Steel Queens bring elite ice hockey closer to Scottish players

For 15 years, ice hockey player Beth Dias-Scoon made a 480-mile round trip from Scotland to train and compete in Hull. Now she is coaching an elite women’s team much closer to home.

Edinburgh’s Caledonia Steel Queens have joined the UK’s top women’s league, giving Scottish players a route to elite competition without moving south. Their opening home fixture at Murrayfield is scheduled for 3 October.

The BBC reports that the club has grown from seven players to more than 120 members. Its own programme includes an under-16 team and development opportunities for people learning the sport, alongside competitive squads.

For 13-year-old Drew Henderson, who captains the development team, there is now a higher level to aspire to nearby.

Joining the league does not remove away travel or the costs of playing, and the new squad still has to establish itself at this level.

But the club has put a once-distant opportunity within reach of the next generation of Scottish players.

Sources

• BBC News — players and coach describe the change
• Caledonia Steel Queens — teams and player development