DeDivitiis commits to New England College
Missy Gordon has spent more than 22 years coaching girls hockey and Angelina DeDivitiis had made a lasting impression on the Denis Morris coach.
“She is definitely one of the best students and one of the best athletes that I have come across in a very long time,” Gordon said, “She is a role model for her peers, she is very energetic and in the last couple of years she has taken on a real leadership role with the team while doing a lot of the managing, keeping the girls on track and motivating them.”
The five-year veteran was honoured Friday with a signing ceremony commemorating her decision to play NCAA Division 3 scholarship hockey with the New England College Pilgrims in Henniker, N.H.
“She has been a blessing to the school and a blessing to the team and I will miss her dearly.”
The 18-year-old St. Catharines native did it all for the Reds.
“She is very aggressive, she is an excellent back checker and she can play any position that I need her to play except for goalie,” Gordon said. “She has always been a forward for me but this year I needed her on D and she stepped up and did a fabulous job.”
The 5-foot-11, 150-pound player describes herself as very powerful, aggressive and determined to always get to the puck first and win the game.
DeDivitiis had a number of other scholarship offers but chose New England because it’s a small school with small class sizes.
“That is really important to me. It helps me a little more to get hands-on experience to be successful.”
The future health sciences major visited the school twice and quickly became enamoured with it.
“It was probably when I saw a game and they told me that they wanted me. And I saw how they played and it was the same way that I played. I thought that I could really fit in there. The game was really fast and competitive and it was everything that I wanted it to be.”
Her future teammates were welcoming.
“Everyone was positive and cheering everyone one. It was like a big family and very open. Even though I wasn’t on the team, I felt like a member of the team.”
The town of Henniker is supportive of the women’s hockey team and all of the college’s athletic programs.
Her goals for her freshman season are to feel comfortable and play to the best of her ability.
“Maybe one day I can become captain of New England and show them that I have a positive attitude and I am what they are always looking for in a program.”
To prepare for the upcoming season, she is going to continue to work hard on and off the ice. She is hoping to skate with university coaches to get her ready for collegiate hockey.
“I am most looking forward to meeting new people, having a new experience and honestly just starting my own life, my own chapter by myself.”
After beginning in figure skating DeDivitiis started playing hockey when she was 10 or 11 with her mom, Lorraine DeDivitiis, the owner of Ultimate Edge Power Skating.
“She started that business because I told her that I wanted to play hockey,” Angelina said. “She was a really big influence. She always told me to keep positive even when everyone else was telling me ‘No, that is not going to work. You can’t do that.’ My parents were always super positive and supportive. She was always the No. 1 person in my corner.”
Angelina moved on to the Brock Badgers house league and eventually joined travel hockey. She just concluded her season with the Mississauga Hurricanes under-22 A squad that placed fourth at the provincial championships.
