Angie's hands gently shook as the tech woman in front of her replaced the battery in her lav mic, a nervous smile on her lips as she thanked the woman who placed a glass of ice water on the coffee table.

The reporter, Molly, an old friend from university who had written a few pieces for the sports section of the school's newspaper and now was a writer for a bigger sports outlet grinned as she sat down on the green couch adjacent to her. "You nervous?" she asked as she reached her hand out for Angie's. "Yeah," her hand fell into Molly's as she took a long breath, "I just wanna put all of this to bed and I don't want to be painted in the wrong light."

Molly's smile softened as she squeezed Angie's hand and then got comfy in her seat, "I understand, and I want everything you share with me to be on your terms," she looked to the camerawoman and gave her the go to start recording.

This was Molly's first ever independent piece as a sports journalist, and she wanted to create a sense of change.

"This issue of pitting women against one another spans so far beyond Hockey culture, it's in the media, it's societal pressure, this ideology surrounds woman players and adds this sort of expectation that for Woman to be successful there must be this added element of pettiness to create narrative and drama. It is all a ploy to make an argument that women create too many issues to be in the 'big leagues'"

Angie was a little taken aback as the story was all laid out for her, multiple interviews from players both past and present, different professors and authors who had dedicated their lives work to this issue, all coming together to highlight this quiet threat to Girlhood culture and woman in sports.

Angie nodded along as Molly ran through her breakthrough piece, a mini-series highlighting the issue of erasing the concept of Girlhood from sports in replace of competition.

"Do you want to say your name and a little bit about yourself?" Angie snapped up a little, one of her hands balled into a tight fist as she looked towards Molly and then the camera, "I'm Evangeline Chandler, number eighteen on the New Jersey Devils"

Molly grinned as she looked through the notes on the queue cards in her hands, "She's being humble, Angie was the first ever Woman to play within the USNTDP, The first woman to attend the NHL Draft Combine, and the first woman to play an entire season and have a consistent spot on an NHL team," the reporter watched as Angoe grew shy at the praise, "a woman of many accomplishments." "Thank you."

"When did all of this start?"

Angie thought back, "It was during dev camp at the beginning of the season. The inaugural draft had just taken place, and one of my closest friends, Taylor, had been selected first." She smiled, thinking back to the day, the phone call after the draft congratulating her, the tears about finally having a place amongst the greats.

"Taylor and I have been through so much together," Angie continued. "We played together in college, and we both had dreams of making it big. When she got drafted first overall, I was over the moon for her. But that's when the media frenzy started." Molly listened intently, her pen poised over her notebook. "What happened next?" "The headlines were brutal," Angie said, her smile fading, "'Rivalry Brews Between Top Female Athletes,' they twisted our friendship into something ugly, something competitive. It wasn't true, but it spread like wildfire."

"How did Taylor react to all of this?" "She was amazing," Angie said, her voice softening, "She called me and said, 'Don't let them get to you," and whatnot, but it was hard. The media made it seem like we were enemies, and that narrative started to spread into our circles. People started asking me if I felt threatened by her success, or if I thought she resented me for being in the NHL."

"It sounds like it created a lot of unnecessary tension." "It did," Angie agreed, "but it also brought us closer in a way. We called all the time to check up on one another, we knew that we had to stick together and show the world that women in sports are not enemies, but allies."

Molly leaned forward and nodded gently, her eyes locking onto Angie's, "So, let's talk about this narrative the tabloids have been pushing. They paint you as some sort of anti-PWHL figure because you're part of the NHL. How does that make you feel?" Angie took a deep breath, her eyes momentarily closing as she gathered her thoughts. "to be really frank, it's frustrating," she began, her voice slowly becoming more confident the less she held up a front and the more she let herself be vulnerable. "I've played with and against many of the girls in the PWHL. They're my friends, my teammates. The media wants to create this drama that doesn't exist. They want to pit us against each other, but that's not the reality."

"Why do you think the media does that?" "Because conflict sells," Angie said bluntly, her voice sharp as she shrugged, "They want a story, and they think this 'catfight' angle will get them clicks and views, at my and other women's expense."

"It's damaging, and not just to me, it hurts every woman in the game. It creates unnecessary rifts and makes it harder for us to just play the game we love." Molly just nodded as she watched this woman finally start to use her voice against all the wrong that has been aimed towards her, "I'm not against the PWHL, and I would never look down on women doing the thing they love. I aspire to be as monumental as these women literally changing the game right in front of our eyes, and I hope they know just how inspiring they are to me and thousands of girls and women who aspire to be as historic as they are."

There was a short pause as Angie gathered her thoughts, the weight of the words she had just spoken settling around her. Molly leaned in slightly, sensing the significance of the moment, "that's powerful," she said softly. "And I think it's important for people to hear that directly from you. But let's go a bit deeper. How has this media narrative affected your relationships with the girls in the PWHL?"

Angie sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly, "It's been really tough. Some of them start to believe the rumours, and it creates this tension that's hard to shake off. I was a 'celebrity coach' at the All-Star game for the PWHL 3-on-3 and it was really hard to enjoy that experience with the girls when the media brought up my name to both me and them saying that I was entitled and looked down on them because I play in a separate league than them. I hope none of them believed it, it made me feel really insecure in my sense of self because these women and that league really do mean the world to me and the thought that they think poorly of me was crushing."

A small smile worked its way onto her face as she thought back to all of her friends who had reached out to talk about the article, all super excited to finally see her supported and clearing their around her and the league as a whole. "But the girls who know me, who really know me, understand that it's all nonsense. They're supportive, and they know we're all in this together."

Molly smiled softly, "That's exactly what I want to highlight in my piece. The solidarity among women in sports, the real stories of friendship and mutual respect. We need to change the narrative." Angie nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I'm glad you're doing this. It's about time someone told the truth."

Molly's eyes sparkled with determination. "And that's exactly what I intend to do. This mini-series is going to shed light on the reality of women in sports, the challenges we face, and the strength we show every day. It's time to tell the real story."

As the interview continued, Angie felt a weight lifting off her shoulders. She spoke candidly about her journey, the highs and lows, and the importance of unity among female athletes. Molly's questions were thoughtful and respectful, allowing Angie to share her truth without fear of being misrepresented.

By the end of the interview, Angie felt a sense of relief and empowerment. She knew that Molly's piece would be a game-changer, not just for her, but it brought a sense of perspective to the game, finally listening to women's voices. It was a step towards breaking down the harmful narratives and building a culture of support and connection.

As they wrapped up, Molly reached out and squeezed Angie's hand once more, "Thank you, Angie. For your honesty and your courage" Angie smiled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Thank you, for giving me a voice."

The camerawoman signalled that they were done, and Angie let out a long breath. She had done it

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