Cheverus goalie Ellie Skolnekovich

Cheverus senior Ellie Skolnekovich, a standout goalie in both field hockey and ice hockey and a regular singer of the national anthem at Cheverus events, talks about playing both sports, her success in high school, her college plans and other aspects of her life

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:11

We invite you to celebrate identification of these by donating into Hopper's High School Sports Podcast. For all of our podcasts, as well as a lot of articles, features, all, and more, feel free to visit our website at Hoffers High Schoolsports.com. Hey everybody, welcome into another edition of the Hoffer's High School Sports Podcast. Michael Hoffer with you, and as always, joined by Tim I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

I'm doing great. I'm uh excited about a 70-degree day because it's almost baseball statement.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Is there a 70-degree day in the future? I I didn't see the sport. I know it was great, but I what's the next one?

SPEAKER_01 0:54

How's it going to be when I'm in South Carolina and you're in the well you won't even see it in uh in the middle of uh Arizona because it's gonna be 150.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

Yeah, it's uh it's gonna be almost 70 plus 70.

SPEAKER_01 1:04

It sounds like the best. Yeah, this is uh it's it's it's creeping closer. I know we're at the end of uh we're at the end of the year and the awards are starting to come out for the winter, but yeah, and I can I can I wanted to break up my gloves that day that we got that weather. That is the best. It's the best.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Well, it'll it'll be here, but I think those first mini games will be kind of chilly over there ahead like it's uh it's still it's fine, we're heading in the right direction, the days are longer, all that fun stuff. But yes, not completely done with winter yet. Uh just released at uh Hoffers High School Sports.com today, the uh girls' hockey all-star team. Okay. So uh that uh that was exciting, a lot of work, but uh got a chance to honor 12 of the best players from the region. And the player of the year is the Sherbert Schalie Ellie School Next of it, who fittingly leads right into this week's podcast. Uh, Ellie is our guest. And not only is she a phenomenal goalie on the ice hockey side, but she's won three state championships as a field hockey goalie, often seeing the national anthem before any big events that we'll hear as part of this podcast. Just uh just a great all uh all-around uh student athlete. Uh you know, if you if you need faith in the future, you talk to kids like this that that's what gives it back to you because uh she's gonna go on and do great things. And she's already done a lot of great things at the high school level. So it was great to have a chance to catch up with her and learn more about her life and her uh outlook on sports and everything. So no, it was it was a it was a really fun interview.

SPEAKER_01 2:32

Yeah, she's uh I I watched her play a couple of times just because they they they play in the same place as John does, and uh stage uh being a goalie dad, yeah. You know, you're you're uh you're uh you're in every play, and so I find myself watching goalies. What an athlete. Yeah. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

Well, and it takes a special mentality too, which which we kind of talk about at one point. I mean playing goalies not for everybody, you know, all eyes are on you. If you give up a goal, you know, there's nowhere to hide. Yeah, uh, but she didn't give up any. Uh you know, she didn't give up any in the postseason until over time of the state final. And even that, she had a great perspective of uh after the game, and uh just you know her outlook on her whole high school career and everything. So no terrific interview.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

Yeah, she's uh she sounds like a good kid, and I uh I fantastic sure she's gonna do wonderful things with her on.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

No question about it. Yeah, and she's uh already got some uh big aspirations for uh for after high school and after college. So it was it was really an all-encompassing, uh really uh great interview that uh thanks to her uh with uh with all the great things she had to say. So I was really glad I got a chance to sit down with her. Very pleased to be joined this week by Ellie Skolnekovich, a senior at Chevras High School. You know her well for her uh great goalkeeping in field hockey and ice hockey, and she does a lot more than just play sports, and we're gonna touch on a lot of different subjects today. Uh, but Ellie, thank you for taking the time to sit down with me.

SPEAKER_03 3:52

Thank you so much for having us.

unknown 3:53

It's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

So, you're done with your high school athletic career. How does that feel?

SPEAKER_05 4:00

I have mixed emotions about it. I feel like relieved kind of that it's over, but also and happy to move on to my next step and playing field hockey at Union College next year. But I'm definitely really sad. I've had so many successful teams that I've been on, and it's been absolutely amazing, and I think that there's a feeling of like, oh, it's over, and it's really, really sad. And so I'm kind of dealing with with very mixed emotions about it.

SPEAKER_00 4:27

Yeah, I mean I think it's kind of a bittersweet part point in life, right? I mean, I know you're excited to graduate and move on, but you know, what a what a great time you've had in high school, and that's all yeah. I think it's a very common emotion, I guess, is my point for for kids your age. So yeah.

SPEAKER_05 4:42

I I call it like I'm like when it comes to like leaving for college, I think nerve excited. It's a word of like, I'm excited to leave, but at the same time I'm very nervous because it's a new state, new new people.

SPEAKER_00 4:54

So take me back. Did you start playing field hockey or ice hockey first?

SPEAKER_05 5:00

So that's a funny question because I don't actually know. Okay. I started both of them around the same time. Field hockey, I think I started first just playing my mom used to play in a women's league, and I think I started that just showing up and getting introduced to the sport when I was little, but I think ice hockey I formally started first. I started at Midcoast um youth hockey program and learned to skate and then switched to Casco Bay and played there for years, and so I definitely but started both around the same time.

SPEAKER_00 5:32

Did you have a preference growing up or did you enjoy them both?

SPEAKER_05 5:35

I never had a preference. I when I was in ice hockey season, ice hockey was my favorite. When I was in feel hockey, feel hockey was my favorite, and people ask me that all the time. What's your favorite sport? Which one are you continuing? And even up till choosing what I wanted to do in college, I was like, I want to do both.

SPEAKER_00 5:49

So No, that's fantastic. What is it? I mean, field hockey is not an easy sport. Um, you know, people watch it, they still don't understand the rules half the time. But it's it's a great sport, too. And uh, you know, certainly it's been great here, playing here, I know. But what what's special about field hockey to you?

SPEAKER_05 6:05

I love the rhythms of the game, and I think that's it's an interesting like way to put it. But like every every save makes a different sound, and like every time the ball hits my hand pad and it goes like perfectly, like the sound of it is so satisfying, and I think just the family and community around the team, too. Like field hockey's different. Like, yes, like there's there's family and ice hockey, but field hockey has this like very specific like family and just group of people, and I I love being around it, and it's it's amazing, and I'm I'm so excited to continue with it.

SPEAKER_00 6:38

Right, and then ice hockey, I mean that's a great sport, fast sport, you know, everyone loves watching it, it's a great spectator sport, but what what is it about that sport that you really love?

SPEAKER_05 6:47

I love ice hockey because it's so especially goalkeeping, because it's so specific and it's very it's extremely different from being a player, and I'm trying to think of the word, like how technical it is. Like every play is like you can do a T-push in some situations, but other times you want to shuffle and when to butterfly, when to not, and it's I don't know how to explain it, it's just so like it's so technical, and that's versus field hockey is more like a flow and it's it's cool. I like the like the technique of it.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

How did you come to play goalie?

SPEAKER_05 7:29

So when I was young, I actually had a tracking problem. So when I struggled to read, and one of my my eyes really didn't track very well, and so I went to I went to eye therapy and I did a bunch of stuff like that, but my dad said was the one who actually said, you know, you should be a goalie, you should try it, and so I I hopped and met for ice hockey first, and I fell in love with it, which is shocking as a girl who struggled to track, but it really helped and it it fixed my tracking problem, and I'm a successful reader, and and that's kind of how I got into it, which I think is really funny, and I just I fell in love with it, and then soon after that I did a feel like you clinic and was looking over at what the goalies were doing, and one of them is I still am in touch with. She's a senior or she's graduated college now, but just was looking over and saw what they were doing and fell in love and was like, I want to try it, and I did, and fell in love with it once again.

SPEAKER_00 8:24

That position's not for everybody though. You have to have a certain mentality and and willingness to let things go, and you know, it's when when you don't succeed, everyone knows it. So, how are you able to build up that mental toughness to play that position and to play it well?

SPEAKER_05 8:40

I think over time it it came with like my confidence in in the net, and I think that I don't know, I was just at the beginning, at the at the beginning I was definitely a little bit nervous about pressure and letting in a goal and what people thought. And then as I kept playing, I heard, I think it was my I don't know who said it, it was one of my coaches, and they said it's a zero-zero game no matter what the score is. And that's been my motto and of just, hey, a goal went in, but we're fine. Like it's zero-zero, like we're good, we're gonna score, we're gonna be okay. And and I think that really helped me to have that mentality going into a game and and throughout the game of it's zero zero and I'm just gonna live in the moment and make the next best save, you know, make the next save and not worry about the scoreboard or what the fans are thinking or what you know any other person matters because it's none of my business. That's what they think and and what I can do is what I can control.

