As she took to the ice in the opening minutes of West Point Inline Hockey Club's recent win against the Merchant Marine Academy, Cadet Jenna Vercollone '14 became the first female to represent the U.S. Military Academy in any capacity in the sport of hockey.
Vercollone is a member of the West Point Inline Hockey Club, a hobby club within the Directorate of Cadet Activities. Although the club was originally founded in 2000, it took off in earnest under the leadership of Pat Toffler '09, who is currently an infantry captain.
The team is an affiliate member of the Eastern Collegiate Roller Hockey Association within the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association. The team gained momentum each year culminating in a Division I Central Conference championship in 2011-12.
This year, due to scheduling and availability changes, the club branched out to include a few ice hockey games as an affiliate member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, and Vercollone jumped at the opportunity to return to the sport she loved growing up.
"Hockey has always been my favorite thing in the world," Vercollone said. "(This team) has made my time here at West Point a lot better."
Vercollone, who is also a member of Women's Army Rugby, had not even considered that she was the first female to represent West Point in this manner.
"I hadn't thought about it. I was a little worried, being the only girl on the team, but (the other players) have been great about helping me out and making me feel at home," Vercollone said.
Although she may not be the biggest player on the team, she is no slacker on the ice.
"She goes into the corners just like anyone else, and she's one of the most committed and driven players on the team," defenseman and captain Brett Kroll '13 said.
Her dedication paid off against MMA, as Vercollone helped the team to a 6-1 victory by adding an assist of her own.
