What’s in a name?
Niamh Haughey is a name everyone on the Brock campus should be familiar with.
The 21-year-old Scarborough native is a standout rugby player and key member of the women’s hockey team, yet it seems no one knows how to pronounce her name.
“Most people get it wrong so I’m used to it,” said Haughey, who is of Irish descent. “I roll with it. Whatever people give me, I’m good with it!”
For the record, her name is pronounced Neeve Haw-hee, but she rarely hears it pronounced anywhere near correctly.
“Her name gets butchered all the time, yet she is such a force in Brock sports,” women’s hockey coach Margot Page smiled. “It’s almost like you should know how to say her name.
“She’s a really special athlete.”
Name pronunciation issues aside, Haughey plays an important role for the Badgers.
“She’s a talent on the ice,” Page said. “She’s not the most highly skilled player but she’s just incredibly fast and incredibly physical. She’s hard to get knocked off the puck and is just greasy around the net and is an elite level athlete.”
Page said Haughey brings some of her rugby grit to the ice.
“She’s a bull in china shop,” Page said. “She bowls through people and is so fast on the wing. She beats people on hybrid icings and is one of the first people to the net creating crap. She backchecks like nothing and is able to put pressure on people and turn over pucks from the back end.
“She has one gear — full out.”
Haughey, who helped the rugby team to a fourth-place finish at the Ontario University Athletics championships, feels her rugby experience comes in handy on the ice.
“I’ve learned to brace myself more,” she said. “The trainers are never worried about me getting hurt. I’ve learned to protect my body more than most female hockey players.”
Haughey, who missed the first few hockey games of the season finishing up her on rugby obligations, admitted her body does get beat up from so much physical activity.
“I balance it out. It is hard on the body. I wish I played a non-contact sport sometimes because it takes its toll,” she said. “Rugby gets my body beat up pretty much and then I just hop over to the hockey season and that’s more of a muscle figure injury.
“Rugby, you’re just bruised constantly. I play my six games, get beat up, and then move over to hockey.”
Haughey suffered a severe ankle injury at a tournament in the summer which put her rugby season in jeopardy.
“I played in one tournament and the first time I touched the ball someone fell on my ankle and completely shattered it,” she said. “I rehabbed all summer. I didn’t do a whole lot. I was just trying to fix my ankle. Even now I can’t move it a lot but it’s something I’m used to.”
Haughey, who has a goal and an assist in six games, feels her biggest contribution is in a leadership role.
“I’m not necessarily the most skilled on the ice but I’ll be the first person if you want to come to talk to someone if you have issues,” she said. “I may not be a leader on the ice but I’m OK with that. I’ll get the puck and get the assists. I think I have a lot to offer as far as leadership.”
Page couldn’t agree more.
“She’s such an incredible athlete, incredible person,” Page said. “She’s a person of character. She’s part of leadership group with rugby and definitely shows her leadership with hockey as well.”
The Badgers (5-6) wind up the first half of the regular season with a home game Thursday versus Western and then travel to play the University of Toronto Sunday.
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