Personal Statement
Update - 7/5/2016 - Next season I will be playing for North American Hockey Academy (NAHA) in Stowe, VT. Stay tuned for further updates for my first games with them during Labor Day weekend.
This Cleveland girl’s love of hockey has led me on a winding road to the best hockey experience I’ve had so far and that is with the Ohio Blue Jackets U19 Tier I team in Columbus, Ohio – two and a half hours from my friends and family. I am thriving in my new environment. It has given me a more mature view of the world and has made me even more prepared to play college hockey and become your go-to goalie.
I believe that I have a lot to offer my future team which includes my coachability, my leadership skills and the fact that I thrive under pressure. Having only started playing hockey at the age of twelve and to be where I am today is evidence of my coachability. I have had the opportunity, with the support of my family, to play under some great coaches during my Cleveland boys’ hockey experience including former NHL players Andre Lacroix, Mike Wilson and Damian Rhodes as well as Georgi Fedulov. And now I am blessed to be coached in Columbus by John Markell, Lisa Chesson and goalie coach, Jeff Salajko. I am like a sponge absorbing what each of these people have had to teach me. I look forward to what college-level play will bring and the new coaching experiences.
I am focused on improving and honing my leadership skills. The saying goes that there is no I in team and I believe this. I try to demonstrate leadership both on and off the ice. I never miss practices and I work hard every time I hit the ice. I know that it is a privilege to play this sport. My personal team philosophy is to only build on the positives that you see in others.
As you well know, goalie is a high pressure position that takes a special breed of player. You have to thrive under pressure to be great in this position. At twelve, my first goalie experience was on a Gilmour U19 Tier II team. I could barely stand up on my skates. We lost but the score was 4-3. I just do not give up easily. I ended that season with three shutouts. We have a very young U19 team right now. The positive is that I get to face a lot of shots and stay focused on my job on this team. You’ll note that my YouTube videos also show the goals allowed to demonstrate that I don’t get frazzled.
Sometimes I wonder where I would be if I had started earlier but the road that I travelled has been a lot of fun. I have met a lot of people, including Mike and Sue Zazon - my billet family, who I would not have ever met. What a great experience. Also, I have learned early the benefit of hard work and it has translated into all aspects of my life including academics. The bottom line is that I am a hate-to-lose not a love-to-win kind of player. I will go all out for the team that I join. I am just looking for the right opportunity.
