Each month, we will be highlighting an Angel alum who has gone on to play elite hockey. We are excited to introduce our first featured player, Danica Stewart. Danica began playing with the Angels in U7 and now competes with the Greater Vancouver Comets in the BCEHL.

Who are your biggest inspirations for excelling in hockey and making the AAA Comets?

I have always been a player who loves to compete as I was always one of the smallest girls, so it really lit a fire under me to play big. The older Angels players who would come out to our practices or the UBC players who would help with our weekly development were always an inspiration for me to push myself to get to the next level.

Throughout your time in hockey, have you had any challenges or obstacles along the way? How did you overcome this?

I am very fortunate to have had such an amazing experience with each team I’ve played on, every coach and every teammate have been such a great support system for me.

In the heat of a high-stakes game, when the pressure is on and your lungs are burning, what is the specific ‘mantra’ or thought process you use to stay focused and confident?

High stakes moments are never easy for anyone. We are all human therefore we all get nervous, but for me a big help was learning to tell myself that nerves are good, it means you care. With this mindset and just simply having confidence in myself allowed me play lose and be successful on the ice. A skill that I never realised would become so important is being able to stay present and move on from a hard shift. As I continued to grow and move through The Angels the commitment from the coaching staff to instill confidence and love for the sport made a big difference for me.

Being a student and a AAA athlete comes with a lot of responsibilities. How do you balance the pressure of performing on the ice  with the responsibility of being a good person and a good student?

Balancing being a student-athlete has its challenges, but I always just remember how the benefits outweigh the struggle by a long shot. I do rely on my naps afterschool, I definitely nap more now than I ever did as a little kid, but they do work to keep me fresh for late night practices.

If you could go back and talk to your younger self while playing Angels hockey, what is the one thing you’d tell her about the journey ahead that she wouldn’t expect?

If I could go back and talk to my younger self, I would tell her that time flies, so cherish every moment with your teammates because those girls really do become your friends for life.