POST-CHAMPIONSHIP, BK GIRLS START 'WRITING THEIR OWN STORY' FOR 2025-26

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — When your offseason itinerary includes a stop at the White House, safe to say it’s a little out of the ordinary.

 

But as the excitement of BK Selects’ first girls USA Hockey national championship faded into the heat of the summer, the reality set in: There’s a fresh new canvas on which to paint in the 2025-26 season. 

 

Depending on your perspective, that can be either harsh or refreshing. Or possibly both.

 

“Last year’s success was incredible, and it’s been inspiring for our program to see what’s possible here at BK,” said second-year 19U Girls Head Coach Chelsea Walkland. “That said, our focus this season is all about writing our own story with this group. We're building something new, and that’s really exciting.”

 

True, last season’s accomplishments can’t score a single goal or stop a solitary shot in the new season. But, as Walkland alludes to, breaking through on the biggest stage of youth hockey can be leveraged as motivation for more, rather than a temptation to rest on past prizes.

 

“It’s just the understanding that a new year is a new chapter,” said Director of Girls Hockey Cari Coen. “It’s not going to be the same as last year, but you can create your own legacy. Every time they get the chance to write their own story, it’s going to be super-important not to look back to what they did last year or the year before.

 

“The ‘BK Brand’ is our standard. It’s what we take pride in and — win, lose or indifferent — it’s all just feedback. We’re very fortunate that we get to get back to work every day.”

 

Of course, for both players and staff, the work continues through the offseason as the everlasting search for a competitive edge evolves. For 19U defender Shayla Beaudette (Aurora, Colo. / University of Wisconsin), this summer was spent focusing on strength, with the hope that it translates into more explosiveness in her fourth and final year with BK Selects.

 

And if she was looking for a progress report on her efforts, Beaudette had the perfect opportunity for that, as she skated in a midsummer USA Hockey development camp for players who have aged out of the U18 level.

 

“It’s always refreshing playing at that level of (competitiveness),” Beaudette said. “It was a great experience. It was a good reminder of how I want to focus on improving my speed this season to push myself to the next level.”

 

Putting the on-ice work aside for a moment, Beaudette and her teammates from last season’s 19U national championship team also experienced something rare for anyone alive today: An inside look at the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government.

 

With the help of a connection in the program, the 19Us made a team trip to Washington, D.C., just a few weeks after they climbed the summit of USA Hockey. The centerpiece of the journey was a behind-the-scenes tour of the White House that culminated in the Oval Office and a brief audience with President Donald Trump.

 

“It did not feel real walking around the building and getting the exclusive access,” Beaudette said. “Actually meeting the President was not what I expected, but something I will never forget.

 

“It was a blast getting to make this memory with such an amazing team.”

 

Coen commented that hanging out at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue felt like “being on a movie set,” from the exploration of famous nooks like Lincoln’s Bedroom to viewing the original copy of the Gettysburg Address. 

 

Overall, though, it was a fitting exclamation point on what was a fairy-tale ending to the 2024-25 season.

 

“Very humbling, and an honor that doesn’t happen every day,” Coen said. “It meant everything to the school, the program, the Rochester community. Definitely a surreal experience. You’re just trying to soak in everything from what the walls were made of, to how many years some of these paintings have been on the wall.”

 

From making history at the rink, to absorbing American history in the flesh, the BK Selects girls program continues its ascendancy. 

 

That effort continues into 2025-26, with both the 19Us and the 16Us — coached again by program veteran Jake Anderson — have dug into the challenge of “writing their own story,” as Walkland put it.

 

Wearing their new black and blue uniforms as part of a brand realignment with Bishop Kearney High School, both girls teams are more than a month into the new competitive year. 

 

After the usual high-octane start in Pittsburgh at the Labor Day Girls Fest, the 19Us and 16Us traveled to Ontario on separate trips for the Stoney Creek Showcase. The 16Us brought home the first banner of the season when they impressively claimed bronze in the 18U division of the annual tournament.

 

The 19Us then continued on with their Homecoming Weekend before both teams churned through a busy home weekend at the Tim Horton’s IcePlex to close September. The 19Us are currently ranked sixth in the nation by MyHockeyRankings with an 11-3-0 record, while the 16Us are 13th at 13-2-0.

 

“It’s been a blast working with this new group,” Walkland said of her squad. “They’re already incredibly tight-knit and have shown a real drive to put in the extra work and improve every day.

 

“No two teams are ever the same, and that’s one of the things I enjoy most about coaching — figuring out the new puzzle each year and discovering how we can best come together and operate as a team.”

 

After a dream start to her tenure at BK Selects, Walkland continues to be blown away by what’s been built by those who’ve come before, and those she works alongside every day. That appreciation stretches from the hockey program to all the dedicated folks at Bishop Kearney High School who support the student-athletes in several ways.

 

“There’s a culture of competitive excellence here,” she said. “The players who choose to come to BK strive to be their very best in everything they do, both on and off the ice. What really stood out (in my first year) is how deeply ingrained the culture of ‘doing more’ is. It’s the norm to see our student-athletes going above and beyond, pushing themselves and each other to grow and develop in every area. 

 

“That drive is supported by an amazing village around them. We’re incredibly fortunate to have such a strong community of teachers, support staff, and program supporters who all play a huge role in making what we do possible.”