ON THE WAY TO A TITLE: Bailey Callaway shows her focus in USA Hockey Girls Tier I 16U national tournament in May. Princeton native Callaway helped her Detroit Little Caesars (Mich.) squad win the national title as it topped Minnesota Elite Vegas 5-2 in the title game. Star goalie Callaway made 19 saves in the final. (Photo provided by Bailey Callaway)

By Bill Alden

For Bailey Callaway, starring at goalie in a Mites On Ice scrimmage between periods at a Philadelphia Flyers game as a preschooler started her on a special hockey journey.

“I was the MVP and I got interviewed on the jumbotron,” said Princeton native Callaway, 17, who started playing hockey at age 3, following in the footsteps of her older siblings, Tooker and Ali, who went on the be hockey stars for Princeton High

“I was 4 or 5, I was really young. Having that attention and realizing that you are good at something made me stick with it. I really enjoyed the position.”

In order to get really good, Callaway played in boys’ leagues and went to goalie camps through grade school. When she was 12, Callaway switched to the girls’ side, playing for the New Jersey Colonials.

Looking to sharpen her skills against the best competition, Callaway left Princeton after middle school and headed to Rochester, N.Y., to attend the RYA at Selects Hockey Academy based at Bishop Kearney High.

“It was a huge adjustment going from being with your family all the time to living with 40 girls in a dorm, but everyone has each other’s backs,” said Callaway, whose daily schedule there started with breakfast at 7:40 a.m., school from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., practice and working out from 3 to 6:30 p.m., dinner after that, study hall from 8:30 to 10 p.m., and then lights out at 10:30 p.m.

“The coaches made the adjustment easy. You fall into this rhythm of constantly doing something. You are always playing, you are always lifting, and you are always working out.”

That hockey immersion helped Callaway make constant progress.

“Just being on the ice with them and in the workout room with their compete level, automatically it brings your level up,” said Callaway.

“Their skill level was amazing. Practicing against these girls who are extremely talented can only bring you up with them. We are all pushing each other to reach the next step in your game.”

Taking next step in her hockey journey, Callaway joined the Detroit Little Caesars program based in Michigan last fall and reached the highest level this May as she helped the squad win the USA Hockey Girls Tier I 16U national tournament.

It didn’t take Callaway long to realize that the Little Caesars squad was destined for some great things.

“I knew the girls and I liked them,” said Callaway, who lived with the family of one of her teammates, Gia Mancy, in Toledo, Ohio, and did school online.

“I knew that we were going to be something special right from the start. Since the beginning of our season, our goal as a team was to win the last game. That was the most important thing, that is what we were aiming for.”

While the Little Caesars produced a dominant campaign, with the team’s only setback coming in an overtime loss, Callaway knew that didn’t guarantee a national title.

“We had a perfect record for most of the season but none of that proved anything,” said Callaway. “We knew we had to win. Everyone was saying, ‘oh they are really good, but they are not that good.’ We were called the superstars and we were ready to show everyone that we were that good and that we could win it all.”

After cruising through the Michigan state tournament, outscoring its foes 35-0 in four games to earn a spot in nationals, Callaway enjoyed a homecoming as the competition was held at the Ice Line Quad Rinks in West Chester, Pa.

“I had my grandparents come, just being an hour away from home. It was amazing,” said Callaway, whose parents and siblings were also on hand at Ice Line.

Starting the tourney with a 5-2 win over the Anaheim Lady Ducks (Cal.) opening win got Little Caesars rolling.

“That was just getting all of the nerves out and making sure that we were all ready,” said Callaway, who made six saves in 23 minutes against the Lady Ducks.

“We had to win those games to advance and so we were getting all if the nerves out. Going to Nationals, you have all of the scouts, you have USA sitting behind you. Everyone is nervous and tensions are high. We made sure that we knew what we were here to do. It was prep, we were getting ready for the bigger games.”

In the quarterfinals, Callaway recorded 22 saves to help the Little Caesars edge her former team, the Selects Academy (N.Y.) 1-0.

“It means something more going into that game, facing my old teammates was super exciting,” said Callaway.

“They are really talented, we came out hard and so did they. It was a battle, they are a super hard working team and we found a way to win. I think having a shutout in that game was awesome. It can’t be easy for them to not score a goal on a former teammate. We were a little bit nervous in that one.”

Heading into the final against Minnesota Elite Vegas, Callaway felt battle-tested.

“I had played in that game two years ago and had lost it,” said Callaway, whose Selects team fell 2-0 to the Chicago Mission in that contest.

“Going into that game, I had no nerves at all. It was only positive energy. I knew what I had to do, I have been in that situation. We were all pumped up, we knew we could take on this team. We knew what we had to do to win, this is what we had been working for all year.”

While Callaway gave up an early goal, she settled down, making 19 saves as the Little Caesars pulled away to a 5-2 victory

“Sometimes the hardest shot of the game can be the first,” said Callaway.

“It is having that mindset of OK, I just got scored on, let’s pick it up and see what we can do now and rebound from that. I didn’t let it rattle me at all, that is just how it went. It woke our team up. We responded from there and completely dominated.”

In the waning moments of contest, Callaway soaked in the emotions of achieving the goal of a national crown.

“My adrenaline is pumping and everyone keeps looking back at the board and we are all like we are about to win a national championship,” said Callaway.

“The clock hit zero and everyone just comes flying out on the ice. It was smiles, cheering, and everything. It was the most surreal dream-come-true moment that I have ever experienced in my life. A lot of the girls who are on the Caesars team lost the national championship two years ago, so we got our revenge and we got to win the gold. It was an unbelievable experience.”

For Callaway, the last three years have been an unbelievable hockey journey.

“Every year I have stepped up my game several notches; that is because of the training I have been able to have access to,” said Callaway, who plans to stay with the Little Caesars program for her final year of high school and is looking to play Division I college hockey.

“I don’t think I would be the same if I had stayed home, because every experience along the way has developed me as a player. I would not have wanted to do it with anyone else besides my teammates and the coaches I have had. It has been a phenomenal experience.”