Andrea got
into hockey after watching her older brother play when she
was 4. At the time her parents had enrolled her in
figure skating lessons, but the fast pace of hockey hooked
her. She started out playing hockey with figure
skates, and eventually finished off figure skating with
hockey skates.
"Right off
the bat she took to it and did everything she could to get
to the rink with the boys," Jake Nichols said.
Andrea was
always looking for a hockey camp to go to. She was
just one of those strange little kids," he added with a
laugh.
Because
few schools in her area had girls hockey programs back then,
Andrea's family didn't expect her to stick with the sport.
But her love for the game kept them searching for
opportunities for her to play. That eventually landed
Andrea at Hibbing where she earned a reputation by spending
her free time at the rink working with coaches. |
Jake Nichols of Mountain Iron remembers the noise that came
from his unfinished basement many years ago.. It was the
sound of his daughter, Andrea, zipping around on roller
skates, pretending she was a hockey player. For a puck, she
had a tennis ball. ``For like hours, you'd just hear this
little kid downstairs skating,'' he said.
Jake Nichols proudly displayed a faded gray T-shirt
Tuesday.. The shirt was from
the 1997 Iron Range District Pee Wee A championships.
Team rosters were listed on
the back. The shirt reads
like a who's who of Northland hockey talent, with Ben Gordon
of International Falls and Gino Guyer of Greenway among the
players listed. Even so, one
name sticks out: Andrea Nichols, Jake's daughter.
Nichols played for Virginia
that year and was the only female in the
tournament.
Andrea played boys PeeWee hockey for two years. "She
has always been a tough little tomboy, but [those two PeeWee
years] made her even tougher," Jake Nichols said. "The PeeWee coach even told me that Andrea was one of the best
checkers on the team." |
|
|
Her High School
Stats |
|
Season |
All-State Team |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
Pts/Gm |
|
1998-99 |
- -
- |
- - |
40 |
20 |
60 |
|
|
1999-2000 |
Second Team |
- - |
51 |
43 |
94 |
|
|
2000-01 |
First Team |
- - |
59 |
33 |
92 |
|
|
2001-02 |
First Team |
- - |
52 |
34 |
86 |
|
|
2002-03 |
First Team |
31 |
71 |
56 |
127 |
4.1 |
|
Totals |
|
273 |
186 |
459 |
|
The first time I
saw Andrea Nichols play was in the 2000 State Tournament.
She was a feisty little character. Seemed to
have an "attitude". Made me think of
former Duluth East All-State defenseman, Patrick Finnegan.
John of MNPuck |
|
Jake Nichols
Recalls PeeWee Days
Other
people watching the games were always surprised to find out
that No.15 wasn't a little boy, but a little girl.
One time a
goalie got mad at Andrea because she kept buzzing the net.
After the game, he waited outside the locker room to have
some words with the player. Well, Andrea came out and
walked right past him. One of the guys standing there
said, "You know what? That's the player you're mad
at." The goalie all of a sudden had this funny look on
his face. I'll never forget it. |
|
|
|
Andrea Nichols
9th-grader
2000 2nd T All-State |
|
|
Andrea Nichols in
the 2003 Class A
state tournament |
|
|
"Andrea
Nichols is that rare breed of hockey player who mesmerizes
crowds with her skill, while at the same time reminds people
of an innocent era of hockey where kids skated on ponds,
improvised plays, and just had fun."
Jon Nowacki, Duluth News Tribune
"I can teach
systems all day long, but what Andrea has can't be taugh.,
Andrea is a throwback to the old days of hockey, when
players simply relied on their instincts. She has the
vision and skill to go with the grit and heart. That's
a tough combination to beat."
Hibbing-Chisholm coach Pete Hyduke
Andrea led the
state in scoring for three years: 2001, 2002, and
2003.
She is No.3 on the
Top Career Scorers listing with 459 points.
2001 First Team
All-State.
2002 First Team
All-State.
2003 First Team
All-State.
Member of the
Girls All-Time Top Players listing because of three
times
"First Team All-State".
|
|
|
