Female Standout Liem Tearing Up The Inline Hockey Rink
By Jack Danilewicz
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Asked about her proudest moment playing inline hockey,Alyssa Liem answers without hesitation. After all, she helped lead the Oahu Inline Hockey League Select 14-and-under All-Star team to a first-place finish at the 2009 USA Hockey Inline Summer Showdown in Mililani in June.
“The other team had more players and more coaches than us, but we worked hard and pulled it off,” said Liem, a 4.0 student at Niu Valley Middle School and Kaiser High freshman-to-be. “Accomplishing that was nice.”
Liem, who will turn 14 in December, was at her best at the tournament, scoring seven goals to go with four assists while playing for both the OIHL’s 12-and-under and 14-and-under teams. That included a hat trick in one game and a two-goal effort in another. What’s more, Liem was the only girl on either All-Star team and was often the only female on the rink at various times during the Mililani games.
Last week, Liem took some time away from the rink to sit down with the East Oahu Islander.
How did you get started in inline hockey? What’s the most enjoyable part of playing? I was in the fourth grade, and we had just gotten skates that year. My mom was looking through an advertisement and saw inline hockey and asked us if my sister and I would be interested. We got registered and started playing.
What’s it like often being the only girl in the rink? It’s fun. You can show people what you can do.A lot of people stereotype girls as not being as good as boys, so it’s fun to see people’s reaction when you play as well as they do.Being able to do co-ed stuff also helps you to get better.My mom (Noreen) is always at the games,and she tells me to ‘beat up the boys.’
(“I encourage her,” added Noreen Liem. “I want her to fight for the puck and not be scared of the boys.”)
What’s your favorite pre-game meal? You want carbohydrates, so spaghetti or a sandwich. I’m not that serious - I usually eat whatever.
Who’s your favorite pro hockey team and why? The Anaheim Ducks.When I first started off, our team was named the Ducks. And when we traveled to California, we were able to watch a Ducks game in Anaheim.
Who is your hockey hero and why? They’re all good to me. I look up to all of them.
What’s your favorite position in hockey? Center, because you’re relied on to help more with defense and not just offense. It’s nice to be an all-around player. You get the most skating (at the center position), to me.
Hockey players are known to have pre-game rituals? Do you have any? I usually like to wear green socks when I play. That’s my favorite color. Also, I always try to get a good night’s sleep the night before a game and not stay up too late talking on the phone or watching television.
How long did you skate before you felt comfortable on the rink? I skated for about a year before I started playing hockey. By the time we started playing, we were comfortable, although backward skating took us some time.It probably took a month or so to get comfortable playing hockey.
Even some professional athletes have admitted to pre-game jitters - at least until the game begins.Are you nervous before a game? It depends. For the most important games I get nervous somewhat.I’m more comfortable before (playing) the regular-season games or just for fun.
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