Girls Chicago Showcase Team

The team representing Wisconsin for the girls Chicago Showcase is an interesting mix of kids. Since yesterday, the roster has even grown by 3 girls! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had heard the before and after Team Wisconsin was going to be well represented on this team, and they are, with 8 players of the 19 listed (at this time). The Team Wisconsin players are Jaime Athens (F), Amber Cmejla (F), Anna Donlan (G), Amanda Finstad (D), Hicole Hanson (D), Sarah Luberda (F), Abbey Olejniczak (F) and Amanda Ryder (F).

The rest of the girls are an interesting mix. Lindsay Athens is Jaime's sister. She played forward at Gilmour Academy in Ohio this year. Barb Bilko's parents, or at least her father, lives in the Fox Valley, but she plays for Shattuck St. Mary's U19 team which won the National Championship this year. She is one of two goaltenders for the SSM U19 team. I've seen her play many times over the past 2-3 years and she's a heck of a goaltender, and just a Sophmore. Emily Jo Brienzo (D) from Whitnall High School is a mystery to me, and I'm not quite sure how Brittany Carlson (D), who plays for Cretin Derham Hall in Minnesota fits into the Wisconsin Showcase Team either.

Ashley Chase (F) is from Sun Prairie and played for the Capitols this year. As Sun Prairie may coop with another community to add Girls High School Hockey maybe that is why she is in the mix. Autumn Stuntz (F) is from Amery played with the Minnesota Thoroughbreds this season. Alison Wright (D) from Pewaukee is a player I have not been able to dig up any information on.

The 3 new additions to the team since yesterday are Sarah Lichtie (F) from Onalaska who played on their State Runner-up team. She finished fifth on that team in scoring and wasn't a player that stood out to me, so her addition surprises me. Also added was Kelly Auner (D) from Antigo who I'm not familiar with and Dawson Bancroft-Short (F) who is from Sauk Prairie and was the leading scorer for the Madison Capitols. I have heard Sauk Prairie is going to coop with Baraboo next year, so maybe she will be a high school player in the future. One thing I noticed about Bancroft-Short is that she didn't do much scoring in the Caps' close games which makes me wonder how she'll perform in Chicago.

There's one player I can think of immediately that would make this team better-Brianna Decker. She played this season with Barb Bilko on the Shattuck St. Mary's National Championship Team and is a heck of a forward. She is from Dousman, Wisconsin, and is only a 1991 birthdate, so I doubt she has committed to a college at this point. As I have not seen any other 1991 birthdates on any team's rosters for the Showcase, I'm wondering if she may not be eligible due to age.

Speaking of birthdates, Wisconsin's Showcase team only has 4 seniors on the roster (L. Athens, Finstad, Stuntz & Wright). That probably doesn't bode well for this season, but maybe it is a good sign for coming years.