[Reprinted without permission from page 6B from the Wednesday, January 19 1994 Dallas Morning News ] FREEZE TO GIVE OPPORTUNITY TO FEMALE GOALIE WHITTEN By Mike McAllister Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News The Dallas Freeze willl sign female goaltender Erin Whitten to an extended tryout contract Wednesday and may give her playing time during home games on Friday and Saturday at Fair Park Coliseum, the club announced Tuesday. Whitten, the first female goaltender to win a professional game, was released by Toledo of the East Coast Hockey League last Friday. This is her first pro season. Although the Freeze's avarage attendance (just more than 3,200) is the lowest in the Central Hockey League, coach Ron Flockhart said signing the 5-6, 140-pound Whitten was not done purely for publicity reasons. No. 1 goaltender Greg Smith has a groin injury and may be placed on the 15-day disabled list, leaving the club with only one goaltender, recently acquired Yannick Gosselin. "I'm not denying that there's a little publicity involved here," Flockhart said. "But this is definitely not a sideshow. We're looking for anything to make our team more successful, and she has the numbers to back up what we're trying to do. We'll give her a week or two of practice, and maybe throw her in some games." Whitten was 2-0 in four apearances in Toledo, including an 11-10 win over Louisville. She has not played since Nov. 20. "I really haven't played in two months, so I'm excited to see what I can do," Whitten said. "I just want a chance to play. Wherever I've gone, the team wants me more than just for the publicity. Still, it's something I have to deal with." ******************************************************************************** Alex Relyea (214) 768-5725 SMU Box 2575 [log in to unmask] Dallas, TX 75275-2575