP Dynamo, Hanover Wild, Seacoast Spartans, Boston Shamrocks, Amherst Lady Knights, Capital Wolves, Saugerties Fillies, and the Connecticut Ice Cats.
- Base tournament budget included; additional tournaments paid for by families
- Regular out-of-state travel. While Black Bear Tier 2 teams will list with VSAHA, we will predominantly play out-of-state competition. We will schedule double-headers when possible to minimize overnight stays/costs and we'll make efforts to separate the games that require overnights from travel tournaments if possible. All players/families must be able to commit to an out-of-state travel schedule.
- Black Bear Hockey Teams that qualify for a USA Hockey Sectional, Regional or National tournament are required to compete in these events and will require additional costs to families.
Tier 2 will begin pre-season in September with 2 skates per week and games are tentatively scheduled to kick off the season with a Columbus Day Tournament.
Athletes will have 24 hours to accept their Top Tier spot. Rosters will be announced 72 hours after tryouts are completed. Registration for the upcoming season will be available after rosters are announced and is required within 2 weeks.
Tier 4 Teams
Offered For: 12U/14U and 10U
After tryouts, selected players will be invited to roster with our Tier 4 team. Tier 4 participants can expect:
- 2 practices per week beginning in October with an optional collegiate-level skill development session available (additional cost).
- 30+ games
- Base tournament budget included; additional tournaments paid for by families
- Regular Travel - Our Tier 4 teams will play primarily Vermont-based teams, however, some regional out-of-state travel is anticipated to fill our game schedules.
- Black Bear Hockey Teams that qualify for a USA Hockey Sectional, Regional or National tournament are required to compete in these events and will require additional costs to families.
Tier 4 will begin pre-season in September with 1 - 2 skates per week and games will begin in late October.
Rosters will be announced 72 hours after tryouts are completed. Athletes will have 24 hours after the announcement to accept their team spot. Registration for the upcoming season will be available after rosters are announced and is required within 2 weeks.
Register Here
The tryout registration deadline is April 1, 2024, and the tryout cost is $20.00. Reserve your spot now.
2024-25 SPLIT-SEASON TEAM
Offered For: 19U/16U
After tryouts, selected players will be invited to roster with our split-season team. Split season participants can expect:
- 2 practices per week through November with an optional collegiate-level skill development session available (additional cost).
- 12-15 games - typically on Sundays
- 1-2 tournaments (not included in registration fee)
- Travel within New England
The split-season team will begin in early September as ice becomes available at Norwich University. The 2024-25 split-season team will be coached by Emma Morel and Marja Linzbichler from the Norwich University women’s team with a Black Bear coaching mentor.
Emma Morel
Emma Morel grew up in Tournon France where she’s been playing hockey since the age of 5. She began playing as a defenseman in Megeve and then played for the Pole France Feminim in Paris. From there she committed to the Vermont Academy prep school where she played for a year before joining Norwich University.
Additionally, Emma played on the U15, U18, and Senior French National Team and won a gold medal in 2019 with the U18 National Team in Dumfries (UK). In November 2022 she participated in the Olympic qualifying tournament in Sweden. Currently a 21-year-old sophomore at Norwich (class of 2026) she was part of the NEHC championship team last year and went to the NCAA tournament as a Cadet.
When asked about coaching the Black Bears, Emma said, “Coaching has always been of interest to me. Some of my coaches have had a significant impact on helping me grow and become a better player and person. I hope to have the same positive impact by helping youth players grow as well. I am very excited to work with these amazing players.”
Marja Linzbichler
Marja Linzbichler is from Austria where she’s been playing hockey since the age of 7. Throughout her childhood, she played primarily with boy's teams and made the move to girl’s teams as she got older. Marja has represented her country on the National Team on multiple occasions since she was on the 16U team and now plays for the Senior Team. She played in her home country until 2022 when she moved to New Jersey where she played for the Ironbound travel team.
In 2023 Marja joined the Norwich University Cadets as a forward. Currently 19 years old, Marja has collaborated with Black Bear coaching staff already, planning drills for the Black Bear girls' skills sessions with the Norwich women’s team staff.
Marja says she's “excited to take the next step in her coaching career and work with the Black Bears.” She has seen many of the players on the split team during the skills sessions hosted at Norwich and “looks forward to continuing the growth of this group.”
Register Here
The tryout registration deadline is April 1, 2024, and the tryout cost is $20.00. Reserve your spot now.