Game On Magazine 2017 May 2017 | Page 114

BALMORAL HALL BLAZERS
ally good team chemistry and not all teams have that and it really showed on the ice . “ And I really like my coaches . They ’ re all very good coaches and I know I ’ m consistently getting better .” Olivia grew up in Gimli and still lives there in the summer . She started playing hockey in Grade 3 simply because , “ my brother and sister played and I wanted to be like them .” She played with the boys until Grade 7 and then , at the age of 12 , started playing girls hockey at the Bantam level . She played for the Interlake Ice in Grade 8 and then decided to try the Prep program at Shaftesbury High School . However , after her Grade 9 year , Shaftesbury dropped its Prep team and Cvar had to make a change . She chose Balmoral Hall and has not regretted a moment of her decision . “ It was the right choice for me , both for school and for hockey ,” she said . “ My parents also thought it was a good decision for me to start taking school more seriously . It ’ s pretty tough , going to Balmoral Hall and
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It was pretty easy for me because St . Cloud is close to home and the hockey ’ s really good . I liked the environment there . For me , it just felt like the right place to go for me and my family
keeping up with hockey , but it ’ s manageable . “ Everybody here is really nice and everybody has the same goal – to succeed .”
Blazers head coach Gerry Wilson has nothing but praise for his 15-year-old star . After all , when you ’ ve committed to an NCAA Division 1 scholarship in Grade 10 , you ’ ve obviously caught someone ’ s attention . “ When I think about Olivia , two words come to mind -- Power Forward ,” said Wilson bluntly . “ She ’ s an exceptionally strong player that dominates the corners and the front of the net with her physical play and soft hands . She also possesses the best shot I have seen for a player her age . Her shot is already better than most college players . “ She was a JWHL All-Star in her first year in the league and has already committed to St . Cloud State University . That says an awful lot about her .” It ’ s not always easy for young women , who also happen to be great hockey players , to decide on where they ’ ll play and attend school at the next level . Many have concerns – and rightly so -- about making a decision that could affect the rest of their lives . However , Cvar ’ s decision to accept an offer from St . Cloud State University was a lot easier for her than for many young players who have gone before . In fact , when she added up the pros and cons , it was quite easy . “ It was pretty easy for me because St . Cloud is close to home and the hockey ’ s really good ,” she said . “ I liked the environment there . For me , it just felt like the right place to go for me and my family . “ I talked to a lot of schools , but I had only two visits . St . Cloud and another team in the same league . I just really liked St . Cloud .” Assistant coach Zacharias is thrilled that Cvar has already accepted an NCAA Division 1 offer . However , it will also be nice having Cvar back in the Blazers lineup next season . The young player said her summer will be spent “ training , playing summer hockey and hanging out with her friends in Gimli again .” But there is no doubt she ’ ll be ready to put on the Blazers uniform next September . “ Olivia has been a tremendous asset to the Blazers Hockey Program , but more importantly , she ’ s been an exemplary ambassador for our school and what it means to be a Blazer ,” Zacharias said . “ I think a great example of what I mean occurred when we were in Vancouver this past season . Walking home from dinner on a snowy night , Olivia noticed a homeless man sitting on the street in a sweatshirt . Olivia took it upon herself to offer the man the blanket from her backpack . It was a simple act of compassion towards another human being , but I think it truly emulates the type of person Olivia is ; kind , caring , lighthearted and fun . “ Oh , and she is almost always smiling .” With her skills and success on the ice and with the coaching and education she gets at Balmoral Hall , no wonder she smiles all the time . n