SPEAKER_00 9:38

Yeah. So when you came to Shevrots, were you just hoping to make the team varsity? I mean, you probably couldn't imagine the success you've had and and all the great games you've had in. I mean, what what was your mindset as a freshman? Are you just hoping to be part of it?

SPEAKER_05 9:51

I came in as a freshman. I was originally online for school. And I came in as a freshman in high school, it was very new. I d was like, oh my gosh, like this is insane, and I had awesome teammates and amazing senior leadership on that team, and I did, I really wanted to be a part of it, and I could not imagine being where I'm sitting today. And just to be named as you know, backup to Logan LaFever at the time, who's my goalie partner, was like, oh my gosh, like I made the varsity team, and I was so excited, and in ice hockey similarly, like being said, like, hey, like you're gonna you're next in if Ella, you know, gets hurt, which unfortunately her freshman year she did, and so I played a lot. Yeah. But I, yeah, I everything I wanted was just to make the team. I didn't care about a championship, I didn't care about anything. I just I wanted to be a part of it.

unknown 10:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:44

Logan Ella, you mentioned that. Were they kind of your role models early on, or did you have others that you really looked up to that that helped you gain confidence?

SPEAKER_05 10:51

Yeah, I definitely I looked up to Lucy and Lily Johnson a lot. Um they were absolutely amazing. I know when when Lucy gave me my first, um, we always talked about how many times she gave me bruises on my arms or my legs. It's like a right of passage. Yeah, when she gave me my first bruise, it was kind of like she was like, I'm so sorry. And I'm like, no, like it's cool, like this is good. And so I always looked up to her, and El Cooney was another one who just I shadowed her and really looked up to her as a as a leader and and our coaches too were really great. Yeah. But yeah, it's awesome. And Ella Lemieux for ice hockey was amazing to play behind for I was so lucky to have her for two years because she's absolutely amazing and we're still friends to this day.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

Yeah. So field hockey used to become the starting goalie sophomore year or junior?

SPEAKER_05 11:36

Field hockey I was starting my sophomore year. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:38

So and and you guys never lost a game. Is that correct with you in those three years?

SPEAKER_03 11:44

It is correct now that I think about it. Isn't that crazy? That's unbelievable.

SPEAKER_00 11:47

Yeah, so you cause 'cause your freshman year you lost in states, but you won Yeah. You went uh undefeated 18-0, 18-0, 18-0. So, I mean that that's gotta get that's gotta be a point of pride, right? I mean you never you never lost a game sophomore year on as a starter.

SPEAKER_05 12:03

That was that was a lot of pride, and I think I take I can give credit to my defense in front of me and my inner forwards. I mean, there were games where where I only had, you know, six to eight shots. Right. Some even two or one, and it was it was amazing for our offense to have that much success, especially our senior year with losing a lot of people. And I mean, it was unbelievable. And I give credit to my defense in front of me when we got got to those harder games in the championship rounds, and like the amount of times I had Anna KJ or Jordan diving behind me to save a ball when I dove her earlier. Yeah, you know, it's just amazing.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

Yeah, I th I mean that unfortunately just the nature of sports, the defend the great defenders often don't get recognized, right? But the goalie knows how important they are. So is that important to you to to recognize them and and make sure they get some appreciation, right?

SPEAKER_05 12:54

It's really important to me, yeah. I think Jordan and Anna didn't get the all the interviews and they didn't get all the the glory for for everything that they do because because it's all focused on either the forward or the goalie and they don't they don't get the all the all the hype and I think they they totally should because they're amazing in every single way. I love them all.

SPEAKER_00 13:17

So junior year you knew you were gonna be the starting goalie for ice hockey. I did. Was there pressure that came with it? I know you've had played a fair amount, but this all of a sudden it was you.

