To say that Johnston resident Victoria Hartley fit in with hockey legends like ex-Boston Bruins star Don McKenney, AHL Hall of Famer Bruce Cline and Jack Ferreira of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings during Sunday’s 16th annual Rhode Island Heritage Society Reunion would be an understatement.
So much so, in fact, a crowd estimated at 250 sent a thunderous sound of applause echoing through the famed Goddard Memorial State Park carousel building when emcee Tom McDonough began listing the recent La Salle Academy graduates ice hockey credentials.
“Her record this year featured three shutouts and a goals-against average of less than 1.00,” McDonough said amid oohs and aahs from an audience filled with all types of people from the world of ice hockey. “What makes it more remarkable is that Victoria never played hockey before she tried out as a freshman in 2013.”
Soon thereafter, McDonough called Hartley to center stage – on which were seated two-dozen or so hockey greats of yesteryear – to receive the prestigious Gil Mayer “Unsung Hero” Award.
The award is named in honor of former Reds and Toronto Maple Leafs extraordinary goalie Gil Mayer and presented annually to a schoolboy and schoolgirl player who meets a certain criteria and is selected by a panel that includes coaches, referees, administrators and the Society’s Board of Directors.
“Her statistics would even make Gil Mayer smile,” McDonough mused about the senior captain who backstopped La Salle to the state championship and has earned a total of nine varsity letters, three each in field hockey and ice hockey. She also played lacrosse this spring.
It was Hartley’s stellar play, in fact, that enabled Head Coach Sean NcNamara’s Lady Rams to go through the Rhode Island Interscholastic League’s state tournament with an unblemished record.
The daughter of Keith and Deena Hartley, Victoria has also earned a number of academic honors, including being elected into the prestigious La Salle Academy Chapter of the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society.
“She’s an absolutely remarkable young woman,” Ted Quigley, the long-time athletic director at La Salle Academy noted. “And, although she just graduated, she’s not leaving us; she’ll be back in the spring to be an assistant lacrosse coach.”
Perhaps the most intriguing thing about Hartley’s ice hockey success is that she only started playing in 2013. That’s when she literally gave up highly-promising careers in gymnastics and lacrosse to work on her ice hockey skills.
Hartley, who will enroll at Providence College next month, was honored along with three other high school hockey standouts – Brittney Bidwell (Cranston/EG co-op); David Gaulin (Smithfield) and Zach Librizzi (St. Ray’s/PCD/Wheeler) during Sunday’s reunion. Two other stars – Colin Clegg (Barrington) and Brynne Costa (East Providence) also received “Unsung Hero” honors but were unable to attend the event.
“While Sunday was a great day for the Reds Heritage Society, it was also a big day for La Salle Academy,” Quigley noted. “We had a present and past goalie – Jack Ferreira – honored in one day.”
While Hartley took home the Gil Mayer “Unsung Hero” Award, Ferreira – who has spent 44 years in professional hockey since his playing days at Boston University – was honored with the prestigious R.I. Native Son Hockey Award for his on-going outstanding contributions to the sport at many different levels.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here