South Bay teenager Morgan Stickney made hockey history by becoming the first American woman to be drafted into the Western Hockey League

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. (KABC) — A South Bay teenager is making professional hockey history.

At 15 years old, Redondo Beach’s Morgan Stickney has been booked into the Western Hockey League, a major junior hockey league located in western Canada and the northwestern United States.

She is the second female player in the league and the first American female player.

“I’m a little nervous, but I’m very excited,” said Morgan, who will soon play for the Portland Winterhawks. “I have all summer to prepare.”

The goalie previously played for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings and Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Minnesota. Before that, he played at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach.

Morgan is the youngest of five children who all grew up loving sports.

“[She] wanted to play flag football like her brother or do things that weren’t necessarily girly,” said her mother, Tracy Stickney.

Ever since she started playing at age 5, Morgan’s brother Parker watched her play against boys, breaking barriers and leading the way for young girls in the sport.

“I always tell him, ‘If you make a mistake, especially with a boys team, they’re going to try to blame you,’ or the players might say, ‘Oh, it’s a girl,’ but you have to stand your ground and be a stone-cold killer,” Parker said.

But playing against her male counterparts doesn’t faze Morgan.

“Focused on the game, I’m having a good game and the pressure doesn’t worry me,” he said.

She is inspired by players such as Manon Rhaume – the first woman to play in exhibition games in North America’s major sports league – and American hockey goaltender Alex Rigsby.

“Alex Rigsby was the longest running U.S. Olympic team player and ever since I was young I had his jersey and I met him one day and it was so cool. I got that autograph and I thought it was the coolest moment ever.”

Morgan will begin training in Portland later this year.

“He’s been telling us since he was little that he was going to be a goalie for the U.S. Olympic team,” said Morgan’s father, Kenneth Stickney. “I always tell him, ‘Look, somebody has to be it, so why not you?’

Above all, the 15-year-old’s family says they will always be his biggest fans.

“I know how much work he puts in, I know how much he deserves the success he’s had, but it’s great to see it recognized on a national level,” Parker said.