FEIA Girls' Hockey Falcons Add International Players and a New Associate Coach
By Michael Clarkson
It’s been a hectic summer for Pete Montana, newly-promoted head coach of the FEIA girls’ hockey team.
Besides hiring a new associate coach in Sophie Matsoukas of Ottawa, he’s recruited nine new players for the looming 2026-27 season – including six internationals from China, Czechia, Sweden, Germany and the United States.
“We’re represented by something like 10 different time zones,” says Pete. “It’s exciting and we’re going to have another very competitive team.”
Among the newcomers are three who represent their nations for Under-18 tournaments – Tereza Polakova, of Prague, Czechia; Lina Saolu, of Linkoping, Sweden; and Nerea Stellet of Dusseldorf,Germany.
The other new commitments are Lucy Feng of China, Jasmine Hervieux-Rich, of St. Hubert, Que., Abigail Frechette, of Gatineau, Que., Zia Mayard, of Ottawa, and twin sisters Emilie Wall and Olivia Wall of Sacramento, Calif.
Montana expects to sign four more players before the opening showcase tournament, Sept. 4-6 in Boston. On Sept. 11-13, they’ll host a three-team event with Nichols School of Buffalo and Pittsburgh Steel City Selects.
Among the FEIA returnees are standout goalkeepers Nova Granger of Belmont, Ont., and Jette Helmke of Dusseldorf, who shared 10 shutouts last season.
Following a year playing as independents, the Falcons will return to the National Girls Hockey League in the U.S. for this coming season. “I think we’ll be better at scoring goals this year and our blueline will be solid,” Pete added.
When Falcons advertised for an associate coach, they received 16 applications. They were all reviewed, but a phone call won the day.
“I took the call and (Sophie) said, ‘I understand you’re looking for a coach,” Pete said. He already knew how good she was, having recruited her in 2018 when he was at the Ontario Hockey Academy. “She’s an outstanding person, was a great hockey player and is the perfect fit for us." After the OHA, Matsoukas had a brilliant NCAA Division I career as a goaltender at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., where she studied biology.
While at Union, Sophie started a fundraising campaign for cystic fibrosis. “That’s the kind of person she is,” Montana said.
Also recently, the Falcons hired Lauren McNeil, also from Ottawa, as an athletic trainer and therapist. She played at Plymouth State and then professionally in Sweden.
