Stittsville’s Victoria FitzGibbon joins Purple Knights’ Women’s College Hockey team

(Victoria FitzGibbon of Stittsville begins her college hockey career playing defence for the Purple Knights women’s hockey team at St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont. Photos: submitted.)

Playing hockey since she first moved to Stittsville at just seven years old, Victoria FitzGibbon has dedicated most of her years to sports. Victoria grew up playing both softball and hockey, and it wasn’t until she was fifteen that she decided to pursue hockey long-term.

“When I was probably fifteen I knew I wanted to play college level hockey. It was between softball and hockey and hockey was much more popular,” she admitted.

But playing hockey is no easy feat, and each game is an opportunity to prove your skill and dedication to the sport and continue to grow as a player.

Now eighteen, Victoria has played for a number of teams, including the Kanata Rangers, the Nepean Wildcats, the East Ottawa Stars, and now, Victoria has begun her college hockey journey playing defence for Saint Michael’s Purple Knights, located in Colchester, Vermont.

Victoria is one of two Canadians in the program’s eight-woman class of 2027, the other member being Alizée LeBlanc from Dieppe, New Brunswick.

But changing teams can be difficult, though Victoria confesses that it can also be in your greatest interest, no matter how daunting it can seem.

“I don’t really mind moving around, I’ve done it a lot. I’m not big on changing but sometimes it’s needed to grow as a player.”

That being said, coming home to Stittsville is still an enjoyable experience for this young hockey player.

“I love seeing my family and friends,” Victoria gushed, “and I always liked Stittsville because of how small it is, and I always liked the local rink and softball diamond.”

But even with her love for her hometown, Victoria was looking forward to resuming the season after the holidays, gushing that she was “looking forward to being on the ice.”

“I’ve been working really hard on my shot.” Victoria laughed and admitted, “my dad set up this whole thing in the basement for me so I can practice without destroying the house.”

“But I’m excited to be back,” Victoria said. “We practice five times a week and workout together, so the team ends up being like a second family for me.”

Already four games deep into the season with four goals total, The Purple Knights still have plenty of time to prepare before the NEWHA (New England Women’s Hockey Alliance) Championships begin in February.

Saint Michael’s College is a member of the NEWHA, which is recognized as a Division Ⅰ conference by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which means that the Purple Knights are eligible for the NCAA National Collegiate Championship.

Each team in the NEWHA squad will play the two-game, home-and-home series for 28 conference games, leading up to the NEWHA Championship in February before the top four teams will play single-elimination semifinals.

Though Victoria admits that winning is not everything. “We’re kind of the underdogs,” Victoria confessed. “It’s important to be okay with losing sometimes, accepting loses and not getting discouraged is so important in hockey.”

Despite the cutthroat competition, Victoria is confident in her team’s abilities and is ready to give her all to the sport.

To keep updated on Victoria and her team, you can visit Saint Michael’s College website, and view the Purple Knight’s game schedule.