Olivia Sliwa '21 Recruiting Profile

When my Dad introduced me to hockey in first grade, I was drawn to it for its uniqueness. It was a sport none of my friends were interested in, yet it didn’t bother me because I felt so free playing a game on ice. Since then, my love for hockey has only grown because of its speed, intensity, teamwork, and quick decision making. I love the fact that winning the tiny battles can be the difference in winning the game. Hockey has brought me the extra challenge that I look for and I can't imagine life without the sport. Hockey gives me confidence to be myself on and off the ice.   

Hockey has helped me grow as an athlete, student, and person. As a 12 year old girl, I was on an all boys team. I knew my skills were on par but was anxious for the first game.  Adding to this, I was handed a different color jersey than the rest of my team due to a mix-up. Rather than focus on the negatives, I focused on the game and my line scored 2 of the 3 goals for the win. If anything, the game of hockey has taught me to focus on my job and not worry about the problems going on around me.

I believe that I bring a unique set of skills to each team that I play on and look forward to adding that at the college level where my academic aptitude and athletic ability will be challenged.