SPEAKER_05 13:25

There definitely was pressure with that. I hadn't played I hadn't been the the number one for that, and and I remember walking in to like the little room that Coach like holds meetings with with us, and he said he's like, It's your time now. Like this is it's it's your time, and and I kind of owned that my freshman year, uh my junior year, sorry, and just felt like okay, this is my time. And I think my junior year at the beginning of it was just figuring it out of okay, like you are the only goalie, and I am so glad that we had Ethan Tucker um came to many of our practices and helped us out because we wanted to do drills with two goalies and we couldn't. And so having him there was very helpful and to give me a break. But yeah, it was definitely a little a lot of pressure came with being the starting goalie that first time in ice hockey. But I had had experience, like you said, in in playing my sophomore in freshman year, so I I kind of knew what it was about. But when we came to playoffs is when the when the pressure kind of started, I started to feel it a little bit more.

SPEAKER_00 14:32

What are some of your favorite memories? Playing memories. I'm sure there's a lot of them because you've you've been in some great games and yeah, I think oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_05 14:43

That's a really good question. The first one that comes to mind is is the state championship this year for ice hockey. And I think even though we lost, like, I just remember saying to myself, like, live in the moment, like take it in. And I remember the specific moment when I stepped out onto the ice and just like everyone was so excited in the stands, and it was really loud, and it was I sat down to stretch like I usually do and just like looked around and said, like, pressure is earned. And it was something that um coach had said is pressure is earned, like you've earned this moment, you've earned to be you deserve to be here. And I sat down with that feeling and just said to myself, like, you're gonna enjoy this game no matter what happens, like it's gonna be so fun. And even though we lost, it was such a fun game. Yeah. And I mean we held them zero zero for long periods.

SPEAKER_00 15:32

Um, well, the year before, you watched as Caroline Russo scored the winning goal off the other end of the ice. You're the furthest one away, right? But what was that like when you see her finish and you're like, you did we win?

SPEAKER_05 15:46

I don't think I've ever skated that fast. I to get from we have a second period change, so getting from the far net to all the way down to there, down to them celebrating was the longest gate I was crying, and so much emotion and so much just energy around that. And then I think of field hockey and and this year winning and when when Joey scored to tie it up, and then when we had that really clutch corn they had that really clutch defensive corner at the end, and we were you said we're like nothing is biased, like we're not letting anything buy us, and Mary Mc uh what's her last name? I think it's McCarthy, came back and just took it right from the girl and finished it and the celebration, and I don't think I've ever jumped that high. And I think I picked up Joey Bontio, and it was just like such an exciting moment. And then I mean, outside of winning, just warming up before practices and the high five we used to do a high five thing before games for field hockey and our hype circles in the locker room and warming up before practices for ice hockey with Logan Curry this year was always so fun. We always you know made funny videos and you know did all kinds of stuff, but just the family and the friends behind it.

SPEAKER_00 17:02

Having rivals like Biddeford and Scoheegan in field hockey, Yarm at Freeport now in ice hockey, and beating them in the biggest games, it does it mean more than just you know beating, say, some other random team in a s in a state final or regional final.

SPEAKER_05 17:15

It definitely does. I think when you have such a rivalry like that, I know with with Biddeford, like we've been going at it for four years now, and it was it was such a tough game because we were down by two and the first, I don't know, like four of us. Yeah, I know. We had to really pull it back together, like, okay, what are we doing? Like we're good, like settle it out. And I think to win that game in overtime and have freshman Brooke Brunel score that goal was absolutely amazing. And it definitely does mean a lot more. I think winning our our junior even winning my junior year versus Brunswick was huge because we had had we had had tight games with them that year, and that was really that was really really exciting.

SPEAKER_00 18:01

You um any regrets? Anything that got away or anything you wish you'd done differently?

SPEAKER_05 18:06

I don't think so. That's great.

SPEAKER_00 18:08

I really feel like you got the absolute most out of this experience.

SPEAKER_05 18:11

Yeah, and something comes to mind when it comes to regrets. I know I said in the state championship, like I was talking with a lot of people who were like, Oh, I'm so sorry about the loss, and I'm like, why are you sorry? Like, I sometimes it's I think about it in a way of like sometimes it's our time to win, and other times it's another team's. And we had won three years in a row, and it was it was their time. And and I look at all the faces on that other team, and you know, that's my hometown, right? Like, I'm from Freeport. So you know, I look over and I see all the seniors and I say, okay, you know, like this is this is a team that was deserving to win. And and were we as well, yes. But when they scored that goal, I I felt like, okay, like this is gonna be okay, you know, and I have no regrets about how I played. I don't I mean, my the girl that scored the goal, Avery Geyer, is my club teammate, and I was so happy for her when she was the one who scored it. And so yeah, I have no regrets at all about about anything.

