Gallaga oriented around hockey - and so much more
Tala Gallaga speaks Chinese, recently earned her yellow belt in kung-fu by breaking a wooden board, and has a passion for computer graphics and computer animation.
A junior at Neuqua Valley, Gallaga also is a cross country runner who, last December, finished the Rock 'N' Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon in 2:16 - and she's soon running another 13.1-mile half marathon and is eager to go the distance and attempt her first full 26.2-mile marathon.
Oh yeah, she's also a gifted hockey player, aided by her skills and experience over the past two years as a competitive speedskater.
Gallaga, 17, a center, is the leading scorer on the co-op Naper Valley Wildcats (22-3-2) with 11 goals and 26 assists. The Wildcats, in their fourth season, also have players from Batavia, Hinsdale South, Naperville Central, Naperville North, Oswego East, Waubonsie and Joliet Catholic.
The Wildcats face Lake Forest Friday in the championship game of the girls' Blackhawk Cup. Game time at the United Center is 5 p.m., which will be followed at 7 p.m. by the boys' state championship, where Loyola Gold faces St. Rita.
The Ramblers cruised into the finals with a 6-1 semifinal win over Marist, while St. Rita slipped past defending state champion New Trier Green 4-3 in overtime in the other semi, played Monday at The Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville.
"It's amazing," playing for the state championship, Gallaga said. "I've been to (Chicago) Blackhawks games at the United Center, but now we get to play there. It's very, very exciting.
"The key for us is our ability to work together, especially since we come from so many different schools. It's been a really fun year. We've done well the last couple of years, so we were hoping to get to this point.
"Personally, it's been a real exciting season; a fun season."
The Wildcats, coached by Tom Clarke who also coaches the Neuqua Valley boys team, defeated New Trier to win the girls' Metro Scholastic Cup championship in late-February.
Gallaga was tied for second in Metro scoring this season, finishing with 9 goals, 24 assists (33 points) in 20 games. Lake Forest sophomore Haley Conroy also had 33 points: 16 goals, 17 assists. Junior Catherine Heidersbach (39 goals, 7 assists) of Lake Forest Academy led Metro in scoring.
"I'm fast and I'm pretty good at seeing the ice, getting passes where they need to go," said Gallaga who, in 2008, started speedskating after learning about it before a team practice. And she also won a speedskating competition in 2008 in Milwaukee.
Speedskating, she said, "has really helped my stride (in hockey). It's a lot longer, a lot more powerful. I'd really like to compete nationally (in speedskating)."
Gallaga's ice skills also has benefited from her running endurance. She ran the Rock 'N' Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon last December to honor her mother, Kerrie, who has Crohn's disease. Gallaga raised about $3,600 for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America during her training.
"The (half) marathon meant a lot to me and of course my mom," Gallaga said. "The disease has had a big impact on her life and I was just happy to help the cause. The race was long, very very long. But so exciting."
Gallaga quickly called her mom after crossing the finish line, "and that was very emotional," she said.
Gallaga attended the race with her dad, Ed.
So, about speaking Chinese - how does that help your hockey?
"You never know, it might," she said, laughing. "I joined kung-fu because they primarily speak Chinese, and am in my third year (studying) Chinese. I want to take (Chinese) in college, too. I'm really interested in Asian culture. It's really old and obviously very different from ours."
Junior Kelly Seymour (18 goals, 11 assists) was Naper Valley's second leading scorer in Metro play this season. Freshman Shannon Smith had 18 goals, 3 assists, while sophomore Stephanie Jackson had 9 goals, 12 assist.
"Tala is very fast; her motor never quits," Coach Clarke said. "She's very strong in the offensive zone and very strong in the defensive zone. Plus, she's great on faceoffs."
Naper Valley finished 17-3 in the Metro regular-season, while Lake Forest ended 14-3-3.
Wordly stars: The 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Under-18 Championship begins Saturday at the Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge. The tournament runs through April 3 and is the first-ever IIHF World Women's U18 Championship played in the U.S.
