Ice maiden in a man's world

The talented 16-year-old has been called up to play for Hawks' senior mens team against an English Ice Hockey Association junior select outfit in a special charity game at the Blackburn Arena.

The fixture is in aid of the mother of junior player Greg Ruxton's mum Eileen, who died in a tragic car accident a few weeks ago, with all proceeds going to Derian House Childrens Hospice.

And Lauren, who lives in Darwen, is thrilled about the prospect of being the first girl in history to pull on the Hawks jersey.

"I'm really really excited about it and very proud to be part of such a special memorial event," she said. "It is a big, big step up from the under-19s to playing with the men, but I'm not fazed by the challenge.

"It's a good standard of hockey and can only help to improve me as a player. I will see the game in a completely new light and will be a part of things on the ice that I simply won't have experienced before."

After taking up the sport at just eight years old, Lauren has played at every level of the Blackburn Development Association and signed for the Hull Diamonds at 14.

Lauren, who watched her very first Hawks game when she was just three, recently signed for women's Premier League table-toppers Newcastle Vipers and she remains the only girl in the Blackburn Under-19 A team.

Consequently, the St Mary's College student would sum up her travel commitments in one word - hectic.

She added: "It's very difficult managing time between work, friends and hockey. Because Newcastle are in the top division, we travel to all corners of the country for some fixtures and then it's still a two-and-a-half-hour journey for me when we play at home.

"Every game is like an away game for me, but I'm committed to my hockey and I wouldn't play if I didn't enjoy it."

It is believed that Lauren will become only the second girl ever to play outfield for an English men's side.

Newcastle and Great Britain colleague Claire Oldfield re-wrote the history books when she featured for the Whitley Warriors in an exhibition game against the former Sunderland Chiefs over three years ago.

However, not only will Lauren be the youngest ever girl to play for a men's team, but as Claire failed to score for the Warriors that day, the former St Bede's School pupil could also make another first.

Lauren first started to skate at just three years of age and she admits that taking up her chosen sport wasn't an easy decision.

"When I was younger, I couldn't decide whether to take up figure-skating or ice hockey, but I remember making it onto a boys under-10 team and I've not looked back since," she said.

"The standard of boys hockey is a lot better than with the girls and I'm proud to say that I have been the only girl in any of the Blackburn A teams, all the way up to the under-19s, since I've been playing."

At just 14, Lauren was called up to the Great Britain squad and played in her first World Championships in Italy later that year.

She returned from South Africa in March after picking up a silver medal in this year's World Championships, but admits that it wasn't the colour medal the Great Britain squad had hoped for.

"We won every game except for the 4-2 defeat against the eventual winners Slovenia," she said.

"There is a real emotional involvement when you represent your country so it was a really gutting experience as everyone in the team regarded silver as first losers and not second best.

"We are now gearing towards the 2007 World Champs and have a series of international tournaments later this year."

In the same year as her first GB call-up, Lauren also became the first girl in history to be selected for the EIHA School of Excellence and repeated the same feat when she was selected for the under-16s.

After she finishes her A-levels in PE, biology and psychology, Lauren hopes to get a scholarship in America where she will be able to further her hockey career, before ultimately getting a job in the field of sports physiotherapy.