All-Region Girls Hockey Player of the Year: Kylie Dulac, Lewiston

Lewiston/Oak Hill's Kylie Dulac shoots the puck past St. Dominic Academy goalie Alana Wheeler to give the Blue Devils a 1-0 advantage during a game played at Auburn on Jan. 24. brought about. Durack, a freshman, was named the Sun Journal Women's Hockey Player of the Year. Darin Slover/Sun Journal

Kylie Dulac is proud of what she accomplished during her freshman season.

The Lewiston/Oak Hill right wing was an offensive spark plug for the Blue Devils, leading the team with 29 goals and adding seven assists to earn Sun Journal All-Region Player of the Year honors.

“I bonded with my teammates right away in the first practice,” Dulac said. “I've known some of them for a while and they helped me in practice as well. I used practice to work on what I needed to do and that helped me progress throughout the season. Ta.”

Dulac was named the Sun Journal's Women's Hockey Player of the Year. She was also named to the KVAC First Team and was named Lewiston's Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.

Lewiston coach Scott LaBerge said he realized before the start of games in late November that Dulac had the potential to have a special season.

“We knew from the time she came on board that she had a lot of hockey experience,” LaBerge said. “She knew right away that she would be a contributor, but her adjustment time would be short.”

Laberge initially placed Dulac in the center, a position she was unfamiliar with.

Lewiston High School's Kylie Dulac skates on the ice during a game against St. Dominic Academy in Auburn on Jan. 24. Darin Slover/Sun Journal

“I was a little out of sorts and confused by my position,” Dulac said. “I didn't know what was going on around me, I didn't know what to do or where I needed to be. It was very easy for me to go back to the wing, which was my natural play.”

To take the pressure off Dulac, LaBerge moved sophomore Crew Langley to center.

“She might have made it if she had just kept persevering,” LaBerge said of Dulac. “But when I put Crews on that first line, centered on that first line, it helped her open up and get more comfortable. She does her job in the corner. We didn't have to worry about the defensive side of centering the line.”

Dulac said she hit it off with Langley and former Blue Devils top-line left winger Emma Berube, and they helped her score points.

“My first line is, if it's girlfriend, Emma, ​​crew, I'd put up with any other first line,” LaBerge said. “When we figured that out, she was released.”

Dulac's breakout performance came in Lewiston/Oak Hill's home game against Edward Little/Levitt/Poland, where he scored four goals in a 5-3 win.

“It solidified in her mind that she belonged there,” LaBerge said. “She could take over the game if she wanted to.”

Dulac never looked back after the Jan. 5 game.

Lewiston/Oak Hill's Kylie Dulac maintains control of the puck under pressure from St. Dominic Academy's Lauren Hanlon (left) and Emily Andrews during a game in Lewiston on Dec. 22, 2023. . Andriy Khan/Sun Journal

“That EL game was definitely a confidence booster and a turning point for me for the rest of the season,” Dulac said.

Dulac also scored the winning goal in Lewiston's second game against the Red Hornets on January 31st.

This year's Blue Devils had a wide range of skill levels. Dulac had a background in youth hockey and was looking for a way to help less experienced players.

“I tried my best to provide as many helpful tips as I could,” Dulac said. “I was there when they needed something, and my linemates and other players We have definitely seen growth.”

Even as a freshman, Dulac was not afraid to speak up when needed.

“It didn't take long for me to recognize her voice,” LaBerge said. “At first she was quiet, but once she realized that she was the leader of the team, she established her voice and was not afraid to speak to her teammates, and she did what she was trying to do. I told her about it and gave her advice.”

Dulac, who has scored nearly 30 goals this season, is bad news for the goalie the Blue Devils will face in 2024-25.

“I definitely want to work on strength training to improve my shots and accuracy,” Dulac said. “Those are two big things I want him to work on.”

” previous

Next ”