VEGAS (April 7, 2024) – The Vegas Junior Golden Knights 14U Girls team captured the USA Hockey-Chipotle Tier II National Championship today with a 1-0 overtime victory against Team South Dakota in Sioux Falls, SD.
The team, led by Head Coach Gordie Mark, is the first girls team from the state of Nevada to qualify for USA Hockey nationals. The Junior Golden Knights finished 5-1-0 in the tournament, outscoring opponents 13-4 and defeating the Rhode Island Sting, Nashville Jr. Predators and Team South Dakota in the playoffs.
Mark is a former NHLer and Las Vegas Thunder player who coached youth softball prior to taking over the Junior Golden Knights 14U team this year. He led the team to a 16-0-0 record in the Pacific Girls Hockey League (PGHL) and a PGHL playoff championship in which it did not allow a goal in four games.
The 14U girls were one of three Junior Golden Knights teams to play in USA Hockey National Championships this year, joining the Faith Lutheran High School team and the 16UAA boys team.
Players on the 14U team were born in 2009 or ’10, meaning they were around seven years old when the Vegas Golden Knights began play in 2017-18. Youth hockey participation in the state of Nevada has grown 426% since the Golden Knights arrived, including a 572% increase among girls and women.
ABOUT THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
The Vegas Golden Knights are a National Hockey League franchise owned and operated by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment LLC. Established by Owner and Chairman Bill Foley and his family, the Golden Knights were the most successful expansion franchise in North American professional sports history in 2017-18 and won the Stanley Cup in 2022-23. For the latest news and information on the Golden Knights visit vegasgoldenknights.com and follow the team on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.