SPEAKER_00 19:08

You've been part of this Shovers has been very fortunate the last five, six years to have some amazing female athletes. You're certainly one of them. You played with Lily and Lucy and Joey and Caroline Russo, and then you think about you know Maddie Fitzpatrick and Kylie Lampsen and Addison DeRoche. I mean, it's just an abundance of riches here. Yeah. You know, what's that been like? I mean, you guys, this is really, I don't think Shepherds has ever seen anything like this on the female side, and maybe ne never, regardless. I mean, it's just been amazing.

SPEAKER_05 19:37

It's been amazing to be surrounded by so many powerful female athletes. I mean, I look at Kylie Lampsen and I look at that Addison DeRoche and I think, oh my gosh, like if I ever needed to talk to them about pressure or about anything that was was on my mind or bothering me about a game, like I could go to them, even though we don't play the same sport. And I think that's it's something that's really cool about our school is that we have so many athletes that have experienced the pressure and experienced all of the you know, being extremely talented and what to do with that. And it's been amazing to to be friends with Kylie and be friends with Addison and and Lily and Lucy and and all and Joey, of course. Yeah. And it's it's just it's a great community to have here and people to rely on. And I know I've had people come up to me and ask me questions, and I've had I've had to ask with Joey about qu stuff, and and we all help hold each other accountable, which is amazing.

SPEAKER_00 20:33

Yeah, and you know, you were got to watch that basketball state game. I'm sure you've seen some of the amazing softball games at Addison's pitch. So is it just fun sometimes to just be a fan and get to cheer on your classmates?

SPEAKER_05 20:44

I love to be a fan. I know I went to the I went to the girls' basketball game this year. I need to make a softball game this year. And that basketball game, it just they were so calm the whole game, and it was amazing to watch, and it was amazing to sit back and and not be the one playing, yeah and and watch one of my friends just succeed like that, and have her climb, have them make that climb back and win it overtime was phenomenal.

SPEAKER_00 21:09

Well, it's a shift in some other areas of your life. You uh music is very important to you, you're very talented. When did you get into music?

SPEAKER_05 21:18

Okay. I have a video of me singing Let It Go from Frozen when I was like three. Um my parents are both musicians. My mom was a singer, she sang in the choir in college, and my dad did barbershop when he was younger, and so I think music is just such a big part of my family.

SPEAKER_00 21:40

So it's been a part of me since I can remember, and I've been able to just And you have been able to sing the national anthem on many occasions, including in front of huge crowds. Including just recently. What what do you remember the first time you did you sang in front of a big crowd like that?

SPEAKER_05 21:59

I do. I sang at the regional final game my freshman year. Wow. And I remember it being it was a good national anthem when I watched the video back, but I was so nervous that I felt like it was terrible. And I said after that that I was like, I don't know if I'll do it again. And people were and people begged me, and I'm like, guys, like it wasn't that good. And then I just I kept singing and kept singing and kept singing, and my it was my sophomore year that I really picked up, you know, singing national anthems at at almost every home game, and and I I fell in love with it. And then I sing in our in our choir at school, and that's so fun to sing. It's we're very small. There's there's six of us, but we're small but mighty, and it's it's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 22:41

So do you still get nervous before you do it, or is it just kind of old hat now? You're just gonna go out and do your thing.

SPEAKER_05 22:46

I definitely get a little bit nervous. I think when I sing at Cross Insurance Arena and in those big state games, I I walk out and I get a little anxious because there's a lot of people. But it's it's the same feeling, and so I'm used to the feeling of nerves, and I can kind of get over that now, and I can just sing the way that I always have. I I love it. I think that it's funny I started too high. Okay. Because I went out, I remember walking out and I felt like my note that I had in my head was gone, and so I had to, like, very last minute figure it out and pull it, pull it together, but I just think it it came out to be the way that it was supposed to, and it it ended up being being fine. And I just I think about that game and I think about the players that were on that ice, and it's unfortunate that Chevers couldn't pull away with it, but it was amazing, and and I think about the fans cheering and and everyone that was down below in that small area between the two benches, and and just so much community down there, and and all the coaches patting each other on the back and you know, s saying good luck to the all the players, and I think about just all the energy around that game, and so that's what I think when I hear about when I hear that.

