Woman skates onto UNT men’s hockey team

by Phil Hausmann of of North Texas Daily

She glides across the ice rink, gaining momentum toward a man and prepares to dig her shoulder into his chest and send his body careening across the ice.

But freshman right wing Kayleigh Bowers isn't on the ice to figure skate. She's the first woman to play for the UNT Men's Ice Hockey Club.

"A girl practiced with us last year, but Kayleigh is the first to actually play for the team," senior club treasurer James Morlock said.

Bowers began playing hockey at the age of 11 and continued playing on an all-girls' team while attending Hillwood Middle School in Fort Worth.

"Well, I wanted to play football," Bowers said, "but my mom wouldn't let me."

The decision to play hockey came after Bowers found out that there was a future for women in the sport.

"For women, there's college and the Olympics," Bowers said.

She had to make adjustments to playing in an all-men's league, because in women's hockey competitors are not allowed to check each other but are allowed to push and shove, Bowers said.

"The speed is definitely different," she said. "It's a lot faster and then, of course, there's the physical part."

Bowers's cousin, freshman Jessi May, grew up around her and said she has always had the physical nature required to compete in hockey.

"She's one of the toughest girls I know," May said. "I mean, who else could play on an all-men's team?"

Bowers' adjustment to playing with all men instead of all women has been a smooth transition, she said.

"I was afraid that they would not respect me that much, but they all do," Bowers said. "If anything happens to me, they would all stick up for me, but they know I can handle myself out there."

Morlock has witnessed personally how Bowers is able to handle herself on the ice.

"I've seen her lay a couple of guys out," Morlock said. "She knocked an SMU player flat on his back."