Brenna McNamara
DIVISION 1 HOCKEY GOALIE
I play on the RIT Women’s Hockey Team. I am a freshman goaltender and I wear #40. I have been playing hockey since I was 5 years old but when I was 7 years old I switched to being a goalie.
I believe hard work and determination have led me to where I am. My family has supported me along the way and helped. They have paid for everything, drove me everywhere, and fed me healthy meals for my body to recover.
I look up to Erica Howe. She is a retired hockey goalie that played on the Toronto Sceptres. I grew up watching her and having her as my goalie coach sometimes. I watched her play on the Markham Thunder and aspired to be like her. I have always looked up to her because she is a leader, team player, and an overall very positive person. I strive to bring those qualities to my team. She has shown her strength through everything she has gone through.
I have faced many challenges throughout my hockey career. As a goalie, it is very hard on your self-confidence when you aren’t starting a game. Before university, I was always starting every other game with my goalie partner. So, when I came here I had to adjust my mindset and tell myself that my time will come but the work I put in now will show when I get my start. There are two other goalies with a lot more experience so I have the opportunity to learn from them. I am so grateful for the two games that I have started in and the one period vs SLU this year. I have always loved practice so that was important for this year because I wasn’t getting many starts. That is the main challenge that I have faced. I have also faced the challenge of being a female in a male dominant environment. I went to The Hill Academy which is a private school that incorporates your sports (hockey, lacrosse, or golf) with academic learning. I went there from grade 8-12. There were never many girls in the school so I had to deal with making my presence known and show the guys that I can play with them even if they didn’t think so. I would always be thought of as less until I committed to play NCAA DI hockey. They finally saw that I could keep up with them even if they were bigger and stronger than me.
An achievement that I am most proud of is playing NCAA DI hockey. I have always dreamed of playing at this level and little me would be so proud. I think she would think I am the coolest person ever. Going forward I want to be a starting goaltender here at RIT. But after that, I hope that my hockey career doesn’t end after I graduate. I hope to get the opportunity to play in the PWHL. It is a long time from now so the work I put in now will help me achieve my goal in the future.
I hope that women’s sports continues to grow like it is right now. I have seen a lot of new things with the PWHL and the WNBA. I hope people see that women’s sports are growing and that they are just as important as men’s sports. I think it is important for people to continue to post about the up and coming professional women’s leagues. As far as my career, I want to continue to play for my team and my younger self. I want to be a starting goaltender here and I hope to have the opportunity to play in the PWHL in the future.
