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GIRLS PROGRAM


The Chicago Hawks Program believes in long-term athletic development and growth for players on and off the ice. We seek athletes who are willing to commit the time and effort required to achieve personal goals, as well as athletic and academic success. We pride ourselves in having a team for each athlete's skill set; offering competitive tier II hockey for U10 through U19 players.  We understand that every athlete’s development and goals are different, and it is our mission to help guide each individual to meet their goals on and off the ice.  The Chicago Hawks offers a Big Sister/Little Sister Mentor Program which emphasizes the importance of role models and mentorship for our players.  Our players support each other at levels and age groups which is what we believe to be the forefront of our program’s success.  We instill the Chicago Hawks Core Values in each of players and focus on Respect & Responsibility. 

Respect –
It is important to show respect for yourself, your teammates, your coaches and your opponents on and off the ice.

Responsibility -
When you’re responsible, your coaches and teammates will count on you to do the things you’re supposed to do.

 

2023-2024 Girls National Bound Team Rosters



LOOKING TO JOIN THE CHICAGO HAWKS GIRLS COACHING STAFF?

Are you interested in joining the Chicago Hawks Girls Program coaching staff?  Please email Girls Hockey Director Ryan Sullivan at ryanhsullivan@gmail.com.  Serious inquiries only.

 

Ryan Sullivan

Girls Hockey Director


MEET OUR COACHES!

RYAN SULLIVAN

Ryan began playing hockey at the age of 5 In Lakeville, Minnesota - a suburb of the Twin Cities.  Ryan continued his hockey career there through high school where he captained the Varsity team.  Post high school Ryan elected to hang up the skates and play DII football at Truman State University in Missouri.  Ryan’s love of hockey brought him back to the ice through various men’s leagues in Chicago.  

Having witnessed the birth of all-girls hockey in Minnesota during his youth and the subsequent explosive growth that followed, Ryan has been driven to help recreate similar opportunities for girls here in Chicago.  As a result, Ryan co-founded the Hawks girls program in 2015.  He has 3 hockey playing daughters (‘13, ‘08, ‘06) and son who also plays (‘11) - all at the Hawks!


Todd Deacetis

Coach Deacetis grew up playing hockey in the Chicagoland area.  Todd has played hockey at all levels from A to AA to AAA. He began playing with the St Jude Knights and later played for the Chicago Young Americans. After AAA hockey, Todd attended Marist High School where he played on the varsity team all 4 years. While at Marist, he also played for the Hawks. Coach Deacetis continued his hockey career at St Norbert College for 4 years.


ERIKA TRUSCHKE

Erika Truschke grew up in Lemont and played her youth hockey career at all four AAA travel organizations including Mission, Team Illinois, Fury and CYA. She attended SUNY Oswego in New York and was a four-year player on the NCAA DIII Women’s Ice Hockey team as a center and completed her B.S. in Marketing with an Athletic Coaching minor.

Most recently, she coached at Team Illinois as an assistant coach to the U16 and U19 girls’ teams from 2019-2021. Erika holds a full-time marketing job at a local construction firm but is extremely passionate about giving back to the game and coaching the younger generation of women’s hockey. She is excited to help all of the Hawks girls’ teams grow and develop into young hockey players and women. 


Madison Gasper

My name is Madison Gasper, and I was born and raised in Brampton, Ontario, and played my youth hockey with Brampton, Mississauga, and Aurora. I am still currently playing hockey and studying in Elementary Education with a minor in coaching at Aurora University in Illinois. I can’t wait to join a great coaching staff and hockey program to continue to grow the girls hockey game. I also look forward to being able to mentor and inspire the young girls of the club. 


Scott Matthews

Scott Matthews is proud to be starting his fifth year coaching with the Chicago Hawks.  Scott played his entire youth hockey career locally in the 70’s and 80’s, in the Chicagoland area.  He played for the Chicago Minor Hawks, Chicago Young Americans, Team Illinois and Naperville Central High School.  At age 17, Scott was drafted to the Ontario Hockey League and the United States Hockey League. Scott chose to play for the OHL with the Cornwall Royales.  He spent the next few years playing with the OHL and the Central Ontario Hockey League with the Brockville Browns, the Smiths Falls Bears, and the Branford Classics. 

Upon returning home in the 90’s, Scott began his coaching career and is a Level 4 USA Hockey Coach.  He has coached for the Naperville Sabres at the Mites-Midgets level, the Waubonsie Valley High School Varsity Team, and has coached with the Chicago Hawks in a variety of areas, including coaching the Bantam and Squirt Central States team.   Scott still enjoys the game of hockey by playing once a week with old teammates and teaching his son and daughter to play the game he loves so much.   


RICH FACKO

Coach Rich grew up in Palos Heights and played for the Chicago Hawks throughout his youth.  He played at Marist High School, and continued to play for the Hawks through high school.  He connected with many Hawks coaches over the years playing men's league and eventually brought his kids into the program.  He has three kids who play hockey, including a 12U girl, 10U boy, and 8U girl - and they're all Hawks (and a Phantom)!


SYDNEY CIHAK

Sydney Cihak grew up in Roselle, Illinois, and started to play hockey when she was 16 years old. She played for the Bruins, Naper Valley, and Yellow Jackets. She attended Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, where she played NCAA DIII hockey and ran track for the school. At Marian she obtained her B.S. in exercise sports science and coaching minor. 

Coming back to Illinois, Sydney resumed coaching with the Admirals and rebuilding their girls program from the ground up. Sydney has worked with the youth and adults in the Center Ice in-house and skate school programs. Sydney is excited to continue to develop and grow the knowledge of girls hockey within our Club.