Junior Reina Ohtani never planned to play ice hockey. Now, as the only girl on the Haven hockey team, she faces unique challenges. 

Ohtani has played for the Philadelphia Junior Flyers for the past four years, and began playing for Haven hockey this year. 

“It’s a great community. Since hockey is such a close team sport, you really have to rely on all of the other players on the team, and it’s really fun to get to know everyone,” Ohtani said. 

On her club team, Ohtani has connections with all of her teammates and enjoys competing at tournaments with them. On the Haven team, it’s a different situation. 

“They don’t respect me as much, and I don’t feel like nearly the same part of the team. Not that I hate my teammates,” Ohtani said. “I’m not really friends with them, and that’s a hard thing.”

Former hockey coach John Gavin also noticed the obstacles that Ohtani faces, but was surprised by the treatment she sometimes gets from her teammates. He also coached Ohtani’s brother, Sol, so Gavin thought it would help that she knew the team already. 

“Unfortunately, I think that even sometimes opposing players can treat her a little differently,” Gavin said. “So there can be kind of a distinction.” 

As right wing, an offensive position, Ohtani’s skill on the ice has drawn the appreciation of teammates like freshman Finn Coe.

“[Reina’s] pretty good, probably better than half the team,” freshman Finn Coe said.  “[She] works hard.”

In addition to four years of Junior Flyers, Ohtani played for the Haven girls varsity team in seventh grade after participating in a Learn to Play program where she began learning hockey. That experience has crafted her to be a strong player, according to Gavin.

“You can tell she understands the game,” Gavin said. “She’s always in position, and the puck seems to find her because she knows where to be.” 

Playing on an all-boys team means that Ohtani has to work harder to earn the respect that her teammates have for her.

“I sometimes feel pressure to play better every single day, like I can’t have an off day,” Ohtani said. “I’m living up to this expectation.”

Even through the pressure, Ohtani plays well in the eyes of her teammates. 

“She’s a great player, great teammate, and she skates hard and passes the puck around,” freshman Dylan Henzel said. “She usually keeps to herself, but she’s really nice when she opens up.”

In addition to the relationship difficulties, Ohtani faces inequality in the facilities available for her to use. Since there’s no girls’ locker room at many ice rinks, she has to find somewhere else to go. 

“I have to change in this really bad locker room,” Ohtani said. “It’s literally a handicapped toilet that they slap the girls locker room label on. It’s really nasty.” 

Haven used to have a separate girls team, but recently there hasn’t been enough interest to have two teams. 

“It’s more of a high school thing than it is the hockey thing, because the girls’ numbers have grown [in club hockey],” Gavin said. 

Through the challenges with the Haven team, Ohtani’s passion for the sport and her club season make her want to keep going. 

“What keeps me playing is just love of the game,” Ohtani said. “It’s a great community. Since hockey is such a close team sport, you have to really rely on all of the other players on the team.”