Just a small town girl

Kinesiology major and Goldenhawk rookie, Abby Rainsberry has had quite the season so far as a member of the Laurier women’s hockey team.

As a first year, Rainsberry has already established a strong name for herself. She is currently leading her team in assists, and game winning goals; and has tallied 18 points in total.

Sitting down with this small town Petrolia native, Rainsberry is humble in describing her experiences on and off the ice.

“A lot of my development this year has been from the girls on the team, the coaching and the training – they’ve shown me potential I never knew I had,” she says.

Growing up just outside of Sarnia, she and her two brothers were raised in the country.

“Everybody knows everybody there,” she jokes.

A great deal of support is seen in her parents and the rest of her family who come out to all the games, most notably grampa Rainsberry: her number one fan.

Abby played on boys teams until the age of 7, but switched over to women’s when the opportunity arose. She played Midget AA and Bantam in Sarnia, and later in Strathroy for the Bluewater Junior Hawks.

“It’s different on the girls’ teams; there is a more social aspect,” she describes.

Now as a member of the Goldenhawks, she works hard with two early morning practices a week and off-ice training, on top of a home and away game. The girls keep things lighter on the road though, with some singing and dancing, good movies and fun games.

With what little free time she has left, Rainsberry enjoys spending time with friends and family. As an ex-baseball player, her summers have now been taken over by training.

“It’s totally worth it though,” she says. “You realize how hard you have to work to stay on top of things – it’s really a year round thing.”

Working her way into playoff season, Rainsberry wears a Goldenhawks bracelet as an ode to her team and the essence of teamwork. She goes on to explain the meaning behind it: “I have a D, but a D alone means nothing. When we all come together it spells Laurier Goldenhawks.”

Looking into the future, Rainsberry is hopeful in wanting to pursue her career in hockey.

“[Teammates] Bevan and Ironside just got back from the FSIU winter games in China, and I would love to do something like that,” she explains. “The biggest motivation for me is my teammates: I can relate to them, and they are great role models; it makes you realize things are more attainable.”

Coming to the end of her first year at university, she is very happy with her decision to come to Laurier, and couldn’t imagine playing with a better group of girls.

“I’m so content with everything: I love hockey, I love my program - I wouldn’t change anything.”