Olympic dream

Wasilla grad to officiate during Torino games

December 27, 2005

JEREMIAH BARTZ\Frontiersman sports editor

WASILLA - Like any athlete, whether they admit it or not, hockey players, at least, secretly aspire for the national stage. They dream of the moment they can skate out onto the ice of Madison Square Garden or represent their country in the Olympic Games.

For any player, it's a long road to the Olympics. But one Wasilla native is proving athletes do not always take the same course to the famous games.

Danyel Howard, a 1991 graduate of Wasilla High School and a standout female hockey player while growing up in the Mat-Su Valley, won't be skating for Team USA. But she will be representing the United States as a hockey official for the 2006 games in Torino, Italy.

&#8220It's exciting,” said Howard, who is home in the Valley for the holidays.

Howard was selected to be an official in the Olympics from a large pool of candidates. She was invited to special clinics, and her vast experience officiating at the NCAA Division I and Division III levels earned her exposure.

For Howard, Torino is the next stop in a journey that began on the rinks of the Valley. She grew up playing the sport, skating in the Matanuska Amateur Hockey Association. She also played for a season on the Wasilla varsity hockey squad. A two-sport athlete, Howard left the Valley after high school to attend Northeastern University on a volleyball scholarship. While at the Boston school, she joined the women's hockey program.

&#8220I opted to pursue volleyball. But I still enjoyed the game of hockey. I was good enough to have the coaches allow me to play,” Howard said.

Howard was not only good enough to secure a roster spot, but talented enough to make an impact. During the 1994-95 season she led her squad with 17 assists. The following season she led her team with 19 goals. She finished her college career with 75 points (35 goals and 40 assists) in 84 games.

She concluded her playing career at Northeastern, but still wanted to find a way to stay involved with the sport and stay on the ice.

&#8220There is not too much available after that for women, unless you are bound for the national team,” Howard said.

So she traded the pads and the hockey sweater, for skates and a striped uniform. Howard became seriously involved in another part of the game, officiating.

&#8220It was an opportunity to still be on the ice,” she said. &#8220a way to remain in the game.”

Howard didn't jump straight from playing at a top level of women's hockey to officiating games at the top levels. Like a player, she had to start small and work her way up into the national spotlight. She started officiating youth games, and a lot of high school and prep school contests. She became certified as a hockey referee by USA Hockey, an organization that provides a lot of opportunity for anyone involved with the sport, Howard said.

She eventually became certified to officiate games at the college level. Currently she is one of 12 referees working Hockey East games, and 20 working the East Coast Athletic Conference contests. Howard now only officiates games at the college and international levels, a point in her career that she has strived for.

&#8220It's the opportunity to work the higher level games,” Howard said. &#8220Fortunately my playing experience provided enough background to quickly translate to reffing at this level.”

Howard works about every weekend of the college season, traveling throughout the upper East Coast to the Hockey East and ECAC games. Right now it isn't a full time gig, although Howard said, &#8220I wish it was.” She also owns and runs a painting company.

Also like a player, each year she attends a sort of referee training camp in September. Howard said there is a lot of communication between the officials, so all stay fresh with the ever-evolving sport of hockey.

&#8220Each individual referee has its own challenges. The game has its challenges,” Howard said. &#8220I don't think of it as a challenge. I see it as an opportunity, an experience. You take the experience for what it is.”

Howard is part of one of the most rapidly growing sports in the NorthAmerica - women's ice hockey.

&#8220It's definitely a growing and emerging sport,” Howard said.

There are now many opportunities for young women to become involved with the sport, Howard said, and it's not in just the youth leagues. It's to and through the college level.

&#8220The game has changed so much since I've been involved,” Howard said. &#8220The players are faster the teams are deeper. Teams used to be just two lines deep and now they're four lines deep. There are more youth organizations popping up. There are programs specifically for young girls. As they grow, it creates better collegiate programs.”

Howard, who has officiated both the men and the women, prefers the female brand of hockey.

&#8220I enjoy officiating boys' hockey, but once you get to a certain level they just want to go out and run over each other,” Howard said. &#8220Women's hockey is more of a finesse game. It's interesting to see plays develop.”

Howard said there is a physical element in women's hockey, but playmaking overshadows the physical part of the game. The talent has also evolved greatly from the start. The level of basic skills such as stick and puck handling are greatly improved. She said women's hockey is now completely different from the days of the first college hockey games in the U.S.

The women's hockey tournament in the 2006 Olympic Games starts Saturday, Feb. 11 at the Esposizioni Arena in Torino. Teams from eight countries - the United States, Canada,Finland, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Russia and Italy - will compete in the event. The medal round starts Friday, Feb. 17, and the gold medal game is slated for Monday, Feb. 20.

Contact Jeremiah Bartz at 352-2273 or at sports@

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