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Hillary Drake Makes Leap to Division I College Hockey

By WiPH Staff, 04/25/11, 7:45AM CDT

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Hillary Drake arguably the best female high school hockey goaltender in Wisconsin for the past four seasons will be taking her talent to the next level.

She provided a solid foundation for the Central Wisconsin Storm, since her freshman season when she helped them win the WIAA State Championship game in 2008.  In 2009, the Storm lost in a state semi-final game 2-1 in double overtime to eventual state champion, St. Croix Valley Fusion.  They fell in 2010 they fell in the state semi-final for the second year in a row.  The 2011 WIAA Girls’ Hockey State Championship Game was “one for the ages”.  The game was between the two teams ranked #1 (the Central Wisconsin Storm) and #2 (the St. Croix Valley Fusion).  The Fusion was trying to claim a three-peat, while Hillary Drake was trying to bookend her WIAA high school hockey career with state titles.

The game lived up to the pre-game hype and more.  The game turned into the longest WIAA girls’ hockey game in history as both teams battled through regulation and three overtime periods.  Finally, twenty-four seconds into the fourth overtime a champion was crowned.  Unfortunately, for Hillary it was a puck deflected past her for the win.

Hillary was remarkable in net as she had been during her entire high school career.  She has handled herself with composure on and off the ice.  She has won Wisconsin’s highest honor as a goaltender, the “Jessie Vetter Award” the past two seasons.  In receiving the award, her first response has always been, “this is really a team award as I could not do it without my teammates”.  Hillary is an excellent role model for any athlete in how to handle themselves.  The question we had for Hillary after the WIAA State Tournament was:  “What are your college plans?”.  As usual, she was not going to be rushed and was going to take her time to weigh all of her options.


Hillary Drake

Hillary narrowed her choices to:  RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute); Clarkston; UW-Stevens Point; Gustavus Adolphus and Providence.  Hillary’s final choice:  PROVIDENCE.  The Friars are getting an excellent player, but even more a great person.  We wish Hillary the best in her college career and our deepest congratulations on making the leap to D-I hockey.