Grace Dill '25 Recruiting Profile

Growing up in Buffalo, NY my family had always been huge hockey fans and we constantly went to games throughout my childhood. Seeing how pumped-up people got made me realize my love for the sport. I've always been very into playing sports and when I got the opportunity to learn how to play hockey myself when I was 8, I couldn't pass it up. I played for 2 seasons before a bad concussion caused by my coach happened and scared me away from playing. When I moved to NC in 2020, I expressed my interest in playing again and joined the Carolina Lady Thunderbirds. My first year on the team I won Most Improved Player. I started off playing winger and my second year on the team my coach realized my potential and moved me to center where I have found my footing. I have played 3 seasons now and will be entering my 4th year with this team. I most recently got MVP on my team this year. As a player I have a lot of passion for the sport and am constantly helping my teammates through the use of communication. I have a good hockey iq and am very eager to learn and improve with my skills. I also have strong faceoffs and my fellow teammates tend to say I am the team's strongest faceoff player. My biggest influences for hockey have been my dad since he played when he was younger, Sabres players, and Eric Staal. Through playing hockey I have learned how to work well in a team environment and have truly realized how deep my love is for the sport. My academic goals have always been high, and I hope to continue getting high grades in my classes and continue to excel. I look forward to continuing playing hockey at the collegiate level.