KINGSTON – It’s an exciting time to be in women’s hockey, say two Olympians who were in Kingston on Saturday.

Natalie Spooner and Genevieve Lacasse were in town to take part in the third annual Taylor Hall Charity Ball Hockey Tournament in support of the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston and Area. They both spoke with the Whig-Standard about how the world of women’s hockey is changing, especially with the new National Women’s Hockey League just completing its first season.

Lacasse, goalie for the Boston Blades in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL), said it is exciting because when she was growing up in Kingston it wasn’t realistic for a girl to go pro and make a career out of hockey.

"Now it is becoming more and more possible. There is still some work to be done, and hopefully for those young generations it’s set up where they’re making almost what these guys are making," Lacasse said of her male counterparts at the ball hockey tournament such as Taylor Hall, Connor McDavid and Luke Gazdic. "That is a long ways away, but we’re working towards that."

Spooner said the organizational base is there for women’s hockey.

"We’re slowly getting bigger every year, more fans are coming out to our games, which is so important," said Spooner, who also plays for the Toronto Furies in the CWHL. "I think as long as we’re on that right track, then hopefully we’re keep getting those fans and those little girls will say they want to play in the CWHL when they are older."

Even being invited to play in the ball hockey tournament with male NHL players says a lot, remarked Lacasse.

"Getting to do events like this being involved with some NHL guys, it’s nice,"Lacasse said. "They honestly respect us and I think a couple years ago I don’t know if it was at the same level."

Many times, to succeed and play at a high level, families are spending thousands of dollars a year on their young athletes, said Lacasse.

"If I was playing right now as a kid, there was no way my family would have been able to afford it," Lacasse said.

Recently Spooner became an athlete ambassador for Canada’s Dairy Farmers Fuelling Women Champions, a movement geared towards supporting young female athletes.

"Getting younger girls into sport and to stay in sport longer because it definitely impacts your life and changes it in a positive way," Spooner said. "They’ve just launched the champions fund, it’s $5,000 and girls who need funding for training can apply. If you’re a skier who needs to go overseas, or are starting up a team in a small town.

"It’s pretty exciting that 20 girls or organizations are going to get that money and it goes a long way."

To learn more about the movement, go to www.womenchampions.com.

scrosier@postmedia.com

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