For one hockey player, lots of adjustments

Scanning the roster for the Case Western Reserve University Ice Hockey club team, you find many first names that you would expect to find on a college club hockey team: two Erics, two Michaels, a Joe, a Henry, and a Kayla. Hold up. That last name is quite unusual. Kayla DeVault, in her second year on the ice hockey team, has adjusted well to both college and a new hockey surface.

Growing up in Pennsylvania, DeVault had hockey in her childhood.

"I always wanted to play when I was little because my brother was playing it since he was four, and my parents wouldn't let me," said DeVault. "I finally got into it when I started reffing at 14. My parents then let me play roller hockey. I did a lot of roller, but I didn't do any ice until last year when I came to Case. I wanted to start an inline team here, but I couldn't make it happen, so I stuck with playing ice, and I've liked it."

"I played all kinds of different sports, and I've always liked playing with guys more than all-girls teams. It's more interesting," added Devault. "It's something I've always wanted to try, and it's one of the only sports that I've done that actually has stuck."

She started becoming a serious hockey player in 2006. "I actually created the inline team at my school. That year, I tried out for the Women's Team USA program, I made it, and I played in the junior Olympics for the under-18 team," said DeVault.

Her transition from the roller blade to the thin blade has been steady. "I've at least ice skated before, so I didn't have to learn how to ice skate, but I've heard from others that the harder transition from inline to ice rather than the other way around," said Devault, "but I think probably the most difficult part is that I play at such a higher level on inline that whenever I transition to ice I'm expecting myself to play at that level, and I'll try to do the same advanced movements as I would do in inline, but then I forget that I'm on a different surface and I mess up, it kind of catches me off guard." Playing for the Cleveland Heights Raptors women's ice hockey team, she scored the team's lone goal in a 2-1 loss on Oct. 18.

The other players on the CWRU hockey team have supported her. "I've actually had previous experience playing with a female on a male sports team, but that was in my younger level, when girls really didn't have their own team," said David Glunt, a grad student and forward in his first year on the team. "Actually, from what I've seen on the team, most guys get along with her. It's almost like a brotherly atmosphere. When she's on the ice, if someone's going to go and hit her, we almost look out for her even more, because we know it's tough for a girl to be playing against other guys. We support her for what she's doing, and I think it's a very admirable thing, going out there trying to play against guys."

"I guess the aspect is a little different, for me at least, because the teams I've played for in the past have been a little more selective, so situations like this have never really presented themselves," said sophomore goalie and club president Joe Timpona. "I think she's the only girl in the league, which is pretty impressive. It's different because you don't know what to expect, but she goes out and works and plays hard, so that's good to see."

"She's also really improved and she's holding her own out there and we're glad to have her in general, just another helping hand," said forward Rick Wattras. "Out on the ice, I don't even notice that I'm playing with a girl, it's just another one of my players, one of my buddies. We're just glad to have her out there."

DeVault did have a struggle or two. "When I first went to sign up, I had people on the team encouraging me to play, but I had a big struggle last year with some very.unfriendly people," said DeVault. "I definitely did have some issues. The first game I had last year, one of people from the other team looked me up on Facebook and sent me messages, taunting me.

"The thing is, I really don't care if people don't want me there. I have the right to be there. I'm there to play. Whether or not the team is nice, I can't control that. Luckily, this year, there seems to be a good team. Either way, I'm just going to play anyway," DeVault said.