For freshman hockey player Lori Thompson, thinking about her grandfather’s advice helps her push through sexism on the ice. 

“Men, once they see a ponytail, they will target you,” Thompson said. “I think of memories with my grandfather, when he helped me with all the bullying.” 

Thinking of other female athletes also helps her keep her head up. 

“I would also see other females playing men’s sports and that kept me going,” Thompson said. 

Thompson currently plays center for the Mon Valley Thunder team. On average, she gets one or two goals and several assists per game. 

While Baldwin also has a hockey team, Thompson feels more comfortable at Mon Valley. 

“I play somewhere I’m used to,” Thompson said. “I’ve been at Mon Valley since I was 7 or 8.”

While she is now mainly a hockey player, Thompson also has played lacrosse, flag football, soccer, basketball, and gymnastics. Hockey has stuck with her, though. 

“You get to go to new places and meet new people. Hockey can affect your daily life by making you more disciplined and hardworking, and it gives you the ability to stay on track and to follow rules,” Thompson said.

Although the good outweighs the bad, playing hockey can pose various challenges. 

“There are moments when it gets scary because there are people who are taller than you, faster than you, and bigger than you,” Thompson said.  “Just let your mind go blank and go with the flow. You’ll be all right.”

Freshman Josh Eichhorn, a friend of Thompson’s, sees her passion for hockey.

“You could meet her and within the first five minutes, you’d know she loves hockey,” Eichhorn said. 

Thompson will also be playing this fall for the new Baldwin team for ball hockey, which is also known as dek hockey or street hockey. Thompson will be playing defense for the new team. 

She’s been playing dek hockey since she was 4 years old. She is excited about what can happen with the new team.

“Once you work with a team, you come together and you move as one,” Thompson said. 

Freshman Lucas Hout, another player on the new team, will be playing goalie.

“On the ice, the puck moves a lot faster than with dek. And on ice, you have to skate, while in dek, you run,” Hout said. 

Thompson has a piece of advice for anyone new to a team experiencing difficulty in their sport. 

“Keep your head up, ignore people – and one way to shut someone up is by scoring,” Thompson said.