Athlete of the Week: Girls Hockey

By Michael Yang

On the cusp of charging the ice, Big Red Varsity Girls Hockey is thrilled to be days away from returning to training. Senior Captains Alyssa Xu and Rachel Shu, along with head coach Sally Komarek, kept the team motivated and connected as they battled out the remote winter term. 

Shu began playing hockey at a young age. “When I was 5 years old, I begged my parents to learn how to skate. From then on, I fell in love with hockey because of the competition and excitement it brought to my life,” Shu said. After learning that she had been appointed captain, Shu said, “Words can’t describe how excited I was when Coach Komarek called me last spring to tell me that Lyss and I would be the captains this year.”

Xu, meanwhile, had a different introduction to the sport. “I was at my friend's house and she said she had to go to practice, so I tagged along. When I got home, I asked my parents if I could play, and they were shocked because they thought it was a boys' sport.” ‘I ended up getting gear and forgot to buy socks and a jersey, so I looked like a robot when I first started playing,” she said.

Both captains found teamwork to be at the heart of their hockey experience. Shu said, “I love being part of a team where we all push each other to be the best we can be. My hockey teams over the years have become a family to me. Most of my longest and closest friendships have been made through hockey.” 

Xu spoke similarly. “I played at a competitive level and continued to play because of the many opportunities that came with playing. Along with the many life skills gained from hockey like how to work as a team and understanding responsibilities, hockey also brought me to come to Phillips Exeter and opened many doors for college.”

Both captains reflected on their growth playing for Big Red. “When I got to Exeter, I had to step up and get more comfortable with becoming more offensive,” Shu said. “My confidence on the ice grew tremendously here and honestly has made my game a lot better.” 

Xu agreed. “Hockey at Exeter has allowed me to learn so much from fellow teammates as well as coaches, everyone on the team has a unique set of skills from shooting to leadership style and it's been great learning these skills from teammates and bringing them to teams outside of Exeter.”

Xu credited Komarek with her success at Exeter. “Coach Komarek has been great with weekly challenges and fun activities to do in small groups as well as an entire team,” Xu said. 

“Rachel and Alyssa are both incredibly passionate hockey players, great teammates, and they each use their strengths and leadership styles to the advantage of our program... Alyssa and Rachel are both selfless and humble in their leadership, and are extremely well-respected and trusted by their teammates,” Komarek said. 

Xu and Shu’s teammates agree. Lower Anjali Frary said, “There are many ways to be a leader, and Lyss leads by doing - she works hard and demonstrates grit. Rachel comes across as reserved, yet strong and steady, mentally and physically. She puts her all into hockey.” Upper Victoria Quinn expressed similar thoughts. 

“The captains, Lyss and Rachel, are the kindest and most supportive people ever!”  Senior Seo Kwak added, “Great people, I love them a lot.”

Lower teammate Sami Smith also described Shu and Xu’s leadership and dedication. “They have had a very positive and leading attitude that has been emitting good energy to the whole team.” Smith continued, “I am really going to miss these two so much.”

Keeping the team connected was a challenge that the captains tackled over the quarantine period. Over the remote period, the team stayed connected through various activities. “We had a lot of Zoom meetings to keep in touch, including workout or yoga Zooms, trivia nights, and team lunches,” lower teammate Eden Welch said. 

Prep Caroline Shu expressed gratitude to her sister. Shu said, “My sister and I have been doing many off-ice workouts that correspond with our performance on ice.”

Komarek looks towards the post-quarantine period with optimism. “Once we get through the initial quarantine period we will be able to practice and have competitive scrimmages against ourselves. I’m looking forward to getting on the ice with this group and working on our skills, cohesiveness, hockey IQ, and to continue our development. We will be live-streaming these competitions and this will be a great opportunity to showcase what we’re working on as a program.”

Overall, the team is ready to get back to work. “I am just looking forward to almost all of the team finally being together,” Shu said. “We’ve been talking through screens for way too long.”

“I'm super excited to meet all the new players in person and reconnect with past teammates,” Xu said. “I also really look forward to skating in the rink again as I stayed home in the fall and haven't been on campus in almost 11 months.” 

“It has always been a goal of mine, to be that leader on the team that brings everyone together to embrace our love for the game. Even though the captainship doesn’t make or break my love for my team and hockey, it definitely is the cherry on top. The pandemic has made this year very hard and upsetting,” Shu said. “But, luckily, this team is so loving and supportive. Their smiles and enthusiasm each day have made this hard time so much easier.”