Jaguar Hockey Club bringing first all-girls ice hockey team to Joliet, Illinois
Share and Follow

JOLIET, Ill. (WLS) — Joliet will soon have its first all-girls ice hockey team.

The registration is already filling up as the team is flipping the script one puck at a time.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

When the Jaguar Hockey Club first opened applications, they hoped they would get enough girls just to fill a team. That interest has now more than tripled.

The athletes are making snow and rewriting a historic narrative with pink skates and all.

“I want to be good enough that they start accepting girls into the NHL,” 10-year-old Jaguar Hockey Club player Penny Antos said.

Antos and 11-year-old Ellie Sorg will be joining the first all-girls hockey team in Joliet this year. They are living proof of a decades-long dream.

“When we lost my sister when she was 19, and hockey was her absolute favorite thing in the world, but that’s been 25 years ago, and girls hockey was not an option,” Jaguar Hockey Club president Lauren Walsh said.

Walsh said her sister never got the chance to be on a team.

“Even her senior pictures were taken in old Blackhawk gear and sticks and all that,” Walsh said.

Now, 25 years later, Walsh is carrying out her sister’s love by giving the young girls of Joliet a chance to compete.

“We were just hoping for 12 girls that were interested, and now we’re in the 40s, 50s,” Walsh said.

According to USA Hockey, over the past 15 seasons, girls hockey in the United States has seen a participation increase of 65%.

“The puck’s the same color, but when you have the girls in the locker room and stuff like that, it transcends on there’s a lot of smiles out there,” Jaguar Hockey director Greg Stornello said.

With the launch of the professional women’s hockey league in 2023, the girls can now take their dream into adulthood.

“You just see them and you’re like, ‘Hey, I want to be like them,'” Sorg said. “You have nothing to like worry about, because all it’s about is like, having fun.”

So even if you fall, they said you have to try, try again.

“You might get hurt a couple times, but just you gotta keep trying and never give up,” Antos said.

Tryouts for the all-girls team in Joliet will be August 15, with the first game in September.

Copyright Ā© 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
South Loop's Game Changer: Inside 'The 78,' Chicago Fire Stadium, ABC7 Tanja Babich visits Overflow coffee at 14th and Michigan

South Loop Transformation: A Look Inside ‘The 78’ Featuring Chicago Fire Stadium and ABC7’s Tanja Babich’s Visit to Overflow Coffee at 14th and Michigan

CHICAGO — Our latest Coffee Chat Series made its debut in Chicago’s…
WATCH: Teen arrested after alleged wild shovel attack on police cruiser in ritzy Florida neighborhood

Shocking Incident: Teen Allegedly Attacks Police Cruiser with Shovel in Upscale Florida Area

A teenager from Florida has found herself in legal trouble after reportedly…
How Aurora Police Department officers learn to defuse volatile situations, including mental health crises

Aurora Police Pioneers Innovative Training to Safely Manage Mental Health Crises and Volatile Incidents

In the realm of law enforcement, officers have traditionally been trained to…
Deadly explosions in India and Pakistan occur within 24 hours — at least 20 dead

Tragic Twin Blasts: Explosions in India and Pakistan Claim Over 20 Lives in Just 24 Hours

Two devastating explosions in India and Pakistan have claimed at least 20…
Surging Knicks dismantle Grizzlies to extend win streak to five games

Dominant Knicks Triumph Over Grizzlies, Celebrate Fifth Consecutive Victory

The Knicks have turned their game into a seamless display of skill.…
What gives the Giants a leg up in their coaching search

Discover the Key Advantage Boosting the Giants in Their Hunt for a New Coach

When a prospective head coach evaluates a new opportunity, two critical questions…
Office of the Inspector General urges Chicago Public Schools to reform travel policies after expenses spike

Inspector General Calls for Urgent Reform of Chicago Public Schools’ Travel Policies Amid Rising Expenses

CHICAGO — A recent report from Chicago’s Office of the Inspector General…
Passenger finds loaded magazine with mysterious inscription on Atlanta plane; FBI notified

FBI Investigates Loaded Magazine with Enigmatic Inscription Discovered on Atlanta Flight

A routine day at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta took an…