Kristen Kiggen '25 Recruiting Profile

I was born in Pretoria, South Africa and moved to Canada when I was 5 years old, totally different environment and culture to adapt to, and don't get me started on the weather. But with my family,  I adapted, I learned a new way of living and I learned a new language, French as the official language of Quebec. My character is to overcome adversity, not just to be average, but to be the best that I can be.

It was immediately apparent  to me that to understand Canada's soul, I needed to understand hockey, so I started out playing boys hockey because that's all there was. The only ice I had ever seen was in my soft drink, I had never seen an ice rink before let alone skated on one. I was put into the deep end with Canadian kids, who yes, it’s true, are born with skates on. I struggled for a week or two, but I overcame and adapted. My competitive nature and drive to be number 1, saw me play Peewee AAA and Bantam AAA with the boys’ league. I also made team Quebec U13 and U18. I left my family in Canada and moved to a prep school in the U.S. (Northwood in Lake Placid), because that's what I needed to do to become better.

I have a goal to play in the NCAA D1 league and get an education I can be proud of. I have worked hard to have a GPA of 4.2 in 2022/23  school years, and I am proud of the achievements and success I have had so far. I am on the honor roll and Dean's list and intend to stay there. My interest is in sport science or sport medicine so I can be able to help young athletes like myself chase their goals. I dream to one day play for team Canada, to pull over my head the red and white Maple leaf Jersey, to feel part of something larger than myself and to give back to my adopted Country that has given so much to me.

My family has sacrificed allot for my sister and I, to move from South Africa to Canada to give us a better life, and to make sure I can follow my hockey dreams in the U.S. and to get a university education, and I don’t intent to let them down!