Anaheim Jr. Ducks player Dominique Petrie moved one step closer to crossing off one of the goals on her list this past week.

Petrie, who has played the past five seasons for the Jr. Ducks’ 2001 birth year team, made the U.S. Women’s Under-18 Select Team that will play a three-game exhibition series vs. Canada on Aug. 18-21.

That U18 team will be captained by former Jr. Duck and Lady Duck Cayla Barnes, a ’99 who was selected the best defenseman at the U18 Women’s World Championships earlier this year. Barnes won her second consecutive gold at the U18 worlds and undoubtedly will make the team a third time.  That three-peat is one of Petrie’s goals, too, and goal-setting is something she takes very seriously.

“I’ve written my goals down,” she said. “I want to make the U18 National team three times, so the first year I would be an under-ager on it.  “Next, I want to play NCAA Division I hockey. Third, I want to play in the Olympics.

Knowing what you want and going for it will help you get there.”  Petrie would be in good company if she accomplishes that. Barnes, a Boston College commit who was selected the captain of the U18 Select team, joined Petrie at the recently held U.S. Women’s National Festival in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Also in the mix at the national festival was former Lady Duck Annie Pankowski, who finished her sophomore season at the University of Wisconsin as one of NCAA Division I’s top scorers. Pankowski, a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team that won gold in the World Championships this spring, was selected the captain of the U22 Select team.

Petrie’s ascent in the women’s hockey world after playing boys hockey growing up (she will continue on the Jr. Ducks Midget 15U AAA this season) doesn’t come as a surprise to her longtime Jr. Ducks coach Craig Johnson, who is also the club’s director of coaches.  “She wasn’t just a contributor, but a big contributor for us,” Johnson said. “Her big strength is her skating.”  But it’s far from her only one, Johnson added.  “She works her butt off every day in dry land. She’s one of our hardest workers,” he said. “She’s a pleasure to coach, she listens, applies what she learns and works hard. She’s a great person, too.”

Petrie got hooked on hockey after her older brother Guy did as a youth in the Bay Area. One trip to an NHL game with his father David planted a seed in Guy to play, and once his parents relented to his persistent requests to play youth hockey, his younger sister wasn’t far behind.  “I had to try everything he did and follow in his footsteps,” Dominique said.  Guy made the California Brick team and played several years of AAA hockey in Southern California after the family moved to the Los Angeles area. He’s now playing club hockey at the University of Utah.

Dominique continued playing boys hockey after the move and never stopped. “I never struggled with the physicality or being a step behind,” she said. “I had good coaches and teammates. “My development is due to playing with a good team these past five years and us playing against premier competition around the nation.”

She said the benefits of playing on the Jr. Ducks for Johnson and fellow ex-NHLer Scott Niedermayer have been innumerable.  “You learn so much from Craig and Scott. A lot of other coaches haven’t played at that high of level,” Petri said. “They’ve given me so much insight. They’re never ever pushy, it’s always, ‘Why don’t you try this?’ That went a long way toward my development and helped me on and off the ice.”

Johnson said Petrie has been an asset to the team, and the organization.  “She plays center and she’s a 200-foot center – defense, offense, scoring goals with speed. We had a defenseman get hurt near the end of last season and she stepped in and played defense and did a great job.  “She’s very well respected by the boys. There is no issue with her being on the team. Nobody ever complained. She’s just a hockey player. The guys liked her, and she fit in. Everyone included her in activities. That says a lot about her.  “She’s going to have some college options for sure because she’s so dedicated.”

First, she will join Barnes and the rest of Team USA in Calgary for the first next step in her hockey progression.

-- Chris Bayee