A & E

They might wear stilettos and sport manicures, but female fans can scream just as loud as any man for their home team.

"Just because I'm wearing high heels and eye makeup doesn't mean I don't know what I'm doing," said Jackie Schaefer, 22, of Mt. Washington. "This is how I express being a female and a fan."

Last night, Schaefer attended the first "Hockey 'n Heels" event sponsored by the Pittsburgh Penguins at Mellon Arena. She came decked out in a Pens shirt and baseball hat, accessorized with black-and-gold bangle bracelets and black-and-white, 3-inch high heels. She also has a pair of yellow heels she adds to her ensembles.

The "Hockey 'n Heels" event, staged before last night's face-off with the Philadelphia Flyers, plays into a growing trend among professional sports teams to recognize their large female fan populations and cheer them on with promotions and clubs just for them.

The Pittsburgh Pirates started a Lady Bucs Club for their female baseball fans two seasons ago. Women can get their nails done or do a yoga class, among other events, before the game starts.

The Steeler Nation boasts twice as many female fans as any other pro football market. Yes, Pittsburgh ladies top the charts as the largest base of NFL female fans, with 34 percent of women in Pittsburgh identifying themselves as Steelers fans, according to a Scarborough Sports Marketing survey.

At "Hockey 'n Heels" night, 88 women joined a behind-the-scenes tour of the arena, and talked about the challenges of being a female fan after a panel discussion with local media personalities. Many of the women heard about the event from announcements before other Penguins' games or on the Penguins' Web site. The $130 ticket included a meal and box seats for last night's game. Sarah Swartz, marketing coordinator for the Penguins, said the team wanted to reach an untapped market.

"We're seeing more women become fans of hockey," Swartz said.

The break down for season ticket holders is now 50-50 men to women, she said. Swartz said the overwhelming response to the first "Hockey 'n Heels" event will lead to many more; there's "something in the works" to make the event even bigger, she said.

Lisa Ovens, author of "Hockey and High Heels," led a panel discussion before the game. Ovens of Vancouver started out as a playoff-only fan, but quickly became hooked by the puck. Now she's encouraging other women to embrace their inner cheerleader.

"All that stuff that's at the core is the same for men and women -- be the best, cheer the best -- I think sometimes we're just misunderstood," Ovens said.

Suzanne Kavic, 39, of the North Side, couldn't agree more.

"Men think unless you can spit out all the stats you're not a fan," Kavic said.

The self-described Penguins "fanatic" has front-row season tickets right on the blue line, and often is seen banging on the glass, encouraging her team at the top of her lungs.

Pittsburgh women have a right to be proud of their hometown teams, said Ovens, whose wish is that one day female sports fans won't be such a shock.

"I hope one day we're not just female sports fans, we're sports fans just like everyone else," Oven said.

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