JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Rory Mayer first picked up a hockey stick at just four years old while growing up in Maryland. When her family moved to St. Johns County five years ago, her love for the sport only grew stronger. Now a seventh grader, Mayer competes on three different teams and is already chasing dreams of playing professionally and hoping to represent Team USA in the Olympics one day.
“It’s been so fun, especially playing here because the competition level is just great, especially Lunas just develops and the Icemen just helps me get so much better,” Mayer said.
Mayer plays for the Jacksonville Lunas, an all-girls hockey program under the Jacksonville Icemen grassroots program. She also competes on the Jacksonville Junior Icemen coed team, helping win three straight state championships.
“Playing with the boys really helped me because I got so much faster because I had to,” Mayer said.
Her most memorable season came during her second state title run.
“My second year state championship because it was very hard competition,” Mayer said. “A really fun season because that was my first year and I was a little scared, but all of the boys were very competitive and it was just really fun.”
Mayer’s success doesn’t stop in Florida. This year, she earned a spot on the Florida Alliance Girls AAA team. The first team from Florida to win the prestigious Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, one of the largest youth hockey tournaments in the world. More than 100 teams from across the globe compete in the annual tournament held in Quebec City every February.
“It’s incredible because I never thought I could be this good,” Mayer said.
Her coaches say Mayer’s drive and competitiveness stand out every time she steps on the ice.
“Rory is a very special athlete,” Jacksonville Lunas head coach Amanda Michaud said. ”She brings a lot to our program. There’s no one that competes as hard as she does out here. It’s amazing. Every time she steps on the ice she makes everyone better around her.”
Michaud has led the Lunas program since it launched in 2023. What started with just 25 athletes has now grown to more than 100 girls competing in Jacksonville.
“It’s been awesome to see the growth and the family, the growth of the community here for the girls too,” Michaud said. “It’s been huge and something that’s like so cool to be a part of.”
The rise in participation is happening nationwide. USA Hockey recently surpassed 100,000 registered female players for the first time in history. That is a 257% increase since women’s hockey debuted at the 1998 Winter Olympics. For Mayer, seeing more girls take the ice is helping grow the sport she loves.
“I think that just the Olympic team winning it inspired some girls to come play over here and I just think it’s great that more girls are starting to play,” Mayer said.
And not even yet a teenager, Rory Mayer is already proving the future of girls hockey in Jacksonville is bright.