How the Stars align at Esso Cup: Halle Duchene

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Halle Duchene has always been a real go-getter, the Energizer bunny on skates.

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It shouldn’t come as a surprise that she’s gone on to become the leading scorer on the Saskatoon Stars under-18 AAA female hockey team, while also netting an NCAA Division 1 scholarship at Mercyhurst University.

“She’s fearless — she always was,” points out Derek Guenther, who coached Duchene, or added her as an affiliate player, for four straight seasons in the Saskatoon Minor Hockey League and Saskatoon Bobcats zone.

“Ever since she was little, I can remember her just not being afraid, ever, and engaging in the play. That probably stands out the most — Halle goes for the puck. She would get involved and get engaged all the time.”

After playing with and against mostly boys, Duchene moved over to the Saskatoon Comets and female hockey when she reached the under-13 age group.

“Playing with the boys was awesome, but it was great to meet a whole new group of people,” recalls Duchene, who hopes to lead the Western regional champion Stars to the playoff round this week in Lloydminster at the Esso Cup national under-18 female hockey championship.

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Through her first two games at the Esso Cup, Duchene led Saskatoon with four goals and one assist.

She was the Stars’ leading scorer this season with 20 goals and 21 assists for 41 points in 30 games, adding another seven goals and eight assists for 15 points in 10 playoff games.

“Halle is a top-level player who has an offensive gift and offensive touch,” says Stars head coach Alana Serhan. “Anything Halle does is full-out. She gives it all every single shift. She’s a player who has the ability to create ice, create space for herself. She does that by incredible puck protection and a nose for the net.

“She just doesn’t stop. That’s just it. You see players like that who don’t give up on pucks, ever, and it doesn’t matter if they’re a minute-and-a-half into their shift or if their shift just started — she doesn’t give up on pucks. As a result, she puts a lot of pucks in the back of the net.”

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Duchene mulled over some NCAA offers and entertained a couple of campus visits before deciding on Mercyhurst.

“I went for a visit there and got to meet everyone,” she explains. “They have some programs I’m interested in, but I’m not sure what I’ll be taking yet.

“I’m so excited and grateful for that opportunity and to everyone who’s helped me along the way.”

Duchene and teammate Kolbee Ashe (Rochester Institute of Technology) are Stars already committed to NCAA Div. 1 programs.

Well deserved by both, their coach says.

Hard work has paid off for Duchene.

“Absolutely, Halle’s worked really hard for that,” says Serhan. “It’s all her. She practises how she plays. That’s a cliché coach line — ‘practice how you play’ – but Halle Duchene practises how she plays.”

Back in novice and atom hockey, Duchene is remembered as a little, somewhat scrawny, hockey player with endless energy.

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Although not huge by any standards, she has grown to 5-foot-6 and 130 pounds while remaining just as tenacious while chasing the puck.

“I’ve definitely grown up a bit,” she says, “and getting to the gym has really helped too.”

Duchene entered the week “expecting some great competition” and “a chance to get better and really show what we can do.”

She had been hoping to get to the Esso Cup and, well, here she is with “a good group of girls.”

“We also have a really young team, so I wasn’t fully sure, but as the season went on I knew we were going to be able to make it,” points out Duchene, who was asked for the key to success this week.

“The main key is sticking to our game, sticking to everything that we’ve been working for this whole season, just sticking to what we do.”

For her part, Duchene has always stuck to her game and her work ethic.

“Am I surprised?” wonders Guenther. “Honestly, she was such an easy kid to coach that I am thrilled for her success. I don’t know if I’m surprised, just because of how hard-working and athletic she is.

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“I don’t think I ever had to tell Halle to try harder.”

dzary@postmedia.com

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