The official site of the Torch, the student-run newspaper at Glenbrook North High School.

Torch

The official site of the Torch, the student-run newspaper at Glenbrook North High School.

Torch

The official site of the Torch, the student-run newspaper at Glenbrook North High School.

Torch

Skaters glide into hockey games

Senior Demi Madden (left) and junior Nicole Koshevatskiy perform for a varsity hockey game against Stevenson on Sunday, Dec. 7. Photo by Morgan Berg. Click to enlarge.
Senior Demi Madden (left) and junior Nicole Koshevatskiy perform for a varsity hockey game against Stevenson on Sunday, Dec. 7. Photo by Morgan Berg. Click to enlarge.

At 6:50 a.m. on a Sunday morning, 12 high school girls shuffled onto the ice with groggy faces and tired eyes. But, within minutes, the girls were jumping and gliding in synchronization. With every new jump and dance move, the girls slowly became more energetic.

Three years ago, this group, known as the Spartan Skaters, was created by senior Demi Madden and junior Lindsay Malkin.

“We wanted to be involved [at Glenbrook North] somehow and skating takes up so much of our time [so] we couldn’t really be involved in anything,” said Madden. “So we thought: ‘Why not make a group where we can skate and support the hockey team?’”

Malkin said it took awhile to come up with the idea of the Spartan Skaters because other schools do not have teams like this. After coming up with the idea, Malkin said their next challenge was finding a coach.

Spartan Skaters coach Meredith Eisen said Malkin and Madden approached her three years ago because she was working at the ice rink, and they knew of her previous involvement in both poms and skating.

The team is now in its third season and Eisen said she hopes the team keeps growing to a point where there can be a varsity and junior varsity team. The biggest issue it faces now, according to Eisen, is finding time to practice on the ice because they are not as well known at the ice rink, causing them to get the last pick of practice time.

According to Madden, the Spartan Skaters mix skating moves, such as jumps and spins, with dance moves into a two minute routine which is performed in between the second and third period of home varsity hockey games.

Eisen said she recalled a time when the team was still new and they were performing at a GBN versus Glenbrook South hockey game.

“[GBS fans were booing] us,” said Eisen. “Right when [the Spartan Skaters] got out there, [GBS fans were] going nuts and banging on the wall. But once they started performing, [the GBS kids] were all watching and quiet, and I was like ‘Yup, there you go!’ [It] was pretty cool to see that.”

All of the members of the Spartan Skaters also participate in Icettes, a skating and dancing team  affiliated with the Park District.

Malkin said it is hard to balance her schedule to ensure she has “time for everything” since she is at the ice rink every night doing something different.

As the coach, Eisen said she had to resolve this conflict the skaters faced.

“Sometimes Icettes [practice] conflicts with Spartan [Skaters] or a [performance at a hockey] game we have,” said Eisen. “But, I have [the Spartan Skaters] dress in their [uniforms] at their [Icettes practice] and then I just take the [girls off the ice] for a few minutes to perform at the game.”

Madden said they are used to balancing the different practices by now and she has found the Spartan Skaters to be a great experience.

“Just being able to be a part of GBN and be involved, it was a whole new beginning and a whole new perspective of high school…” said Madden. “I finally can say that [I’m] involved [in my school].”