Gianna Paventi '25 Recruiting Profile

The first time I started skating and playing hockey was when I was four years old, and when I took that first step onto the ice I realized I absolutely loved hockey, and now that love has grown into my current passion for the game. Hockey followed me when my family moved from Connecticut where I started, to Massachusetts in 2013, and then to Florida in 2016. For the first 7 years I lived here, I had to work extra hard to play and improve, as there are fewer opportunities to play at a high level in a non-traditional hockey state, but finding out about Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in the last 2 years has accelerated my development exponentially. It has also allowed me to discover a newfound love for rugby and wrestling — which have both taught me valuable lessons, and improved upon my strength and endurance — although hockey still takes precedent as my main sport.

Currently, I'm focusing on training over the spring/summer after playing for and graduating from Notre Dame in Canada. I’ve been invited to try out for the Worcester State team, and have been working out along with spending time on the ice in order to prepare myself for college level hockey come tryouts in the fall.

In terms of schooling, I'm studying for my Biology major at Worcester State University at Massachusetts, have scored a 1410 on the SAT, a 31 on the ACT, and am also a prospective National Honor Society Candidate. 

On the ice, I consider myself to be someone who leads by example, and I push my teammates to do their best as well. I've been very fortunate to have played for a number of great coaches, all of whom I'm certain would say I'm a coachable athlete who is both physically and mentally tough, along with a strong and supportive person on the bench and in the locker room. I consider some of my strengths to be that I am a strong skater, a two-way player with a good shot, and someone who is a dominant defender in the slot. I take pride in some of the basics like lifting sticks, blocking shots, playing physical, pressuring/defending cherry-pickers, and protecting the house.

Ultimately my goals are to succeed both in college and on the ice, so that I may open doors to a prosperous career and/or potentially further schooling. While I am committed to obtaining my Biology degree, I also have interests in more specific areas of study such as Marine Biology or Biotech. I hope to become a good role model for my younger siblings and peers, and to make my parents proud both in school and later on in life.