By Justin Pelletier,Staff Writer
Jillian MacIsaac and Stephanie Roy have high aspirations at Hebron Academy and beyond.

HEBRON – The fact that Jillian MacIsaac became a goaltender at all was somewhat a mistake. Only 5-years-old, the budding hockey star developed severe asthma and nearly had to quit the game entirely.

Instead, with a little help from her parents and coach, MacIsaac finished the season as one of her team’s goaltenders, figuring it would amount to less skating and aerobic exertion and perhaps lengthen her career by a few years.

Now 17, MacIsaac’s asthma is a distant memory. She grew out of it years ago and at the same time grew to like her newfound position on the ice.

“(My coach) was a goalie growing up, so he helped me out a lot at first,” said MacIsaac. “I loved it, and it wasn’t too bad, not as much skating. I eventually grew out of my asthma and stuck with being a goalie.”

MacIsaac, 17, is the starting goaltender for the Hebron Academy Lumberjacks. She and a teammate, junior forward Stephanie Roy, 16, both from Canada, recently represented their region at the 2005 Canadian National Under-18 Women’s Hockey Championship in Salmon Arm, British Columbia.

“Last year, we came out and played in the last place game,” said MacIsaac. “But this year, I think we were more prepared, we knew what to expect.”

From a young age

Like most Canadian youths, the girls started playing hockey shortly after mastering their ability to walk.

“I started skating when I was four,” said MacIsaac. “I started playing on guys teams, and actually here at Hebron, this is my first time on an all-girls team, so it’s definitely different, but I think playing with the guys definitely helped my skills.”

Roy remained a forward from the age of four. She also, for as long as she can recall, played with boys on mixed teams. This, she said, helped her develop stronger and more aware of her surroundings on the ice.

“I’ve always been the youngest on every team,” said Roy. “I’ve grown up as the baby of the team. I started to play when I was four, and I played guy’s hockey until I came here. It helped me learn to keep my head up and to expect the hit is coming.”

Making choices

Both MacIsaac and Roy, who are one year apart in school, explored closely the possibility of playing prep school hockey in the United States.

“Coming here was actually a big coincidence,” said Roy. “My dad was always my coach growing up and we were playing at St. Andrews, which is just outside the Maine border. My dad went into the bathroom there and the (Hebron) coach was in there. He saw my father’s jacket and commented on it. He said he liked that No. 8 on the ice, which my dad told him was his daughter, me.”

Knowing that Roy had been interested in prep schools in the United States for a long time, her father continued his conversation. The next year, Roy applied and was accepted. Her coach, Jenny Agnew, couldn’t be happier.

“(MacIsaac) has a lot of experience, which is extremely beneficial to us,” said Agnew. She’s done a lot of things for us, and we rely on having a strong goaltender in our game. Stephanie has been a captain for us for two years now. Being a captain as a sophomore and leading a team is a pretty big responsibility and puts some pressure on her but she does a great job.”

National pride

Even though both players are happy at Hebron, the fuel that drives the majority of young hockey players in Canada to success is ultimately wearing their country’s sweater in competition.

For MacIsaac and Roy, that dream is no different.

This October, the two played in the 2005 Atlantic Challenge Cup. Since MacIssac is from Nova Scotia and Roy from New Brunswick, though, they played on different teams.

“Sometimes I score on her, sometimes she stops me,” kidded Roy. “Honestly, we really kid around. It’s not a big thing for me to play against her because I’m with her in practice before.”

From that tournament, the members of Team Atlantic were chosen, and the girls found themselves teammates once again.

In Salmon Arm, MacIsaac stole the show early, garnering player-of-the-game honors in Team Atlantic’s opening game against host British Columbia, a 4-0 shutout.

“I’m pretty sure that getting the medal was the greatest feeling ever,” said MacIsaac. “No one expected it. We were the underdogs.”

Not to be outdone, Roy took home the tournament’s Most Sportsmanlike Player award.

“The pride, being able to represent my country, and just the experience you get from it. You get to meet new people and there are a lot of people there to look at you. It’s a good stepping stone for girls’ hockey.”

According to Hockey Canada’s site, many of the top participants in this annual tournament, particularly this season because of the age group represented, will likely represent Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Back home’

Back at Hebron in recent weeks, MacIsaac and Roy have had to readjust their game.

“It’s not that big of an adjustment,” said Agnew. “It’s all a matter of getting the balance of the mental and the physical parts of the game.”

Easier said than done, though, for both players.

“It was definitely a huge adjustment,” said MacIsaac. “We hadn’t even played here at all this year before we left, so coming here was a big adjustment for both of us. For me, the shots, the speed is a bit slower. As a team, though, we’re coming along well and we’re building.”

“You have to adjust according to the people you’re playing with,” said Roy. “A team is only as strong as its weakest link, so you have to adjust to that and work within the team and go from there.”

Still, with a UPDATE RECORD through Sunday, the Lumberjacks have only benefited.

The future for both players is still uncertain, but they are expressing interest in playing Division-I NCAA hockey.

“There are so many factors involved in everything,” said Agnew. “Getting into the schools academically, finding the right academic fit and the right athletic fit, it’s tough in women’s hockey to do that. Some of the top hockey schools are the top academic schools, too. That part gets a little tricky. Will they end up at a great hockey school, though? I have no doubt that they will.”