After winning the Chipotle-USA Hockey Tier I Girls 19U National Championship on April 4, Kirsten Simms wasn't sure if another experience could compare to her 2021-22 campaign with Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club's 19U Girls.
But after reflecting on her time at the 2022 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship, representing her country is also something she will never forget.
"Coming off such a good season we had and how we did as a group, it was a huge honor coming from Little Caesars and playing for the United States alongside two of my teammates," Simms said. "It definitely meant a lot."
Simms - alongside fellow forwards Cassandra Hall and Elyssa Biederman - all suited up for Little Caesars this season and for the U.S. in the international tournament, which was held in Madison, Wis., from June 6-13.
"There's so many talented players on this U18 team from across the country," said Little Caesars AAA Hockey Girls program director Manon Rhéaume. "And to have three of those players from our program, it's amazing."
According to Simms, playing in front of international fans was a "different feel."
"The energy was crazy different in comparison to youth hockey," Simms said. "Just seeing how the fans do chants was very different and it definitely got the energy up when the nerves went down."
The U.S. kept its composure throughout the preliminary round, finishing first in Group A with a 3-0-0 record (nine points).
Simms said competing against different countries was beneficial to her development.
"It's obviously very different than youth hockey because of the speed and the level of the players," Simms said. "The physicality of it gives you a little introduction to what college and the next level is going to be like."
On June 12, the Americans rallied to defeat Sweden, 3-2, to advance to the gold-medal game against Canada.
"You can never count any team out, especially because there always is a battle between the U.S. and Canada every year," Rhéaume said. "It's a different level of play there. Like the NHL Playoffs, it doesn't matter what you did before the final. It's a different animal."
In the championship game, Canada defeated the U.S., 3-2.
"They fell short in the final, but they had a great showing," Rhéaume said. "For me, the girls and that team learned how to get to the final. It was a great lesson that they learned and understanding that at such a young age will help them immensely."
The Little Caesars trio shined on the international stage. Simms finished the tournament with five assists and a plus-4 rating. Hall recorded four points on two goals and two assists while Biederman had one goal and a plus-2 rating. All appeared in five contests.
For Biederman, her time with Little Caesars prepared her for the World Championship.
"The resources, facilities and knowledge that we are given within the program is amazing," Biederman said. "We're treated like professionals and held accountable to that level. This mentality helps prepare us for higher levels and college."
At the helm of the program, Rhéaume said helping athletes reach their goals signifies how important Little Caesars is for players like Simms, Hall and Biederman.
"At Little Caesars, we work hard to not sacrifice the development of the players over winning games," Rhéaume said. "We really focus on helping them react to what's in front of them to be able to win games. To see how many girls from our program go on to play in college and watch the successes they have, it speaks to the habits we try to develop."
June 20, 2022 at 10:02PM
https://www.nhl.com/redwings/news/little-caesars-19u-girls-at-iihf-u18-worlds/c-334599922
Little Caesars 19U Girls trio shines at IIHF U18 Women's Worlds - NHL.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=little&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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