St. Thomas High School Alumnus Scores Big at Recent International Hockey Championship
by Darren Becker
St. Thomas High School graduate Sienna D’Alessandro recently helped Team Canada to bring home the bronze in the World Women’s Under 18 Hockey Championship that took place in Switzerland.
Sienna, who graduated from St. Thomas last year, scored two goals in a key match-up against Switzerland that led to team Canada advancing to the semi-finals where they ultimately lost to Czechia. The U.S. went on to beat Czechia in the finals and won Gold. It was Sienna’s visit to Europe and she said playing in the tournament was an unforgettable experience that allowed her to make friends with players from other countries. Including Germany and Finland.
“It was truly an honour to be part of Team Canada and it was definitely a bit surreal as we didn’t know what to expect going into the tournament,” said Sienna.
Sienna’s love of hockey began when she was 4 years old. While she originally took to the ice as a figure-skater she soon became interested in hockey after watching her older brother play.
“He was definitely a role model for me and I wanted to be like him,” she said.
As her interest in the sport grew, she eventually started playing for the Lac St. Louis Lions’ boys’ team where female players were few and far between. Sienna said she sometimes faced discrimination from some of the male players “There were some people who thought that maybe I shouldn’t be there. Some boys on other teams would even target me with some nasty hits.”
Inspired by some her favourite players including Marie-Philip Poulin, captain of the Canadian national hockey team and Toronto Maple Leaf Mitch Marner, Sienna said she never backed down and continued to play. She is currently attending John Abbott College where she is a forward for the college’s all-girls team, the JA Islanders. It’s a league that requires a lot of dedication and commitment, including two hour practices every day and playing two games on the weekends.
Still, Sienna’s hard work has paid off as she was offered and accepted a scholarship to attend the University of Minnesota, a Division 1 hockey school to study in their business program starting in 2025.
In the interim. she wants to pursue her ultimate dream of representing Canada at the Olympics. She hopes other young female hockey players also continue to pursue their dreams.
“Everyone has a different path. There’s not just one answer in terms of where the best place is for you to play when you are a young girl. A girl playing on a boys’ team is not necessarily the best option but for sure if a girl wants to try she should just go for it and create their own path,” said Sienna.
