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Rhéa Hicks never gets too high or low, always keeping a level head.

When she learned she was one of forty people invited to try out for Team Canada for the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation U18 World Championship, she was unfazed.

“I had to almost like fish it out of her. The thing about her is she likes to keep things on the ‘down low,’ not wanting to step on anyone else’s toes,” said Sydney Lynch, a former teammate and current freshman defenseman at Merrimack.

As a freshman forward at Syracuse, Hicks has tallied four goals and 10 assists for 14 points this season. In 25 games, she earned CHA Rookie of the Week honors after her performance in SU’s series against St. Lawrence. But, before Hicks suited up for the Orange, she was a standout player for her home country.

During tryouts, players woke up at 6 a.m. to go over tactics before hitting the ice around 1 p.m. After the first team practice, players received an hour to workout individually from 3 to 4 p.m., before coming back for the nightly scrimmage that evening.

“There’s a lot of people who come into that camp super nervous and gripping their stakes pretty tight,” former teammate Sara Swiderski said. “I feel like after the first day, things get a little bit better because people are more comfortable.”

When tryouts finished, players were placed in a room without technology to prevent communication with each other. One by one, coaches called each player to tell them if they made the team. Players who made the team congregated together in a separate area.

When Hicks made the team, she ran into a familiar face.

“I actually saw Rhea as I was walking into the room, and that was amazing,” Holy Abella said. “We have been playing with each other since we were young, because we were in the same area.”

Abella, a freshman at Northeastern, played recreational hockey against Hicks when they were young in their hometown of Brampton, Ontario. The pair competed against each other for years, occasionally training together and refining their stickwork in the offseason.

Immediately after the camp, the team traveled to Minnesota for four days before heading to Wisconsin for the championships.

Because of the pressure surrounding playing for a hockey powerhouse like Canada, it was important for Hicks and her teammates to get their minds off of the sport at times.

“When we were away from the ice, we didn’t talk about hockey as much just because we had that connection from Ontario,” said Alex Law, another teammate. “We talked about stuff just back at home, helping to get away from the stress.”

On the ice, Canada boasted a roster full of D-1 players, including Madison Chanter (Quinnipiac), Brook Disher (Boston) and Sarah MacEachern (Cornell). Hicks wasn’t a headlining name, but still made an impact on the fourth line.

Santiago Noblin | Design Editor

In the preliminary rounds, Canada dropped its opening game against Finland. The team played Sweden next and needed a win. Hicks had her best game of the tournament, scoring two goals in a 3-0 win for Canada.

Up 1-0 in the first period, Canada tried killing off the last few seconds of a power play. Sweden tried keeping the puck in the Canadian zone, but Jordan Baxter intercepted a pass, springing a counterattack.

Baxter slipped a pass to Alexa Aubin, receiving the pass before the blue line. As Aubin closed in on the goal, Hicks sprinted to join the attack. Aubin slid the puck across to Hicks, who slotted home a shot to double Canada’s lead.

Fifteen minutes later, she scored her second goal of the game. After Hicks battled for a faceoff, the puck slid out in front of the net. Hicks got to it first. Reacting quickly, she picked up possession to go five-hole on the goalie, putting Canada up 3-0.

“Everyone brought their own talent, and I think she found her role, being able to drive that puck in the net and just be in the right spot at the right time,” teammate Sara Swiderski said.

Swiderski mentioned Hicks’ goals “gave the team momentum,” motivating others to “find their role” on the team. Hicks showed that everyone had the capability to influence the game in their own ways.

Hicks’ goals against Sweden advanced Canada to the knockout round. After beating Slovenia in the quarterfinal, Canada defeated Finland 2-1 to advance to the final against the United States. Avenging a 7-0 loss earlier in the tournament, Canada came out on top 3-2 to win the championship.

“It’s crazy because growing up you always see these girls on TV and … you never really know them,” Lynch said. “But then there I was at home watching her play and it’s crazy to say, ‘hey, I grew up playing with that girl.’”

Lynch knew Hicks was always going to play at a high level. After playing for her local team in Brampton, Hicks switched to the Mississauga Hurricane, a step up in competition. Playing in the Provincial Hockey League, Hicks made the transition seamless, continuing to score goals.

There was always a “gap” between her and other players on and off the ice, Lynch said. Hicks put in the work, lifting weights with Lynch outside of mandatory sessions while refining her stick skills during small group workouts.

But in her final season with Mississauga, Hicks experienced the third concussion of her career and injured her wrist. This kept her out for two and a half months, but even when she wasn’t playing, Hicks made an impact.

“She still found a way to have a presence in the room that made us feel comfortable,” Lynch said. “She would talk at times when we needed it, even though she wasn’t on the ice it still felt like she was a part of the team.”

Santiago Noblin | Design Editor

As a freshman, Hicks has made an impact for Syracuse. With four goals, Hicks is the leading freshman scorer with 10 assists, making her third on the team. She recorded two multi-assist games against Lindenwood on Nov. 4. and Penn State on Dec. 4.

“She’s always been the player to score a goal to change how the game’s going when it’s needed,” Lynch said. “She’s always been able to find that extra level to dig deep and change the momentum of the game, and then help the rest of the team get going again.”

Published on January 22, 2023 at 10:37 pm

Contact Zak: [email protected] | @ZakWolf22