Fulfilling Her "Greatest Passion," Jillian Dempsey Returns for Fourth Season with Pride
August 14, 2018 - Premier Hockey Federation (PHF)
Boston Pride News Release
Jillian Dempsey, an original NWHL player, has signed on for her fourth season with the Boston Pride. A star player at Harvard and member of the U.S. National Team program, Dempsey led the Pride last season in goals (8), assists (7) and points (15).
"I love playing hockey - it's my greatest passion," said Dempsey, a Massachusetts native. "Having the opportunity to play another season of the game I love and to help grow girls' youth hockey is something I'm very grateful for. I want to get better every day and continue to improve the little things. My goals are to win another Isobel Cup championship and to contribute to my team's success in all three zones of the ice."
In her first three seasons with the Pride, Dempsey is 19-25-44 in 51 games. She played in the 2018 NWHL All-Star Game in Minnesota and was selected to play for Team NWHL in its two-game series in January against the U.S. Olympic Team.
"It's a new season and a fresh start for our team," said Dempsey. "We did not reach our expectations last season, but found ways to grow and bounce back from tough losses, which will benefit us this season. We expect to take home the Isobel Cup again. That's the ultimate goal for Boston. We want to win the championship. I'm thrilled about the high level of competition throughout the league and ready for some dogfight battles."
"Jillian's return is crucial for us," said Pride head coach Paul Mara. "She is one of our top leaders and best all-around players. There isn't a coach in hockey who wouldn't want Jillian on their team. She is as tenacious as she is talented."
Dempsey, 27, had a distinguished collegiate playing career at Harvard from 2009-2013. In 129 games, she had 76 goals and 72 assists for 148 points. As a junior, Dempsey was a nominee for 2012 Patty Kazmaier Award as the best player in women's hockey. She was a finalist for the ECAC Player of the Year Award and a unanimous first team All-Ivy League selection. In her senior year, she was a unanimous first-team All-ECAC choice, a first-team All-Ivy choice and a finalist for the Kazmaier.
She also helped lead the U.S. Women's National Team to a goal medal at the 2011 Four Nations Cup in 2011. Prior to joining the NWHL and the Pride, Dempsey played twoseasons with the Boston Blades of the CWHL.
Dempsey is proud of the strides the NWHL has taken since its first season, including the expansion to Minnesota for 2018-19. Her wish for one of the league's next steps would be to someday add more games to the calendar. For Dempsey, there is no such thing as too much hockey.
"It's exciting that the league has added a new team beyond the original four," she said. "It was an enjoyable experience playing in the All-Star Game in Minnesota this past season, so it'll be great to play there consistently during the year. I would love for the league to have two games every weekend and for us to double the amount of games in the regular season. I'm eager for when we get to play even more hockey."
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Premier Hockey Federation Stories from August 14, 2018
- Riveters Sign St. Cloud Defender Lexi Slattery - Metropolitan Riveters
- All-Star Defender Amanda Boulier Takes Her Talents to Minnesota - Minnesota Whitecaps
- Fulfilling Her "Greatest Passion," Jillian Dempsey Returns for Fourth Season with Pride - Boston Pride
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