MEET THE FHOCKERS - Ellen McCann

Ellen is in her second year on the team as a forward and is majoring in pharmacology. Born in Toronto and raised in Niagara on the Lake, Ellen is a hardcore Maple Leafs fan. She makes sure to keep up with her favorite Leafs on social media, keeping a close watch on the Bozak-Kessel bromance. A cool moment in Ellen’s life was when she almost shared an elevator with the two hockey players when she stayed in the same hotel as the Maple Leafs during last year’s Winter Classic. Unfortunately, the elevator was full but she did share an elevator with Jonathan Bernier! Ellen shares an equal obsession for Olympians (mention Tessa and Scott and she’ll automatically freak out). She had the chance to meet a bunch of Olympians this past summer when she worked as a co-op student for the Canadian Tire Jumpstart program. Other than athletes, Ellen absolutely loves her dog, Hunny (spelled the same way that Winnie the Pooh spells his favorite snack). Although she isn’t completely sure about what she would like to do in the future, she sees herself returning to Toronto. When she is not on the field, Ellen can be found in the library, in class with Eleni, at Madonna’s, or in her bed recovering from the glutten-filled pizza she ate the night before.

Meet the Fhockers – Allyssa Hooper

Meet Allyssa, a fourth year defender from the small town of Summerland, B.C. She was a multi-sport athlete in high school, taking part in basketball, volleyball, cross-country, track & field, and field hockey. Allyssa and her teammates can all agree that she leads two lives: her field hockey one and her physiology one. Allyssa is majoring in physiology and is very active in her program as a member of the physiology council, MEDSPECS, and a teacher’s assistant for physiology and anatomy. Allyssa is also our team’s representative for varsity council and is currently in the process of applying to med school. Five years from now, she sees herself in Vancouver with either a graduate, doctorate, or med school degree. She finds that it would be really cool to be a person who drastically alters the way medicine works. When she isn’t on the field, Allyssa can be found in the PULS office in McMed or studying on the fifth floor of the McLennan library  (fifth floor, left out of the elevators, first section, to be exact). Allyssa can be described as a dedicated analytical thinker, and she is the only one in her family to go into the field of sciences or in university. Along with science, Allyssa also enjoys listening to country music and shows like Big Bang Theory and Criminal Minds.

Bonding on the Bus

One of the most taxing and exciting parts of being a Martlet Field Hockey player is the travel. The team competes in the OUA League, which means long commutes to Ontario every weekend.
Each Saturday, the girls roll out of bed in the early hours of the morning, haul backpacks and sports equipment over their shoulders, grab pillows under their arms, and trek up to Avenue du Pins to board the bus.
This past weekend, the team traveled to London, Ontario. By 5:30 Saturday morning, the bus was already packed and on its way. Since the team is relatively small, each player can take several seats on the bus for herself. Pillows propped against windows and feet spread across the aisles, the girls often take advantage of this spacious arrangement to find a comfortable position to sleep.
Although the 9-hour bus ride is exhausting, the time spent with the team helps bring the girls together. As the game drew nearer, DJ and Marlou held group meetings for the defense, midfield, forwards, and goalies. During these meetings, the coaches and players watched footage from previous games and discussed tactics for the upcoming weekend. When not sleeping or mentally preparing for the games, the girls passed the time bonding, doing homework, sleeping, and eating—a lot.
Aside from the long bus rides, team travel also means staying overnight in hotels and going out for team dinners. Last weekend the team stayed in a Holiday Inn, and the girls were definitely thrilled to find a connecting suite and kitchenette in each room. Room arrangements are shuffled every week so that the girls get a chance to know and bond with different members of the team as well. After showering and settling into the rooms, the team went to Jack Astors for dinner, and even DJ and Marlou joined the girls in drawing on the tables.

Some Food for Thought

As varsity athletes we like to eat a lot. Unfortunately because we are also student-athletes our wallets don't appreciate the size of our stomachs. It is often hard to strike the balance between eating nutritiously and not breaking the bank. This past weekend we traveled to Western University to play three hard games in two days. Although many of us try to bring as much food as we can for the bus and in between games it is hard to pack for so many meals. Luckily, however, we have the support of our friends and family. Former captain, Madelaine Hutchings, provided a hearty breakfast for the bus ride to Western. In London we all went out for a team dinner at Jack Astor's and we were treated to an artichoke cheese dip appetizer by the very generous Siganos Family. As restaurant owners of Yianni's Cafe in New Jersey, the Siganos know how to make a delicious lunch. They made us healthy wraps and lunch kits complete with fruit, cheese, apple sauce and Powerade to refuel in between our Sunday games. Another former captain, Rachael Berta, dropped off some beloved 'Berta Bars' with a peanut buttery twist on Sunday. The O'Rourkes dropped off some veggie and fruit platters that were devoured before the bus even left Western's parking lot and Jane Roskams kindly gave us some sweet treats for the bus home. Our budgets and stomachs really appreciate all the work our friends and family put into feeding us. The team is extremely thankful for all the support and especially for all the food that was donated this weekend!