Sharpless And The Quaker City Maids

In 1920, women's hockey was beginning to take hold in the United States, including in Philadelphia, nicknamed the Quaker City.

That winter, a group of women led by captain Margaretta Sharpless took to the ice creating the Quaker City Maids. They were at times called the Philadelphia All-Stars as well, as the players on the team had been been picked from two city teams, the Philadelphia Roses, and Philadelphia Thorns.

The women in that league were lauded for their hockey skills. "Not only did the girls stand up well under the physical strain, but they displayed wonderful ability," wrote Philadelphia's Evening Public Ledger on November 27, 1920. "There was not one of the fourteen players who was not a skillful skater, which is naturally the greatest asset of the ice hockey player." Sharpless captained the Thorns, and on that night, during the opening game of the season, Sharpless scored four goals in the Thorns' 8-6 win over the Roses.

December 28, 1920, New York's St. Nicholas Blues took on the in Philadelphia at the Ice Palace. New York beat Philadelphia in the game 2-0 with Elsie Muller and Violet Frees scoring for St. Nicholas. While she didn't hit the scoresheet, as The  Times Leader wrote, "Miss Margaretta Sharpless excelled for the local team."

The team was considered "high society" at the time with the women on the roster often referred to as "debutantes."

Game two went into overtime. Following a scoreless tie though regulation, Margaretta Sharpless scored the overtime winning goal with less than a minute remaining in the extra frame.

"The teams seemed evenly matched at the beginning of the game, but as they warmed up, Philadelphia slowly but surely took the lead," The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote on January 18, 1921. "For the usual three periods the speed queens of the rival cities fought hotly and valiantly..."

After winning game two in overtime, Philadelphia took the third game as well. It was another tightly fought game with the Quaker City team winning 1-0, with Margaretta Sharpless scoring the lone goal of the game seven minutes into the contest.

There was brief mention of another Philadelphia team that formed in 1927.

The roster for Philadelphia included Wain Richards, Jean de Russe, Margaretta Sharpless, Florence Clothier, Caroline Valentine, and Marion Savidge, Pansy Scott, Elizabeth Frazier, Mrs. John Gilmore, Mrs Walton Clark.

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