Ridley goaltender heads south
Hallie McClelland is going to continue her hockey career in a location known for almost anything other than hockey.
The 18-year-old Ridley College student has committed to Arizona State University where she will tend goal for the Sun Devils beginning this fall.
McClelland, who hails from Michigan, was introduced to the school by a friend from home.
“I reached out to their coach (Lindsey Ellis) and sent her some game film and we e-mailed back and forth and set up a tour,” McClelland said. “I met some of the girls on the team and they were super nice and the coach was really nice. The campus was so beautiful.”
McClelland then practised with the team and a few days later got an e-mail offering her a spot for the 2020/21 season.
“I really just loved the environment,” she said. “It’s a huge school but they made it seem like such a small community as the same time.”
McClelland, who plans to study bio-medical sciences, is well aware of the adjustments she will need to make, both on and off the ice.
“It’s definitely going to be a big change but I’m excited for it,” she said. “It’s going to take some getting used to with the weather and new environment. I think it will be fun to not have to walk through snow and carry your gear to the ice.”
McClelland is currently at home training as best she can.
“Our trainer at Ridley is amazing,” she said. “She’s been giving us workouts to do at home which has been great. My gear is at school and the rink is closed so I haven’t been able to get on the ice in a while which has been driving me crazy.”
McClelland joined Ridley under difficult circumstances. Her team in Michigan was about to fold when she was alerted to Ridley by a teammate who was already playing for the Tigers.
“A lot of the girls didn’t know what to do. I reached out Amanda (head coach Amanda Wark) and she replied back within 20 minutes. We set up a tour date and I skated with the goalie coach.”
McClelland has enjoyed everything about her experience at Ridley.
“It was an amazing,” she said. “We got to travel so much and the amount of games we got to play was insane. It was like playing university hockey before going to university. It was great.”
Ridley goaltending coach Jason Barron is happy for McClelland.
“We are excited for Hallie as she takes the next steps in her journey as a student-athlete, joining Arizona State University, and playing in the ACHA (American Collegiate Hockey Association),” he said. “Hallie was an athlete who made strong strides both on and off the ice during her time at Ridley and we are excited for her to continue grow academically and athletically in her post-secondary education.”
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