Elizabeth Karatzas '21 Recruiting Profile

I was first introduced to ice hockey by my brother when I was six years old. I played co-ed hockey for seven years. When it came time for me to play Bantam hockey, it was the first time I thought about playing on an all girls team. I tried out for Seacoast Spartans and that is when my passion really came to light. I played for the Seacoast Spartans for 4 years. During the last full season for that team, I didn’t make the elites, the top team. I was disappointed, but I took semi-private lessons all summer and with the help from a player at the University of New Hampshire and my coach I was able to work hard and improve. Due to this work, during preseason I was moved up to the team I always strived to be on. The first time I was on a high school team was during my sophomore year. I was on a completely new team with a completely different dynamic, I had to work hard to improve, to keep my game where it was and more. Now on the 11th year of my hockey career, I had to face the challenge of being surrounded by people who didn’t have the same love and work ethic for the game as I did. I still continued to work hard. At the end of the season, I got an award that meant everything to me, the Seventh Player Award. This award goes to the hardest working player on the team and who exceeded all expectations from coaches. During my junior year, I was placed on the All-State team, placed 3rd for the Seacoast Player of the Year for girl's ice hockey, and participated in the New Hampshire High School Girls Ice Hockey Invitational. 

The work ethic that I demonstrate when I play hockey is also evident in other parts of my life. One of my favorite quotes is “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” by Wayne Gretzky. As a freshman, not only did I take my regular courses at high school, but I also took classes for criminal justice at Great Bay Community College, which is my other passion. My passion for criminal justice led to great opportunities including a great connection between my local police department. I reached out to police chief and spent the day with him learning about the different branches of law enforcement that I could potentially pursue. I have been able to participate in different trainings that are offered.