Flynn commits to play hockey at UMaine
By Larry Mahoney
Bangor Daily News
Presque Isle High School’s Jillian Flynn, who was selected the All-Eastern Maine Class B second-team ice hockey goalie last winter and helped her team to the Eastern Maine championship game as a sophomore, has verbally committed to attend the University of Maine.
Jillian Flynn may attend Maine in the fall or elect to play a year of girls prep school hockey next season and then enter UMaine in 2017.
She will attend Maine on an academic scholarship.
She has spent virtually her entire career playing on boys teams and has been a goalie for approximately 13 years.
During her Wildcat career, Flynn owns a goals-against average of 3.25 and a save percentage 88.5. She already holds school records for games played, wins and saves as a goaltender. She was named an Eastern Maine Class B Academic All-Star her freshman, sophomore and junior years.
Flynn has played for the USA Hockey festival teams for six of the seven years that she was eligible, representing Maine in the New England Regional showcase.
Flynn, who resides in Caribou, was also an outstanding goalkeeper for the girls’ soccer team at PIHS and is the softball team’s catcher. She has captained all three teams.
“This has always been a dream of mine,” said the 18-year-old Flynn, who stands 5-foot-5. “I used to collect the pack of player cards for the Maine women’s hockey team.”
Flynn said it is “definitely going to be a challenge to play D1” but she added that she likes challenges and that’s one of the reasons she chose Maine.
When she visited the school, she said it “felt like home” and she’s excited to be part of the “Maine hockey culture.”
“It’s like a family and I want to be a part of it,” said Flynn, who also spoke very highly of the coaching staff (head coach Richard Reichenbach, wife and assistant coach Sara Reichenbach and assistant Kendall Newell). “They’re great people and they’re trustworthy.”
Flynn likes the fact Maine has had an impressive goaltending history.
Current goalie Meghann Treacy (first-team All-Hockey East) and former goalies Lara Smart (second team), Brittany Ott (All-Rookie Team) and Genevieve Turgeon (honorable mention) all received postseason accolades.
She feels she has two very good options in the fall: Maine or prep school.
“There is no checking in the girls game and it is a different dynamic than the boys game, one that I’ll need to adapt to,” she said. “And going to prep school would give me a headstart academically.”
“Playing against boys and girls is different,” said her father, Presque Isle hockey coach Dr. Carl Flynn. “Boys have harder shots but tend to shoot from farther away. Girls shoot from closer range and their shots are more accurate.”
Flynn said his daughter has a terrific work ethic, she has improved every year and she is a “real student of the game.”
She attends mini-camps a couple of times a year where she gets instruction from Jim Fleming, goalie coach for the Saint John Sea Dogs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
“He has really helped me with my positioning,” said Jillian.
She said being named an All-Eastern Maine goalie “gave me confidence” and she’s hoping to have an even better year this season.
Her playing at UMaine is contingent upon her being accepted by the school and meeting NCAA eligibility requirements.
