Marie Ma '23 Recruiting Profile

Hockey is my first passion. I convinced my mother to enroll me in grade 2. Even though she made me wait a season before she committed to signing me up for the North Shore Avalanches, once I hit the ice, I knew I wanted it to Have hockey be a part of me for the rest of my life.

We moved in 2017, to the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. This was really hard for me as there was no female hockey team locally. I played in the co-ed team but I was the only female player in the room. This forced me to learn resilience and was very eye-opening. The male hockey players also played very differently, so I had to significantly change my style of play to adjust. We learned of a few female hockey team options in later seasons, but they were still too far for my family to practically accommodate especially when the pandemic hit.

Playing in the co-ed teams made me appreciate the uphill battle of a female hockey player in many communities. Knowing how hard it can be for female hockey players, and loving the game, I wanted to give back and help. I have a younger sister who loves hockey. A female development ice time became available, and I volunteered to help assist coach. My sister loved this! In the years I helped out, I watched this grow from a single ice time of 20-30 girls, to two ice times with different tiers/age groups and 20-30 girls per ice time! It’s amazing!

I also began officiating games in my community. Currently, I am the only female hockey official/referee in my league.
I’m posting a link to my 2022-2023 season playlist on YouTube. It will have most of my games and a few practices for your convenience and consideration.  Thank you! https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8ym3hC3vd11F9F245AyZiMH7D-L5fhmW