Most of the time, it is the younger sibling who follows an older brother or sister into a sport.
The opposite was true for Danika Pasqua.
Pasqua was seven years old and while watching her younger sister Jessica on the ice, thought to herself that it looked kind of fun.
Ten years later — after getting over some initial skating struggles — Pasqua is making a name for herself in the sport.
Also an elite level soccer player in her youth with Langley FC, Pasqua switched her focus to hockey only about five years ago, and the decision is paying off.
This weekend, the 17-year-old will hit the ice in Vancouver as part of Team BC’s U18 final camp. The assembled players will face the UBC women’s hockey team and Team China’s women’s national team in four exhibition contests over three days (Sept. 29 to Oct. 1) at UBC.
This is the third Team BC camp Pasqua has attended. It began with 80 athletes born in 2000, 2001 and 2002 attending an invitational selection camp back in May. From that group, 42 attended the Team BC Selection Camp back in July.
Twenty-five players are at this weekend’s evaluation and 20 will make the final team for the national women’s U18 female hockey championships, which run Nov. 1 to 5 in Quebec City.
Should Pasqua make the team, it would mark the second consecutive year the 17-year-old from Langley made the final roster.
Of course, she never actually got the chance to play for Team BC at the 2016 championships after breaking her ankle the month before the competition.
“(Missing the championships) inspired me and made me more driven to make the team again this year,” she said. “I am just really excited for the opportunity to do that.”
Dealing with the first major injury of her young career was an adjustment.
“Honestly, at first, I didn’t know how to deal with it,” she admitted. “I was down, not really doing much, but then I decided, ‘OK, this happens to everyone at one point and I can’t do anything about it.’”
Once recovered, she returned to her junior team, the Richmond-based Pacific Steelers of the Junior Women’s Hockey League. She missed the bulk of the season and managed two goals and four points in nine games.
The Steelers begin their 2018/19 JWHL season next weekend with games in Buffalo and when the team hits the ice, Pasqua will be wearing the ‘C’.
“It means the world to me that I’m trusted and respected enough by my teammates and coaches to lead them through the season,” she said.
Steelers head coach Jeff Eaton said it was an easy decision to tab Pasqua captain, calling her a natural leader.
Eaton has worked with Pasqua for seven years.
“She is a player who comes self-motivated, prepared and ready to work,” he said. “She continuously strives to learn and be the best player she can.”
Pasqua is set to centre the team’s top line but Eaton sees her as a power forward.
“Her strength, speed and presence is quite evident,” he said.
“(And) Danika’s quick, heavy shot makes for an offensive threat every time she steps on the ice.”
Bigger things are also in Pasqua’s future as the Walnut Grove secondary Grade 12 student already has a verbal commitment to the University of Connecticut for 2018/19.
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