HORSEHEADS, CORNING GIRLS HEAD TO 19U GIRLS' HOCKEY NATIONALS (2025-04-02)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
A pair of area athletes headed to nationals starting on Wednesday as they will play for the Rome Girls 19u hockey team, a Tier II team at the regional hockey championships.

The team features Horseheads senior Joran Sheehan and Katie Creath of Corning, and they won the New York State Championships in Buffalo in order to make regionals.

The team is currently ranked fifth in the nation and are headed to Cleveland through April 6 for the National Championships. 

Along with the Corning and Horseheads girls, the team also has girls from Binghamton, Wellsville, Rochester, Syracuse, Oswego and one from Bradford, Pennsylvania. 

Making a trip out of states and going to nationals is something fun for the girls.

“That’s super exciting, and fun,” Sheehan said. “We travel a lot. I think we have been to Boston six times this year. Hockey, is such a community and how it can teach you so many life skills. I feel like we are always meeting someone new at tournaments.”

On Monday, the two local girls were in the car together, driving home from their last practice before nationals.

“Tonight was our last practice as a team,” Sheehan said. “So special. The 16u team has been so supportive too. Good vibes and everyone is excited for nationals. Every last one of us is super excited.”

For both girls it’s been special spending so much extra time with their teammates as they prepare for nationals.

“It’s so fun, I love it,” Create said. “So thankful I get to spend so much time with them.”

“They are all my best friends,” Sheehan said of her teammates. 

Things aren’t always easy being from this area and playing hockey. Both girls have to travel a lot for practices, and aren’t with many of their classmates. 

“I feel like I like it, because we get to meet a lot of new people and new connections,” Sheehan said. “We really know people from all over the state. Even though people at our schools don’t know much about it, it makes up for it because how close we are.”

And, the friends that do know about their hockey success are rooting them on.

“My friends, and teammates, on other teams support me and want us to do well in nationals,” Create said.

Both girls have had to miss practice, and games, for their spring sports as they got ready for nationals. Sheehan already missed the season opener for the Horseheads lacrosse team, and Creath is missing games with Corning rugby. 

“Most people have been super understanding,” Creath said. “I have to miss my first three rugby games and Jordan her first two for lacrosse. We kind of have to sort out our priorities. 

“It’s important (to be organized). There is a lot going on, a lot of things I have to miss and I don’t want to miss things. We usually have to leave to go to practice right from school.”

It’s not just their spring sports, it’s also balancing the travel with school work.

“It’s definitely tough, there are some conflicts,” Sheehan said. “I play lacrosse, Katie plays rugby. For nationals we have to miss some of our spring sports.

“I don’t want to miss anything. I try and make everything I can. I try and do as much as I can and when I have to make a choice it’s always hard.”

For both girls there is plenty of communication with their teachers and the schools to make sure they can make everything work with school and hockey.

“I feel like just being open with our teachers,” Sheehan said. “This week we are missing three or four days of school. Just doing homework in the car, all our teammates do the same thing. We do the homework at hotels and we are always supportive of each other. All our teammates are in the same boat as us. We are always helping each other to get stuff done.”

Having each other makes things so much better for both girls.

“It’s so nice,” Sheehan said. “I probably wouldn’t be able to do it without Katie. Sometimes car rides are the most fun part. We get to talk about stuff, we both understand because we are both going through the same thing. We both play a spring sport, we are both on the Rome team and from the same area.”

And, the car rides give both a chance to talk about their practices.

“Do a little practice debrief in the car,” Creath said. 

One of the best parts about playing on a travel team out of the area is meeting girls from all other.

The other day there is another girl on our team (the hockey team) and she played n the flag football team against my school and I was able to cheer her on,” Creath said. 
 
“It’s probably the best part of it is I know so many people outside of school, it’s so tight knit, everyone knows everyone,” Sheehan said. “Whenever we go to other schools and my hockey teammates are playing, like when we go to Vestal there is a girl on our team and she always comes to our games (the Horseheads games Sheehan plays).”

The support that both girls have from everyone just makes things so much easier for them.

“We have support from people in our town,” Creath said. “My rugby team has been showing support, it’s been so nice.”

The team is ranked fifth out of 16 teams and they feel like if they play well they could have a chance to compete for a title. 

For both players this is a special way to finish up high school as they go to nationals for the first time.

“I’m really going to miss this team after it’s over,” Creath said. “It’s going to be like five nights in a hotel, I’m excited to spend that time with them (her teammates).”

“Senior year for both of us, we don’t want to miss our spring sports, but it’s our first time going to nationals and it’s special for us,’ Sheehan said.

Both will play in college next year, Creath at Framingham State and Sheehan at Buffalo State.

Both girls know nationals can only help prepare them for college.

“I think it will definitely be exciting and show us the pace of play in college,” Creath said. 

And, just the balance of school and hockey on a team out of town is something that prepares both for life after high school. 

“I think that’s one of the most beneficial parts,” Sheehan said. “Make us prepare for college by prioritizing stuff, getting our school work done. We are used to meeting new people. At the beginning of the year I didn’t even know Katie, now we are super close. It teaches us to meet new friends and prioritize our time.”
—————
PROVIDED PHOTO.


Print Friendly Version