Girl power
North senior tends goal on school's boys hockey team
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Williamsville North senior goalie Kim Sass makes a save in third-period action against Sweet Home on Nov. 29 at the Amherst Pepsi Center Feature Rink. It was her first action in a Section VI Western New York Varsity Hockey Federation game. Photo by Joe Eberle Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

Whenever the Williamsville North boys Section VI Western New York Varsity Hockey Federation team takes the ice this season, be on the lookout for the only player with a ponytail sticking out of their helmet.

It belongs to backup goalie and East Amherst resident Kim Sass.

The 5-foot-5 senior is one of only a few girls to ever play in a Federation boys hockey game, making five saves in the third period of North's 4-3 win over Sweet Home on Nov. 29 on the Amherst Pepsi Center's Feature Rink.

"It was awesome," said Sass after a practice last week on the Feature Rink. "I was used to it from JV. It wasn't the first time had played in front of my school."

Rachel Stemerman, now a starting junior goalie for Wesleyan University, was a Federation honorable mention during the 2003-04 Federation season with Williamsville South. Senior Kelly Mendola is a backup with Kenmore East. Senior A.J. Sliwinski is a backup with Clarence.

Kim Sass has played for the Buffalo Bisons' girls program since she was 7. She was on the North JV boys team the last two years and started as a junior. She also saw time on the varsity practice squad.

Sass, who also plays for the Buffalo Bisons girls' 19U team, said playing on a boys team helps prepare her for girls hockey.

"The shots are a lot harder and the speed of the game is quicker so when I go back to the girls, I'm ready," she said.

Goalie genetics

Ever since she can remember, Sass always wanted to be a goalie.

"When you save the puck, everybody in the arena goes nuts," she said.

Her inspiration for playing the position comes from NHL great Dominik Hasek, who used to live in the Sass' neighborhood, and her father, Bob, who played goalie for North Tonawanda's varsity team and one year for the University at Buffalo. When he was in high school, Bob Sass tended goal for Buffalo Sabre practices at the Tonawanda Sports Center in North Tonawanda. He also played in a few men's leagues.

Bob Sass has been Kim's goalie coach with the Bisons since she started with the program in 1999.

"Every day in practice we dedicate 10 to 15 minutes to work with the goalies," said Bob Sass. "We drilled basic skills into her from an early age."

Kim Sass said her father has taught her everything about playing goalie but the most important philosophy she has learned from him "is to never take any reps off in practice and practice like how you would play in a game."

Honing her skills

It was on the Bisons where Sass began to excel in net.

She's played for the Bisons at every age group level since she was seven. In 2003 and 2007, Sass was the starting goaltender for the Bisons' 12U and 16U teams which finished third at the USA Girls Hockey National Championships. When nationals were in Buffalo two years ago, Sass, as a 15-year-old, won a skills competition in the 16U age group. Kelly Mendola, the Bisons' other goalie, won the skills competition last year.

Bob Sass said the last few years with the Bisons, Kim's goals against average has been under one while her save percentage has hovered around 0.95.

"Her technique is sound," said Bob Sass, who is also an assistant coach with the Bisons. "She seems to have a mindset for the position where she doesn't get too high or low. She doesn't get frustrated if she lets in a goal."

Kim Sass also helped the Western Region at the last three Empire State Games win gold, silver and bronze.

Decision time

In 2004, Kim Sass made an important decision that has greatly improved her goalie skills. Since there was no girls high school hockey offered at North, she joined the North boys program.

"I really wanted to show I wasn't bad like they always thought girls were," said Sass, who blocks with her right hand and saves with her left.

Any doubt of her competing on a boys team was erased by her performance on the ice. She played her sophomore and junior years on the North JV. As a sophomore, she posted a 7-1 record with two shutouts and a 1.98 goals against average, helping the JV Spartans to its fourth straight Niagara Frontier Junior Varsity Hockey Association title.

Sass shared duties in net as a sophomore with Branden Komm, who as a junior last year with the North varsity team, earned Federation second team all-league honors.

"It was kind of weird the first time I saw her," said Komm. "I didn't know what to expect but as practice grew on, I found she was the same as all of us. She works hard and has to earn her ice like everybody else."

Sass started her junior year on JV and compiled a 10-3-1 record, 2.45 goals against average and earned three shutouts.

"I was told by a Lancaster JV coach last year that we have got to stop working with her," laughed Brian Willison, North goalie coach. "I think Lancaster outshot us 40-15 and we tied 3-3. I said 'oh, she's doing good then.'"

Sass also practiced with the varsity team last year.

"Somebody said, 'is she a good goalie for a girl? and I said, 'I didn't even look at her like that," said North varsity Federation coach Bob Rosen. "She's a good goalie. That's how I look at it. Her technique is outstanding. She does a great job of being square to the shooters. She has a tremendous work ethic, comes every day to compete and has got a great attitude."

"She's one of the best goalies I've seen in the area," added Willison, who played goalie for the Buffalo Junior Sabres and had a short stint with the Rochester Americans. "She has good lateral movement. Over the past year, we've been working with her on controlling rebounds and she really seems to grasp what we teach and make adjustments as needed."

"I think she could step in normal circumstances and contribute to our team," Willison continued. "The unfortunate thing is we have Branden Komm and he's one of the most exceptional goalies in the entire area. There's no doubt she could start."

The varsity experience

When you're the only girl on a team with 28 boys, chances are you'll be given a hard time.

Kim Sass said other players joke around with her all of the time. While the interview for this story was being conducted, one of her teammates shouted "Sieve!" at her, implying she lets in a lot goals.

"Once they threw my locker room key across the ice and I asked someone to get it for me, and they tripped me," said Sass. "They've shot the puck at my head just because I'm a girl. It bothered me at first but now I'm like, 'you don't score on me so whatever'."

"The team messes with each other all of the time," said Willison. "They could get on Komm's case if he happens to be the point of ridicule for that day. It's easier for a goalie to be picked on because you're scoring on that person."

Sass also gets her own locker room at the Pepsi Center to change. She said when the team is not at the Pepsi Center, she usually has to change in the rink closet.

College plans TBA

Playing on a boys team is good preparation for the level of play she will see in college.

Sass did not want to mention what colleges she is looking at, although she said she does have some options. She would like to major in biology and become a radiologist.

"Her goal is to play college hockey and to be able to practice with the boys team is good for her for the next level that she wants to play," said Bob Sass.

"I think she has a real future ahead of her in college hockey," added Willison. e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com