聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Eighteen-year-old Daria O'Neill is already making her mark in an entirely new arena-as a hockey player at an American university.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 O'Neill-a former Carlyle resident- is halfway through her first year of studying and stickhandling at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont, and was recently named Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week by the Hockey East Conference.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭his is a great way for Daria to start off the second half of the year and it's a relection of how much she's improved so far this season,鈥� says Catamount's head coach, Jim Plumer.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 O'Neill says juggling full-time studies in Public Communications and a slot on defence with the Catamounts uses skills she picked up early in her academic and hockey careers.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚'm kind of used to the structure,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut it's tough to balance sometimes. It takes a lot of time management.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ut since I was in grade five, I've juggled hockey and school. When we lived in Edmonton, I attended two schools that were sports academies from grades five to nine. And when I went to The Edge (School for Athletes) in Calgary, I was used to doing both. But it does take a lot of focus.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 As a member of the Catamounts, O'Neill travels regularly throughout the American east coast to compete against other teams in the Hockey East Women's Conference, including squads from Boston College, Northeastern University (Boston), Boston University, the University of Maine, the University of Connecticut, Merrimack College (Massachusetts), the University of New Hampshire and Providence College (Rhode Island).聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏efore Christmas, we played at home a lot more,鈥� says O'Neill. 鈥淏ut right now, we're travelling most weekends. Our longest trip is a six-hour drive to Maine and we go to Boston a lot. We travel by bus.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hen we play at home here in Burlington, it's such a hockey town,鈥� she adds. 鈥淭he University of Vermont's men's hockey program is very successful and the school has really built up a hockey culture.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t's carried through to our women's team and we usually get a pretty steady audience. It's quite exciting playing in front of a big crowd.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭wo years ago, the University of Vermont's women's hockey team broke our (Hockey East) attendance record at the 'Pack the Gut' Challenge with a few thousand fans in attendance. It takes place at Gutterson Fieldhouse here on campus and the idea is to break the attendance record and at the same time, benefit a cause or charity.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭his year, we hope to do it again,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he school does a really good job promoting our teams and hockey.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 O'Neill says her teammates come from Canada, the U.S. and parts of Europe.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗ockey's a pretty universal game and our team has people from Canada, the United States and the Czech Republic and Helsinki, Finland.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪ome of our European players have puckhandling abilities that are more fluid; while our style in Canada is more rough and tough.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ut we all learn from each other.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Not only did O'Neill adapt to a new team, a new school, and a new country when she received her full scholarship to the University of Vermont, she also had to change the number on her jersey.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 wore #10 when I was younger for Brenden Morrow (O'Neill's cousin and NHL star). But eventually, I had to change that number, because #10 was also a very popular number with a lot of other players.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 switched to #17 for my last two years of high school and when I had to change it again, I decided to switch it up to something completely new. I chose #77 partly because of Ray Bourque, who was a pretty elite defenceman.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ut I have to say, growing up, that Brenden was a huge role model for me,鈥� says O'Neill. 鈥淔or me, coming from a small town and seeing him coming from the same small town and then seeing him in the NHL and competing for Canada at the Olympics...Well, his resume is just endless and he's a real inspiration.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 O'Neill also credits her family for her success. 鈥淢y parents are a huge support system to me and they're also role models in their own way.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hey moved from Edmonton to Cochrane (Alberta), so I could attend The Edge (School for Athletes) near Calgary.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t's always exciting when they come to watch me play. My family will be here for 'Pack the Gut' this year聽 and it'll be the first time my mom will see me play here. I'm super-excited to have them in the stands.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 O'Neill says her future plans include goals centred around her sport.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淩ight now, I'd like to have as much of an impact on this program as I can. It's a great opportunity and I want to make the most of it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Another opportunity O'Neill has earned was the chance to attend Team Canada's conditioning camp at Hamilton, Ontario's McMaster University during high school.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥f course, you never know what will happen, but I'd like to possibly compete in the Olympics someday. To be able to wear the maple leaf would be a huge honour.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 And when asked about life after hockey, she says she hopes the sport will remain a part of her post-hockey professional life.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎s a communications major, I can't think of a better place to use my degree,鈥� says O'Neill. 鈥淚t's where my network is. And I'm really excited about and enjoying my classes this year.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 O'Neill says her advice to girls and women who play hockey at any level is: 鈥淒efinitely stick with it. Some of the best friends and relationships I have come from playing hockey.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淓ven if it doesn't turn into a career, you'll make friends who are irreplaceable.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t's a great sport and you'll learn so much-on and off the ice.鈥�
