From a Raider to a Red
A change in position may have helped Marisa Valla secure her dream of playing hockey at the next level.
The 17-year-old St. Catharines native had always been a defenceman until last season when she was switched to forward with the Stoney Creek Junior Sabres of the Ontario’s Provincial Women’s Hockey League.
Valla took to the position quickly and turned in a solid season for the Junior Sabres with two goals and seven assists in 38 regular season games before adding two more goals in four playoff games before the PWHL post-season was suspended.
She was also a key component of Stoney Creek’s run to the bronze medal at the 2019 Esso Cup, the national under-18 women’s hockey championship tournament.
Valla’s efforts caught the attention of the University of New Brunswick, who signed the Holy Cross student to a U SPORTS Letter of Intent. She will join the Reds ahead of the 2020-21 Atlantic University Sport season.
“I’m thrilled, honestly,” Valla said. “I’ve been working really hard to get into this position and having an opportunity to go to this school is obviously a big accomplishment.”
Valla said she fell in love with school and the area following a visit to the campus.
“I always wanted to go outside of St. Catharines and the Niagara Region for school, anyway,” she said. “It’s gorgeous out east. The city of Fredericton is an amazing place and the campus itself is also gorgeous.
“I thought I might as well spend four years there and experience that.”
Valla’s skill set helped her make the transition to forward.
“I used my speed to my advantage there,” she said. “I’ve always kind of been a gritty player. So when switching positions my defensive side was to always protect the puck, to retrieve it, and then to make plays off of it.
“Having a defensive background and changing to forward definitely gave me some advantages; I always felt I was a strong defenceman as well.”
Reds head coach Sarah Hilworth loves what Valla brings to the table.
“She’ll bring a compete-level and tenaciousness that will frustrate opponents,” Hilworth said in a story posted on the school’s website. “That should bring up the level of competition in practice too.”
Hilworth was also impressed with Valla away from the rink.
“Marisa wants to make an impact in our community,” Hilworth said. “She’s excited to work with young female athletes in Fredericton, so we know she’s going to be a great fit.”
Valla, who will study psychology, is looking forward to the challenge of playing at the next level.
“Obviously, as a rookie I have to work to get my place in the lineup,” she said. “They see me as a gritty player, getting into the corners and getting the puck and working and feeding off of the other players as well.”
Valla said she had an inkling she could play at the university level once she reached the midget level of hockey.
“It’s always something I wanted to do. I just didn’t want to play all through minor hockey and then not make something out of it. I had to tools and opportunity to. It was always in the back of my mind.”
Valla plans to train as much as possible and then enrolled in some clinics once ice becomes available.
“I want to work and improve some skills and make sure I’m not too rusty when I get there,” she said.
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