Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Athletics

Eight years ago, I fell in love with the game of hockey, though it wasn’t because I laced up my skates and stepped out onto the ice to play. I spent countless hours in the ice arena watching my younger sister practice and play games with her U10 and U12 teams. I learned to love the game and how to appreciate the amount of skill it took to play and what the power of a team could be. I became aware of the game and smart about the game. I learned how to skate at open skate with my dad, who spent a few year coaching, while my sister skated circles around me with her teammates. High school came along and my sister tried out for high school hockey in 7th grade, and I followed suit as the manager my freshman year.
    
Sophomore year, I found my love of hockey stronger then ever (and getting a little tired of watching) and laced up my skates for my first year of hockey. First as a goalie, which didn’t work out as I had hoped, considering a goalie has to be one of the best skaters on the ice and I clearly was not. Next changing to right wing and spent my three years of high school hockey loving every minute of it on JV.  I fell in love with Saint Mary’s campus before my senior year as I looked to sharpen up my mediocre hockey skills at SMU hockey camp before I started my senior season. This is where I met Coach Mannor and Coach Moore for the first time.
    
My freshman year at Saint Mary’s, I decided to give hockey one last shot and attempted tryouts for the team. But unfortunately, three years of development as a hockey player wasn’t nearly enough to keep up with the girls who’ve had skates on their feet for as long as they could walk.  A week after tryouts ended and my hockey career was officially over, I got a call from Coach Mannor asking if I wanted to be the second manager for the team. It didn’t take me long to give a definite yes and that brings me to where I am today.
    
Being manager for the last four years has been one of the greatest experiences that I have had at Saint Mary’s. Being the manager helped me realize what I wanted to study in college and what I want to do as a career once I graduate. I have been able to spend half of the last four years in the rink, traveling on weekends to different parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, and loving the game every single day even more. I feel so grateful to have been part of this program during my time at Saint Mary’s.
    
I wouldn’t be where I am today without so many people that I have met through this wonderful team. That means a lot of thank you’s to all those people.
    
TO MY PARENTS: Thank you for everything that you have done for me for my whole life. Thank you for being the best hockey parents when I actually played and even now when you come to watch and ‘cheer me on’ while I work. Mom, you have always been there for me whenever I needed guidance, a shoulder to cry on, a best friend, and cheering squad and occasionally fighting my battles with me when I couldn’t quite do it alone. I hope that I have made you proud because I strive to be as great of a person as you are. Dad, I can say that I am definitely a daddy’s girl, because I have looked up to you my entire life. Thank you for always giving me the best advice, basically learning to skate right along with me, sharing my love of hockey, and being the greatest father in the world. I love you both so much and cannot thank you enough for being my biggest inspirations.
    
TO MY GRANDPARENTS: Thank you for being my biggest fans whether it was in the rink or on the golf course. I knew you we’re the best fans around when you moved back from beautiful and warm Arizona to freezing cold Minnesota just to watch four of your grandkids play hockey, which I can’t believe you did. I love you both so much and am so thankful for you both to be such a big part of my life.
    
TO MY BOYFRIEND: Just when I thought I couldn’t be at the rink anymore then I already am, I am so glad I got to spend a little bit more time there being able to watch you play hockey here at Saint Mary’s this year. Thank you for making me love hockey even more and being the one I can talk hockey with pretty much every day. Thank you for being your goofy self and keeping the crazy goalie stereotype alive. I love you!
    
TO COACH TERRY MANNOR: I am going to be honest and say I was a little intimidated when I first met you at hockey camp five years ago and when I showed up to the first day of tryouts freshman year. But I now know I didn’t need to be intimidated at all. I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to tryout for your team and for giving me the opportunity to be manager afterwards. The opportunity you gave me sparked the path for my future. I couldn’t be more thankful to be a part of this program for the last four years. Thank you for being a great coach and an inspiration.
    
TO COACH GREG MOORE: GMO, thank you for showing me the fun side of hockey and also allowing me to be a part of this team. Because of you I might be a little harder of hearing after how many pucks you’ve shot into the glass of the penalty box at me during practices but I guess I can forgive you! I have also never met any person in the entire world who has said the word “WHEELS” as much as you have, but don’t worry it makes me laugh every time. But because of you, if I ever end up coaching someday you are the one I will look to for any coaching advice. I also am very grateful that I got to spend my senior golf season with you as my head coach. There is no other coach that I could have wanted to end my college career with and I know you will continue to make Saint Mary’s Golf a much better program even after I am gone. Thank you so much for everything!
    
FRESHMEN: Maddie, Miryea, Maddy, Bailey, and Ashley. It has been great getting to know the five of you this season. It’s been amazing to see you all become great college hockey players. You have all probably heard from many people that college goes by fast, and let me tell you it really does. So don’t take anything for granted and enjoy your four years of college hockey! Keep up all of your hard work that you have put in and I know you all will continue to be great.
    
SOPHOMORES: Mandy, Molly, Jamie, Hannah, and Kayla. Two years down, two to go! The last two years have been so much fun and getting to know you all even better. You are such a great group of hockey players. Each one of you works so hard on and off the ice and each of you brings a special personality to the team. Enjoy your last two years!
    
JUNIORS: Kassie, Ingrid, Jane, Jesse, Lindsay, Taylor, and Marah. My future seniors. It’s crazy how much time flew by these past three years and getting to know you all has been so wonderful. I am so proud to see how far all of you have come since you were freshman. You are such a talented group of hockey players and you all have shown me how much hard work and determination really pays off. As you start your senior year next year, make sure you remember all the memories you’ve made and look forward to the ones you make during your last year at SMU. Don’t blink, it goes by much faster then you think. Good luck next year!
    
And finally … TO MY FELLOW SENIORS: McKenna, Rory, Macki, Katie, and Tori. Well, we did it. Four years spent in the rink together, countless road trips, and a lot of fun. It has been so wonderful getting to know the five of you as classmates and teammates. I am amazed at how much each of you have accomplished as hockey players and it has been so fun to watch you all skate your hearts out every practice and every game. You are all great leaders on and off the ice and I am glad I have been able to be a part of this program with you all. Good luck and best wishes to every single one of you as you go off to begin your lives and careers after graduating!
    
I am so thankful to be a part of this team, or rather, a part of this family that is Saint Mary’s Women’s Hockey. When I look back on my time at Saint Mary’s years from now, I will always remember how much of an impact that SMUWH had on me.