USA Hockey Magazine

If an NAHL championship this past season wasn't enough proof Choi was doing it the right way, there was something else—two near-trag- edies that were thankfully averted along the way. Was it karma? Were the hockey gods protecting her for her generosity and love of the game? "I don't' know, but we are very blessed," she said. Everything seemed to be going just fine as an owner. But during her second season, three of Choi's players were driving home when the franchise was still located in Wichita Falls, Texas, and the driver of a white Kia Soul cut them off, pulled out a gun, and fired. A 17-year old player was hit in the leg. Luckily, the wound was not life-threatening. However, it was a shock for the team. Choi hired a counselor to help the players through the trauma. "I just thought, 'If it was my child, what would I want the team to do?'" Choi said. The player returned to the lineup and the Warriors finished the sea- son with 35 wins before losing in the playoffs. But there was a bigger problem. The city of Wichita Falls decided on a new plan for its civic arena. Choi suddenly had to scramble to find a new home. Dozens and dozens of phone calls resulted in a move to Oklahoma City. Choi admits the whole ordeal was draining and stressful. "I give Mary Anne a lot of credit," Roth said. "She can be a bit of a pit bull and I love that about her. She is going to do whatever it takes to achieve success." The Warriors started the 2023 season on a tear, winning 17 of their first 20 games. Choi was making the 200-mile drive from Dallas for almost every game and was having a blast—until the night of Jan. 5. Back east, Army was playing Sacred Heart, when her son took a heavy check and the opposing player's skate sliced a seven-inch gash along his jaw line, cutting an artery. He was bleeding profusely, but the Army trainer, Rachel Leahy, quickly jumped on the ice, immediately put pressure on the wound, and never let go. In the ambulance, she laid her body on top of Eric and at the hospital kept her grip on the wound until a surgeon was ready in the operating room. It's not an exaggeration to say Leahy saved Eric's life. Incredibly, he returned to the ice three weeks later. It was another stark reminder that wins and losses aren't always the most important things. Back in Oklahoma City, the Warriors finished 2023 with the best record in the NAHL, won eight straight playoff games to reach the league's single-game championship with the Austin Bruins. Austin scored first. The Warriors stormed back to a 3-1 lead. Austin rallied to tie it in the second period. With under four minutes to go, Oklahoma City defenseman Garrett Horsager rifled a blast from the high slot for the eventual game-winner. In the stands, Choi couldn't hold back the tears as her players killed off a power play and held off a furious Austin push in the final two minutes by diving in front of multiple shots. Eventually Choi made it to the ice to hug her coach and her players. "I never would have guessed what we would achieve so soon," Choi concluded, recalling the moment. "Not in a million years." P 28 // AUGUST 2023 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOS COURTESY Wisch Photography/Oklahoma Warriors M A R Y A N N E C H O I She can be a bit of a pit bull and I love that about her. She is going to do whatever it takes to achieve success." - GARRETT ROTH

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