Sports
Medfield High Graduate the Only Woman on University's Club Ice Hockey Team
Bryn Loeffler of Medfield is the sole woman on Carnegie Mellon University's club ice hockey team. She was introduced to the sport, which she said is a great stress reliever, through Medfield's 'Learn to Play Hockey' program.
Bryn Loeffler of Medfield attends Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and was recently profiled in the student newspaper as the sole woman on the university’s club ice hockey team.
Loeffler graduated from Medfield High School in 2010 and was the captain of the MHS girls’ hockey team during her senior year.
According to the article, Loeffler started playing hockey at a young age and by mistake. She said she and her brother had participated in a "Learn to Skate" program for one year.
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“The next year that program had been discontinued so the only program that was available for them to continue skating was "'earn to Play Hockey,'” recalls her mother Betsy Loeffler.
And the rest is history.
Find out what's happening in Medfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Loeffler started to play hockey competitively in sixth grade when she joined her first club team, the Natick Comets.
Bryn, now home on college break, told Medfield Patch that hockey has taught her valuable lessons about hard work, working with others, and leadership; and it has always been an effective stress reliever for her.
“I always had academics and music, but hockey was a wonderful release because I could show another side of myself apart from my usual activities,” she said. “I was always an aggressive person, and suddenly I had a perfect outlet to channel that determination and ambition.”
She said that, as a child, people were "always surprised when they learned that the ‘prim and proper’ violinist not only played hockey, but also had the most penalty minutes on the team.”
At Carnegie Mellon, hockey continues to be a great stress reducer and helps her balance a busy academic and social life, which includes a major in global studies and Hispanic studies, as well as membership in two Greek organizations, orchestra, buggy and a job.
Bryn said she has fun on the team and looks forward to it each week.
“My team is the funniest and sweetest group of guys, and they remind me not to take everything so seriously all the time; and with my busy schedule, I definitely need to be reminded of that,” she said.
Carnegie Mellon University does not have a varsity ice hockey team.
Click here to read the university's article in its entirety on Bryn.
