VIDEO: Tara Soukup Not Afraid to Mix it Up for Baldwin Hockey

One of the best ice hockey players in Baldwin-Whitehall skates like a girl.

Tara Soukup, a 17-year-old senior defense(wo)man from , looks the part, too, with a long ponytail flailing out of the back of her helmet. But as Ligonier Valley High School and at least five other teams have learned this season, Tara and the Highlanders should not be taken lightly.

Baldwin trounced Ligonier Valley (3-7-0) to the tune of 5-1 on Thursday night at the Ice Castle Arena in Castle Shannon Borough—Baldwin's home rink.

Soukup took some hits and dished out a few of her own that night, not seeming to mind in the least. The second-year varsity player has just enjoyed winning this season, something that was a rarity during the 2010-11 season when the Highlanders struggled to a 1-19-0 mark in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League (PIHL)'s AAA, or highest, classification.

For at least the 2011-12 season, the PIHL has allowed Baldwin to move to the lower "Open Class," and against a more level playing field, the Highlanders are thriving at 6-3-1 after Thursday's win—a .650 winning percentage that is good for sixth in the 20-team classification.

Baldwin Head Coach Kevin Becker explained the switch in classes as a numbers problem in terms of how many kids were varsity ready at Baldwin High. Becker does not expect the switch to last forever and talks glowingly about the Highlanders' hockey future in the video accompanying this article now that Baldwin has rebuilt its developmental program.

Becker credits Soukup as one of the reasons for Baldwin's turnaround this season, backing up the decision by her teammates to name her as an alternate, or assistant, captain.

Soukup is the first female player in Baldwin's hockey history, but Becker says that, despite any stigma some might associate with being a girl amongst boys, she is treated no differently than any other player once she's on the ice.

Soukup is used to being treated as "one of the guys." Her father, Jack Soukup, owned the former Pittsburgh Hockey Supply store at the Stoner Center along Route 88 in Castle Shannon for many years, and Jack continues to play the game today, often at pickup games at the South Park Ice Rink with Tara. As Jack and his wife Elaine's only child, the idea of Jack passing on his hockey knowledge to his daughter isn't so far-fetched.

Tara hopes to one day play hockey in college but is focused on the Highlanders for now, whom Becker said have a good chance at some postseason success in 2012.

Tara and Becker both acknowledge that, after piling up some wins, Baldwin's goals have changed this season from just trying to have fun playing the game again to trying to take the biggest prize available to them—an Open Class championship.

Becker stressed that the Highlanders' success early on in 2011-12 has been a team effort but did call out some players who are enjoying great starts to excellent individual seasons.

Becker has been very impressed with his all-freshmen line of Dylan Davey (left wing), Dakota Becker (center, alternate captain and Coach's son) and Brian Dee (right wing).

He also called out senior defenseman Zachary Alaimo and his brother and sophomore forward Anthony Alaimo.

The team's captain and leading scorer so far this season is senior center Jesse Powell, who has an impressive 18 goals and 22 points after just 10 games—a points total good for 15th in the Open Class.

Powell is followed on the Highlanders' scoring chart by Dakota Becker with four goals and 14 points; Anthony Alaimo with three goals and 12 points; Zachary Alaimo with two goals and nine points; junior right wing/defenseman Kaleb Reckley with three goals and six points; Dee with three goals and five points; and Davey with two goals and four points.

Coach—a former Baldwin player himself and a 1985 graduate of Baldwin High—has another son on the team this season—Dallas Becker—a senior center.

Senior and starting goalkeeper Zachary Christman's record is 5-3-1 this season with a 3.07 goals against average and an .870 save percentage.

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