Lina Alberts is bringing international experience into her freshman season as a double-rostered center skating this fall for New Trier and Team Illinois.
The 14-year-old Wilmette resident was a bronze medal winner for Team Germany at the Youth Olympic Games, held early this year in Korea.
“I’m a playmaker and play with great sight and try to bring my teammates into a position to score. In the offensive zone, I’m always in front of the goal, screening the goalie, ready for a tip or rebound,” said Alberts, who has skated for the Wilmette Braves (U8-U10), Chicago Mission (U12) and Team Illinois (U14). She was an Illinois state champion in 2022 and a participant in 2023 in the USA Hockey Nationals.
Alberts was coached early on by Rafe Aybar, a member of the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame. “He taught me all the technical basics which I’m still benefitting (from),” she said. Kendall Coyne Schofield, another Illinois Hockey Hall of Famer and champion earlier this year in the inaugural Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) for Minnesota, also aided Alberts’ game. “As a young player, I was shorter than others and Kendall showed me how great you can be (though) not the tallest,” she said. “Luckily, I grew a lot and I’m now 5-foot-5 and still growing.
“I’m very excited (for New Trier) to meet more players from different ages and (with) different skill levels. I look forward to playing with some girls again who I started playing hockey with (years ago) in Wilmette. It also will be fun to play against some of my TI teammates.”
Alberts is driven to be a team leader for Team Illinois and wants to push that Tier 1 squad to a state championship and the national tournament.
“I also hope to continue being a vital player on the German National Team,” she said.
Her ties to the German Junior National Team are, well, a family matter.
“My mother followed the German Hockey Association on Instagram; they advertised an invitational camp to increase the number of female players in Germany,” Alberts said. “I went to the camp with excitement and the German U16 National Team coach saw me, invited me to the national camp the next summer. This led to me getting the ticket for the Youth Olympic Games.
“That experience gave me a lot of motivation to push myself to the limit. It also showed me to unite for a common cause and excel.”
And a “pure motivation to excel,” she added.
Alberts said playing in the Winter Youth Olympics “was a once-in-a-lifetime experience” and “playing on the Olympic ice from the 2018 Winter Olympics was very cool.” She added, “Meeting athletes from all over the world beyond hockey showed me the uniting power of the sport which was perfectly covered in the slogan of the Games, ‘Together, Shine Forever.’
Alberts and the German club won the bronze medal game 3-1 over Switzerland after having lost to Switzerland earlier in the tournament. Winning the bronze “was overwhelming,” she said. “There was a full ceremony exactly as it was at the 2018 Winter Olympics. I played well and helped defend the lead as it was a tight game.”
Alberts played in all four games for the German team and though she didn’t score, she hit the crossbar against Switzerland and had lots of shots on net in the other games.
Team Illinois coach Julie Sochacki said Alberts is, “an unstoppable force on the ice.”
“Lina is a powerhouse forward with an innate ability to find the back of the net,” Sochacki added. “She is the epitome of dedication and skill, tirelessly honing her craft to become a true standout on the ice.”
Slapshots With … New Trier Freshman Lina Alberts
Favorite NHL Team: Chicago Blackhawks
Favorite NHL Player: Leon Draisaitl
Favorite Sports-themed Movie: Miracle
Favorite TV Show: Vampire Diaries
Favorite Pre-game Meal: Pasta and bread
Favorite app: Snapchat
Celebrity You’d Like To Meet: Taylor Swift … “Saw her (in concert) in 2023 after losing at the USA Hockey Nationals.”
More Hockey: Plays competitive field hockey as a goalie. “My U16 team at Windy City Field Hockey just won third-place at the USA Field Hockey National Club Championships.”
Long-term Goal: “To play hockey in college and earn an opportunity to represent Germany at the Olympic Winter Games.”
Best Hockey Tip: It is more important to play for your team than for yourself.
Best High School Uniform (other than New Trier): Fenwick