Drama is gone as Centennial girls pull together

In retrospect, Centennial's upset loss in the girls' hockey section semifinals last season did not dash a dream; it ended a nightmare.

The Cougars, then a top-10 team, built a 20-3-3 record on emotional quicksand. While winning games on the ice, players were losing each other in the locker room. Cliques, grudges and hard feelings ran amok.

"I don't even like thinking about last year," senior Jocie Slattery said. "It was all our fault."

But players entered this week in a different place. Despite losses in their first two games, they have established a new mindset. They participate in relaxation exercises before practices. They are encouraged to air concerns in team meetings. And they get together for official team-building activities and also hang out in their spare time.

"We want to pull the team closer together and be supportive because last year we didn't have that," Slattery said. "I know it sounds stupid, but with girls you need to get along. We want to do anything we can to minimize any drama."

"We're kind of rebuilding friendships from last year," senior Sara Hanna said. "We had a lot of drama."

The d-word opposing teams typically associate with Centennial is depth. Last year proved, however, a team devoid of star players can still be plagued by egos.

"We had a lot of boyfriend drama, like, 'Oh, she talked to him and he's my ex,''' senior Alison Lindy said. "Unfortunately we all just kind of held a grudge against each other."

Said senior Rachel Gromek: "Nothing outside the rink should have mattered, but that's what we dragged on the ice."

Changing the culture comes in many forms. Players text each other during the school day, offering messages like, "Chin up, girls," or, "Today is a good day." To further prevent school-day stress from getting in the way of hockey, assistant coach Mark Domschot starts some practices with relaxation techniques that include breathing and stretching. Players resisted such activities last season.

"Everyone goes to school and everyone has their deals," Slattery said. "We just want to let everything out before we get on the ice and have a fresh practice."

Added Lindy: "And if you need to say something, we sometimes have meetings with the whole team and you can say what you want to say. Nothing leaves the room. You can talk about issues and try to settle things."

Lindy, Gromek and Slattery, three of the team's four captains, are also setting an example on the ice. Lindy is taking stock in subtle but important things like her body language. Gromek accepted a switch from forward to defense to help the young corps develop. Slattery, a Division I forward, will also chip in by playing defense in some penalty-kill situations.

Players met after practice last Friday to decorate their water bottles, gathering inside a dance studio at the National Sports Center. Later that evening, Slattery played host to a team movie night. On Saturday morning, the Cougars met for a pancake breakfast.

But the real test came last Thursday when the team headed to Hopkins for the first game of the season. Things boded well before the game as players "were dancing around and laughing in the locker room," senior Sonya DeBruzzi said. "Last year, everyone would have been sitting there staring at each other while the music played."

The camaraderie did not fade, even as Hopkins skated to a 4-1 victory.

"There were chances to point fingers, but we tried to pick that person up," DeBruzzi said. "We'd say, 'We know you know what to do. We're not going to blame you.'"

The good vibes were enough to restore some swagger. Aware their own dysfunction ruined a promising postseason run last year, players are determined to not beat themselves.

"We've been saying, 'Yeah, Hopkins was our first game this year, but they're also going to be our last because we're going to see them in the state finals,'" Lindy said.

David La Vaque • 612-673-7574