A new era for women's ice hockey is set to begin at Alexandra Palace this weekend.
The Haringey Greyhounds were formed earlier this year by Haringey Huskies general manager Lee Mercer and Kirsty Bard, founder of Cambridge Kodiaks Women’s Ice Hockey Club and Ice Rink GM, in partnership with the iconic Victorian venue in North London.
And the new club will be led by the co-founders, alongside team manager Olga Glazer and Greyhounds captain Hannah Dolan-Davies.
Bard joined as the new General Manager of Alexandra Palace ice rink in January, coming from the Cambridge Ice Arena where she had founded the first women’s ice hockey club in the city.
After the Kodiaks made it to play-offs in their first season, she made connections with Mercer and the Huskies to build the ice hockey community for North London, and is aiming to recreate the success of her previous club with the Greyhounds.
Mercer had wanted to start a female team and was thrilled to meet someone with the same vision and passion for the sport. Huskies games now sell out to a crowd of 1200 and the club aims to get the biggest crowd for Greyhounds to raise the bar for spectators at women’s games.
Bard and Mercer recruited Dolan-Davies and Glazer to build the foundations of the club and, with the backing of Alexandra Palace and the Huskies, the team already have a loyal fan base.
The Greyhounds join the Women's National Ice Hockey League (WNIHL) South Two, after hosting trials in the summer at the Palace, open to women of all abilities, with the rink split between two skill levels.
There is also now a chance for the Haringey Hounds girls to carry on playing in the senior league.
The formation of the Greyhounds will continue to showcase how ice hockey in Haringey is all-inclusive and bodes well for the future of the sport in the local area and beyond.
A spokesperson for Ally Pally said: "We're delighted to announce the formation of a women’s ice hockey team - the Haringey Greyhounds.
"The club are now accepting new development players to training sessions, you can contact them via Instagram or Facebook to enquire about coming along.
"Come cheer on your new local team and experience a night of thrilling women's ice hockey! Early booking advised - ice hockey games sell fast here!"
Home fixtures (6.15pm), October 26 Bristol, November 23 Streatham (cup), January 25 Invicta, March 8 Coventry, April 12 Coventry (cup), April 26 Chelmsford, May 3 Lee Valley, May 10 Invicta (cup).
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