State glory: Notre Dame skate past Jacobs 5-0 for the White Division title of the Blackhawk Cup, played in Bensenville. New Trier defeated Barrington 5-1 to win the JV state championship.
Kennedy Cup champs, again: St. Rita continued its dominance of the Catholic League, sweeping Fenwick in the best-of-three series to claim its third straight Kennedy Cup championship.
The Mustangs won the first game 3-1, then 2-0 in the deciding game.
Senior Hank Capouch scored the game-winning goal with a second period slapshot off a pass from Mike Tisoncik. Alex Roman iced the win with :15 remaining to play with an empty-net tally.
Sean Gerich made 21 saves for the victors.
"They have a solid team that has caught fire down the stretch," senior John Scully, a St. Viator forward, said of St. Rita. "They have a great shot at the state title."
Buffalo Bills: Loyola Gold has to feel like the Buffalo Bills of local high school hockey. The Ramblers have been to the state championship game 11 times since the first title game was played during the 1973-74 season, including nine times under current coach D.J. LaVarre, who took over the reigns in 1992-93.
The Ramblers have only won twice under LaVarre - back-to-back in 1995 and 1996 - and have lost their last six times to the United Center, including 2009, when New Trier Green won.
"I think every team in the state would at least like to make it to the state championship game as often as we have, if only to just have the opportunity to play for a state championship," LaVarre said. "I always feel bad for the kids who do not win the state championship. I feel bad for them; it's not about me; it's never been about me. It sucks finishing second; it's not fun. At the same token, I cannot take away from the experience the kids had just getting there."
The Ramblers are led by forwards Alex Corrigan and Nick Avino, both in their third season on Gold. Corey Shepherd, a two-year Gold player, also has been key offensively, along with Lou Morici. Steve Wedekind and Eric Hagman anchor the defense. Mack Skarzynski and Corey Rybka split the goaltending chores.
Super forward: Stevenson senior center Greg Rachke had a mind-boggling, record-setting season: 64 goals, 48 assists in 64 games. He also has 11 powerplay, 6 short-handed and 8 game-winning goals.
"Greg is one of the best offensive players we have ever had come through our program," said Stevenson assistant coach Tom Wood, a former Patriot who graduated in 1998. "The numbers Greg has put up speak for themselves. He has the best numbers stats-wise since we have been keeping track, which dates back to 2003."
Rachke, of Long Grove, shoots left-handed and played alongside left wing Sean Hammond (26 goals, 34 assists) and right wing Tommy Schroeder (12, 17).
"Comparing this forward line to other past Stevenson lines it is as good as any line we have ever had," Wood said. "The (Brian) Murtha, (Chad) Himley, and (Chris) Steigerwald line in (2008) was the best line stats-wise we have had since we began recording stats in 2003. Keith Steigerwald, Chris Michl, and Steve Solesky in 2003 were also a very good scoring line.
"The one thing I can say about Greg, Sean, and Tommy is that they seem to put up big numbers in the big games more than any line in Stevenson history. In my opinion, that makes them the best line we have ever had."
The left-handed shooting Rachke had the best game of his career in late-January, scoring 5 goals and leading Stevenson to a come-from-behind win over St. Viator.
Rachke is a dynamic playmaker with an effective shot that baffles many. And partial credit also goes to his countless summertime roller hockey games with friends at Busch Grove.
No one, though, deserves more credit for Rachke's success than linemate and close friend Hammond. "He just knows where I am at all times on the ice," Rachke said. "We really work well together; we just click, though I don't think he gets as much recognition as he should."
Wood added: "Greg is probably the best player I have ever had at implementing strategies from practice to game situations. If you ask Greg to try something in practice, you will see him not only try it in practice, but he will immediately try to implement it on game day. It is his smarts combined with his skill that make him good.
"Off the ice Greg is a great kid. He is pretty much the All American Kid. He gets good grades, is very social, gets along with everyone, and is someone who all the kids look up to. That's one of the reasons he was named captain at the beginning of the season and he has carried that responsibility well."