Kate Scott, who grew up watching the Fresno Falcons, made history Sunday.
The 2001 Clovis High School graduate called the play-by-play for the St. Louis Blues-Chicago Blackhawks game on NBCSN.
The International Women’s Day game was the first professional ice hockey game broadcast in the United State led entirely by women.
Olympic gold medalists Mleczko and Kendall Coyne-Schofield providing analysis. Rene Hatlelid produced the broadcast and Lisa Seltzer directed. Kathryn Tappen and three-time Canadian Olympic gold medalist Jen Botterill anchored coverage from the studio.
Scott Loves All Sports
“I have loved every sport since I was a little girl,” said Scott, who has worked five-plus years calling Pac-12 football and juggles multiple duties with NBC Sports.
In the days before Sunday’s game, Scott recalled attending Falcons’ games with her father.
“My dad and I would go as often as possible,” she told nbcsports.com/chicago. “It felt like we were there almost every weekend. It was our thing. He would get cheap beers and let me go down between periods because the guys walked off in an area where we could high-five them or get autographs.
“And, after going for a couple years, all the guys knew me and were wondering who this little girl is that knows all of our names and they were giving me pucks and sticks and stuff. So that was kind of my first experience with hockey and I loved it.”
Hockey Is ‘Hardest Sport to Call’
Scott initially was concerned Sunday’s telecast would be perceived as a publicity stunt.
“I think it’s really important for young boys to see women in positions of confidence and power and doing things that, again, usually they see men doing, just to give them that slightly different perspective.” — Kate Scott
“I always said (hockey) was the hardest sport to call and I always said that I would never call it when people asked me if I would do it,” Scott said.
But NBC officials convinced her otherwise by explaining that the network hoped to send a message that young girls can do whatever they want when it comes to hockey.
“Hearing them say that really made me understand that, OK, this is a big deal,” Scott said. “And I should say, ‘Yes,’ because it is really important. I agree with that.
“It really inspires young kids when they see people who look like them and sound like them doing something, that really, for a lot of people, is the first time that they think to themselves, ‘Wow, maybe that’s something that I can do.’
“I think it’s really important for young boys to see women in positions of confidence and power and doing things that, again, usually they see men doing, just to give them that slightly different perspective.”
Regional Emmy Winner
Since graduating from UC Berkeley in 2005, Kate has assembled an impressive body of work which includes sideline reporting for Major League Soccer that won her a local Emmy in Northern California.
Scott wound up with an exciting game to call as the Blues shut out the Blackhawks, 2-0, with St. Louis goalie Jake Allen turning away 29 shots.
