Mill Basin is becoming one of the best places for women’s hockey in the world.
In anticipation of the New York Riveters’ inaugural practice on Sept. 16, no fewer than 18 female athletes from across the country and the globe will bid bon voyage to friends and family, and head to the heart of women’s hockey — the Aviator Sports Center in Mill Basin.
“The Riveters went out looking for the best hockey players from around the world,” said Riveters general manager Dani Rylan. “We found them.”
The city’s first professional women’s hockey team will feature five international players hailing from Austria, Russia, Canada, and Japan, along with 13 American athletes coming from nearly as many states.
“We’re from all over the place,” said Riveters goalie Jenny Scrivens, who’s moving away from her Candian home and husband — Oilers goalie Ben Scrivens — in Edumunton, Alberta, to join her teammates for their first practice next month.
For many of the women, the move to professional hockey represents a departure not just from their homelands, but their old lives as well.
“I’ll be leaving my friends, boyfriend, and job as a teaching assistant,” said Austrian forward Janine Weber, who has played in both the Elite Women’s Hockey League in Vienna and the Candian Women’s Hockey League. “I’ll miss my friends and family, knowing my neighborhood, and being a regular at places.”
But for the Riveters, the opportunity to play for pay is too good to pass up.
“For the first time in my life, hockey will pay my bills,” said Weber.
Rylan felt Aviator was a perfect fit for the Riveters franchise, considering Floyd Bennett Field’s history as a naval air station complementing its brand logo — based on “Rosie the Riveter,” the feminist icon made famous when women took on factory jobs making warplanes during World War II.
“Aviator is a great fit for the Riveters in so many ways,” Rylan said. “With a team playing in New York City we’re poised to kick-off our inaugural season with a prime market for our players to shine.”
The Riveters are a part of the newly formed National Women’s Hockey League, which features three other teams, including the Buffalo Beauts, the Connecticut Whale, and the Boston Pride.
The team will play it debut match against the Boston Pride at the Aviator Sports Center in Mill Basin on Oct. 11.
— with Joseph Staszewski
