Quinte West goaltender garnering national attention

A 13-year-old Quinte West goaltender has returned from Alberta with a podium finish and a focus on making the pros.

Lily Groeneveld recently took part in the War for the Roses hockey tournament, an elite annual invitational featuring top U13 female players from across North America.

Groeneveld split the time in goal for Team Ontario, winning every game in which she appeared.

Local teammate Kendall Kolga also took part in the tournament (Feature story here)

The team would lose to Connecticut in the championship game, going 6-1 overall.

Groeneveld spent several years under the Quinte Red Devils program, where for four regular seasons straight, the team went undefeated.

Last season she was a double underage as a 12-year-old, playing with the U15 Belleville Bearcats.

Her goal now is to make Team Ontario’s U16 club next year.

Speaking to Quinte News, she says she believes she is on is the right path.

“I try to work out as much as I can so I don’t lose all of my strength by just sitting on the couch. I also try and get as many ice sessions as I can so I can work on my skating, my puck play, and my shots.”

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She has been training with former Belleville Bulls goaltender Mike Murphy and her father Phil, a former pro goaltender in his own right (Wellington Dukes goalie coach).

Her goal is push herself to become better.

“Be on the ice as much as I can. Improve all of my qualities, I would say. Stick handling or my skating and reading the play.”

Her brother Noah is a goaltender with the Frankford Huskies this coming season.

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Lily Groeneveld and her Quinte Red Devil teammates winning the OMHA Championship (U12) NOTE: Groeneveld and her teammates went undefeated in the regular season for four years

She says the goal is to eventually get to the PWHL, but there is a lot of work to do.

Last week Lily visited Quinte News (CJBQ, Mix 97, Rock 107 as well), along with her parents

“It means a lot to me and how much they support me, and I don’t think I could have done it without them.”

Lily Groeneveld playing in the War for the Roses tournament in the Edmonton Mall.