SPEAKER_00 25:37

You're obviously very busy with sports and with music, and what el what what else occupies your time? I'm sure you want to spend as much time with your friends as you can, but it doesn't seem like you have a whole lot of hours in the day to uh to do other things.

SPEAKER_05 25:49

I find time. Okay. I love spending time with my friends. I know that my time is minimal, but spending time with my friends is often through my sports, and I think that you know, most of my friends play field hockey, most of my friends play ice hockey, and so I'm able to see them through that, which is awesome, but I definitely do like, you know, going out to lunch or going out to dinner or shopping at the mall and with those friends that that don't necessarily play sports, and so I I find time. I know my schedule's crazy, and I have a lot with music and with field hockey and ice hockey, but it comes the the busyness comes in waves, and I have times when I can really slow down and and take time for myself, but also take time to to spend with my friends and and do fun stuff with my family. Like we we mountain bike a lot and we love to go out when we have time and we go up to Mount Abraham and do the downhill skiing stuff. Uh downhill biking rather. So I love I love to bike, I love to love to sing, love to be outside and all kinds of stuff.

SPEAKER_00 26:52

So Union College is next, huh? It is. Were you looking at a lot of schools? What was that process like for you?

SPEAKER_05 26:58

It was it was a lot. I had at the start of my process, I think I started my sophomore year because I was originally thinking potentially going Division I, but I didn't really know what I wanted. And so I had I think a list of twenty-five was my first list. So I I did have I had a lot on my on my list of schools, and I was trying to narrow it down by major, I was originally thinking forensic science, and then I ended up going forensic science to architecture, and then I landed on biomedical or mechanical engineering, which is what I'm deciding to do. Okay. And so I definitely fluctuated in those 25 of schools, like where do I want, and then I was sending out tons of emails and which colleges are gonna respond, and you you never really know. And so I ended up getting a good amount of responses, and then from there narrowed it down, did tons of tours, and I think at the end of my process I had three or four schools that were really on my list, and in union was originally wasn't one of them, and it wasn't one of the top twenty-five when I started, and I was looking at my three schools, three or four schools that were on my list, and I was like, I don't think any of these are checking all my boxes, and and that was a hard spot to be, and so it was our college advising person who said, Hey, you should look at union, and I looked at union, I toured, I went to a clinic, and the coach said, We we want you, and and that was huge, and that entire process I think took three months total versus the three years that I had two years that I had spent recruiting, which was absolutely unbelievable to me. And so you never know when your path where your path is gonna go, and but that's what happened for me, and I I committed there and fell in love with campus and everything about it.

SPEAKER_00 28:50

Was it a fun process or was it stressful?

SPEAKER_05 28:52

There were fun parts. It was it was fun and stressful at the same time. There were definitely moments where I felt like I was focusing on the future a lot, and times when I had to take a step back and say, okay, like nope, we're good. Like, we're gonna live in the moment and we're gonna enjoy high school. But there were also moments where I went to so many clinics. Like I remember going to a Tufts clinic and going to Nexus and and having so much fun and meeting goalies that are that are my friends and meeting so many awesome people, and even meeting coaches that I am not necessarily going to their college, like I met the Harvard goalie coach who is the nicest guy you'll ever meet, and so I was able to meet amazing people. So it was it was fun and stressful at the same time, but definitely way more fun than it was stressful.

SPEAKER_00 29:41

Oh, that's good. Well, I think about you to look at what Addison went through, like it pr based pretty much she could have had her choice of any college in the country just about. And in some ways you think, oh, that's awesome, but I mean that's a lot of pressure that comes with that. And I I don't think people see that side of it so much. So but I'm glad I'm glad it was largely a positive thing for you. What's uh what's the union uh field hockey program like? How do you see yourself fitting in there?

