May 24, 2022 Salt Lake City, Utah
University of Utah Women’s Division 1 Hockey has received a commitment from Forward Emel Aichele for the upcoming 2022-23 season. Emel’s journey to becoming a collegiate ice hockey player began when she was 7 years old. She started playing roller hockey in a small rink in Oakland, California along with her twin sister Aylin. After a year, she tried out for the San Jose Inline Sharks travel roller team at Silver Creek Sportsplex in San Jose, California, and began competing in travel roller hockey tournaments as the only girl other than her twin sister on the team.
Aichele transitioned to ice hockey when she was 14, playing with boys on the Oakland Bears 14uB ice hockey club team for a season. After that season, she transitioned to playing on a girl’s team with the San Jose Jr. Sharks ice program, making their 16uAAA tier 1 team. While attending Bishop O’Dowd High School and still playing travel roller hockey during the offseason, she joined the Lady Blue Devils 19uAA team playing out of Tri-Valley, California, a team that participated in the Pacific Girls Hockey League and NGHL. Her proudest moment to date was making it to Districts in Fairbanks, Alaska with this team.In the offseason, she enjoys competing in travel roller hockey tournaments like NARCh and State Wars with elite women’s teams as well as boys/men’s teams. Some of her accomplishments include getting recruited to the USA Women’s Junior Roller Hockey team and making the first alternate for the CAHA Select Camp in 2019 and again in 2021.
“Emel is dangerous with the puck. Her passion and work ethic have contributed to her success as a player and will continue to do so in college. She will do some spectacular things in her college hockey career,” Women’s Division 1 Head Coach Braeden Yeo said.
Aichele is still undecided in her major at the U.
Utah Hockey would like to welcome Emel and wish her the absolute best in the upcoming season!