These Birds Can Skate

Rejuvenated PCS Penguins
look to reclaim past glory

BY ED WRIGHT
Nov. 26, 2009, 5:45 p.m.

  With strong, fluid strides, members of the Plymouth-Canton-Salem girls hockey team cruised across the Arctic Edge Arena ice surface during early-practice drills on Thanksgiving Eve.

  Every few seconds, they exchanged puck-to-blade passes that were crisp, sharp and on target.

  After two middle-of-the-pack seasons in the Michigan Metro Girls High School Hockey League that followed an MMGHSHL title in 2007, the Penguins displayed the skills of a team that is ready to regain its place among the league's elite programs.

  "We have a lot of fresh faces, a lot of good freshmen and some new seniors who played on the championship team and have decided to come back after playing travel hockey," said first-year coach Mary Beth Johnson.

  "I think the girls who decided to come back did it for high school pride. There's something about playing for your high school and the high school spirit that goes with it that brought them back."

  The Penguins, who are still getting to know each other on the ice and off, have started the season 1-2 following a pair of impressive pre-season scrimmage victories over Birmingham Regina and Livonia Ladywood.

  "Our strength is definitely going to be our defense," said Johnson, who has registered an impressive hockey-playing resume for the Birmingham Rangers, Honeybaked and Western Michigan University. "Our defensemen will be the quarterbacks of our team. They'll be running the plays and setting everything up."

  The Penguins' defense will be anchored by senior captains Jordyn Moore, who played for Victory Honda last season, and Shauna Siebert, who as a freshman played a significant role during the team's state-championship run.

  Junior Sarah Coleman -- the fourth member of her family to play for the Penguins and Rhianna Fleisher will also help lock down the blue line.

  Handling the Penguins' goal-tending duties will be freshman Cortny McAdoo, who has shined in house leagues for the past several years.

  "Cortny has great quickness and she gets to everything down low, post-to-post," said Johnson.

  PCS's offensive punch will be shared by a corps of talented forwards, including senior Kara Bongiovanni; and juniors Tory Campbell, Jennifer Fedon, Rebecca Majszak, Mallory Rojo and Marrisa Sullivan.

  Other key forwards include sophomore Ellexus Montoya and freshmen Chelsea Finkbeiner and Beth Johnson. 

  Ed Wright can be reached at (734) 453-1980 or [email protected].