SPEAKER_05 30:03

Yeah, so the union field hockey program is a divinity program that plays out of the Liberty League, and union's in Schenectady, New York. So they travel a little bit for for games, and I think I fell in love with the team, and it felt a lot like the Chevras field hockey team when I first stepped onto the field. That's great. And that's what I really wanted was was a family, and I think that everyone's so tightly knit. I mean, I have the Snapchat of two of my two goalie partners. Um I have a junior and a s a one that's going to be a junior and one that's going to be a senior, and they've welcomed me with open arms and update me with on their daily schedule, and I think it's so funny. And so I feel like thus far I've been welcomed there, and yeah, that's that's what that's what it's all about.

SPEAKER_00 30:53

So is music still gonna be part of your college life as well?

SPEAKER_05 30:56

I would like it to be. It was definitely something that was on my box, um, on my checklist to have something there where whether it was a choir and a cappella group, and they do have those options, so I want to be a part of it, and I've talked to the coach about singing national anthems and maybe making that happen, and so music will forever be a part of my life no matter where I go.

SPEAKER_00 31:17

Right, that's great. Ever think about where you want to be in five years, ten years, twenty years, or is that is that too far down the road? No. What you want to be when you grow up, kind of thing, you know?

SPEAKER_05 31:26

I I want to either be a biomedical or mechanical engineer. I think biomedical engineering is where I'm I'm leaning towards. I want to work, I want to learn about pacemakers and potentially what are they called, orthotics and prosthetics, and working in a clinic with with young kids or with adults to to get people that have have lost a limb or were born without a limb to to be able to run and be able to walk and be able to have that independence in life is is where I'm where I'm leaning towards.

SPEAKER_00 32:01

You were part of six championship teams in high school. Um how do you think you're gonna look back on the on this time years from now?

SPEAKER_05 32:07

I'm gonna look back and I'm gonna see the amazing coaching that we had and I mean I'm gonna see all the family that is around the team, not just you know my family, but the team. And I mean, I look at the field hockey program and I look at all of the teams had had a different dynamic, but every single team felt like okay, this is my family, like this is my these are the people that I want to be around all the time, and and it was hard to say goodbye after practice, and and I'm gonna look back at ice hockey and and see the hard practices and the you know the intense moments in playoffs, but I look back and I see you know the faces of my best friends, and I see you know our captains that are amazing, and and again, like our coaching staff that was just I was so excited to see our coaches every day, and I was so excited to see all of my teammates.

SPEAKER_00 33:02

Yeah. You've touched on this a little bit, but y you had two field hockey coaches, right? You started with Coach Arsenal, and then Coach Missante came. What what have they meant to you? What have you learned from them?

SPEAKER_05 33:12

Coach Arsenal was amazing to start my high school career. I wouldn't have asked to have any other coach, and she was both intense but so much fun, and she knew when when drills were supposed to be fun and when they were supposed to be more intense, and even the intense drills were fun, and and I learned I learned so much from her about discipline and and how to how to be a part of a team and how and what a team looks like. And then I mean Coach Moose just continued on with that and taught me again discipline and just everything, working hard and pushing towards a state championship and what family looks like in a team, and it's been it's been amazing to have both of them as coaches.

SPEAKER_00 33:58

And Coach Russo in the in the winter.

SPEAKER_05 34:01

I love I love Coach Russo. He he's intense in so many ways, but he has taught me so much, and he's taught me so many lessons about you know pressure and how to cope with pressure and how when to be in a drill and when to step out, and he taught me just so he's taught me so much. And I mean I'm forever grateful for everything that he does for the field hockey program, even even after Caroline left, for him staying and and losing the state championship, yes, but but being part of of that family and helping us create that and and holding us accountable every day and and stepping onto the ice with us every day and and just having I mean having fun at every practice.

SPEAKER_00 34:50

Yeah. What's it been like having uh Mrs. Ashley here as a role model, female athletic director?

SPEAKER_05 34:55

It's been amazing. She during playoffs, she would step out onto the field with us for field hockey, and she'd help us with you know our intensity or our plays and different ways to to again deal with pressure and different ways to to figure out defensive plays and offensive plays, and she has so much experience in the field hockey world, and and she's so knowledgeable in in everything, and it's it's been amazing to have her as an outlet to to come to and say, Hey, like I have this this question and I need it answered, and and she's been phenomenal to have here, and I just she does amazing things for this school.

