Anika Anderson '19 Recruiting Profile

My name is Anika Anderson, I'm 5'8" 145 lbs, and my main position is goaltender. I started playing hockey when I was 7 years old and have been in love with the game ever since. I had just moved to Ithaca NY, and had an opportunity to visit Lynah Rink at Cornell University. There was a "Play Hockey for Free" clinic taking place and I had to try it. Because it was my first time on the ice, I was in the beginner end of the rink. I can recall seeing the girls on the other side of the ice running drills and shooting and I thought "I want to be like them." I've played the game ever since and have definitely improved my skill set. Hockey has helped me improve as a person and get me more involved with my community, as I have volunteered at my local food bank with my teammates and have also helped at the local "Hocktober" camp.

For my last two years in high school, I look to continue to keep my grades high as well as participate in extra curricular activities and electives that I enjoy. For college, I would like to go to a college that challenges me on and off the ice. I'm interested in studying Kinesiology, Exercise Science, and possibly Biology. I also want to break off and try new and interesting activities to expand my repertoire of strengths and find my weaknesses. I think that it's important to push your boundaries and keep an open mind about opportunities. 

At the moment, I'm playing on a A team based out of Gunnison, CO. Because I live in such an isolated area,  it's tough for me to find teams that play at a higher level. I am on a 16U AA team called the Aspen Leafs that is national bound. I wanted the exposure from this team to grow as a player as well as a person.

Being in a small town with little exposure to the outside world of hockey is tough, but I've been able to gain experience from camps and tournaments. I played in the MLK Tournament in San Jose with the Rockstars, another Colorado team, in 2016, and again in St. Louis this past year. I've had so many incredible coaches who believe in me, and have helped me push my boundaries to get to the level that I'm at today.  With their support, I have been successful and was honored to receive the Hobey Baker High School Award for character in March of 2018. 

I believe that one of the skills I posses is my sense of self motivation. I'm a fairly independent person and when I know that I want something and am capable of achieving that goal, I will push myself until I reach that end destination. I am a multiple sport athlete, competing in soccer, softball, and mt. biking throughout high school. So far, I have been on varsity for soccer and softball, playing goalie and first base respectively.  These sports have taught me the values of commitment, teamwork, loyalty, sacrifice, and leadership. I feel like I have realized these values during the games that we didn't win. You can see a person's true colors when their down and defeated. As Mark Twain said "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."

I believe that I have not only the talent, persistence and skill to play at the collegiate level, but also the work ethic, and attitude to make an impact on your team.