SPEAKER_00 35:29

Yeah, but she was a great coach in her day too. Yeah, I'm sure you you would have loved playing for her. She was a terrific coach, no question about it. I'm just gonna throw out a few names, you just react however you want to react, but we'll start with Lucy Johnson.

SPEAKER_05 35:42

Oh my gosh, I love her. She's intense and so driven and so focused, and for her to go and play at Boston University is amazing, and and her and her sister are just absolutely awesome people, and she taught me so much, and you know, the the bruises are temporary. How about Lily Johnson? Just such a leader and such such a such a kind soul, and just always cared for people and never thought of herself first. She was always, you know, how are you doing today? Never worried about you know herself. And I think that's a true captain quality, and I was I was so glad to have her as a captain and as a leader on the team.

SPEAKER_00 36:19

Joey Pompeo.

SPEAKER_05 36:21

She's a great teammate. I love her, she's in my grade, and I see her throughout the day, and always on game big game days, she'd be like, Are you ready? You know, are you excited? And she was always excited and always prepared, and and again, like just a great captain to have.

SPEAKER_00 36:36

How about Briella DeWorty?

SPEAKER_05 36:38

I have known her for so long. I played club with her when I was younger, and we've grown up together in the hockey world, and she's again a great captain and a great teammate, and I'm gonna be really sad not to have her next year.

SPEAKER_00 36:52

Anna KJ, Jordan Druin?

SPEAKER_05 36:54

Jordan I've known since I was three. And Anna I met in high school, and I swear I've known Anna's fence forever. They're two of my closest friends, and we are we are a trio, we're a family, and and often we come together, which is really funny. And the amount of times again that I say they dove behind me to save balls, and and were always there for me to pick me back up after I scored, and it's just amazing teammates.

SPEAKER_00 37:20

Unless people I want to ask about your parents, what they've meant to you, the sacrifices they've made for you.

SPEAKER_05 37:25

They've done so much for me. I know I've come home after practices or games and been like, that was terrible, or you know, I was upset about letting in a goal, or you know, we tied a game and I was disappointed, and they just picked me right back up, and they they never asked to, you know, asked me to calm down or never asked me to do anything like that. They just were always there for me and always super supportive, and I mean the amount of things that they paid for me to go do and and traveled with me down to New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and I mean I went to California for nationals one year, and it's just it's been amazing to have them as parents and and to have them with me. So I I thank them for everything that they've done.

SPEAKER_00 38:02

Right. So when you're at Union, do they play any teams in New England? Will you be traveling? Will will fans around here get a chance to see you play, not without making a long trip, right?

SPEAKER_05 38:11

I think I can't remember. They play a team closer, but the closest one they played this year was at MIT.

SPEAKER_00 38:17

Okay. Well, that's not that's not far. That's doable.

SPEAKER_05 38:20

It's not it's not Maine, which is quite sad. But I think I think they play a team in New Hampshire, if I'm not mistaken.

SPEAKER_00 38:27

All right. Yeah, that's certainly doable. You're gonna miss Maine, you think you'll want to come back when you're done with school?

SPEAKER_05 38:34

I don't know yet. I have loved growing up in Maine. I've loved everything about it and and all the all of the seasons and everything, and and I'm excited to go and and experience something in a different state and and kind of move away from Maine, but I'm I'm always gonna come back and I'm always gonna come back to the place that where I grew up and I don't know if I'll come back when I am older, and I think that'll time will tell. But I I don't know. I I will always hold positive it positivity around Maine and and the joys that I've had here.

SPEAKER_00 39:07

And here will not soon forget you either, I'm quite sure. So uh one last thing I want to share with you. Um every year after the season, I put together an all-star team. Okay. Um and with that, we select a player of the year, and our 2026 Ice Hockey Player of the Year is Ellie Skolnikovich. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_03 39:27

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 39:28

Thank you so much. Congratulations to you. So one last feather in your cat, but what a remarkable career for you.

SPEAKER_03 39:34

Thank you so much for everything.

SPEAKER_00 39:36

And thank you for sending that. I mean, I knew this was going to be a great interview, but it's even better than I expected. It's so enlightening. Thank you for sharing all these wonderful stories of everything that you've accomplished overcome. It's been uh it's been my pleasure to cover you here these last few years, and I can't wait to see what comes next for you.