By Mikayla Geraghty – Staff Writer

Gabrielle Santerre, forward for Bishop’s University’s women’s hockey team, has been turning heads all season making history. She led the country in scoring with 45 points over 25 games  – making her the highest scorer the country has seen in ten years. In a sit-down interview with The Campus, the sports studies major shares how she climbed her way to achievement. 

Santerre, 20, says she “does not do things halfway and puts a lot of hard work into everything she does.” Her tenacity is evident as she has made history in her breakthrough year on the Gaiters hockey team, being the first athlete in USports and RSEQ history to be named both Outstanding Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in both divisions since USports inception, dating back to 1997. When asked how this might create added pressure, she responds, “I don’t see it as pressure. While it is fun and nice to have been awarded these accolades, I see it more as motivation and excitement to do even better next year and to continue to be the best version of myself.” She explains that “Next year we start back at zero”,  and she will work hard not only to find individual success, but team success.

Santerre built a stellar career playing as a Cougar at Champlain Lennoxville. With this came multiple full-ride opportunities to go and play Division 1 hockey in the United States as well as at other Quebec universities. When asked about her choice to stay in Sherbrooke, she shared that this was a huge decision to make, and one that she did not take lightly.

Bishop’s women’s hockey is still a new program that is continuing to grow. While some in her position would be tempted to go to programs that have been longer established and funded, Santerre liked the idea of helping build a new program and to grow with the team as it further establishes itself in the league. “This is a challenge that really spoke to me as it’s not every player that gets the opportunity to help build a program from the beginning. And, while it comes with ups and downs, it really aligned with my values. Not to mention, we had an amazing season.” She shares that beyond being a part of building up a new program, her family plays a big role in her life and her overall success, and she did not see herself moving 5-6 hours away from her family at this time. “Once practice is over, you still have a life outside of the rink that you need to be happy with and for me, going to Bishop’s aligned with those values.”

Gaiters fans don’t need to worry about losing Santerre as she’s in it for the long haul. She reassured The Campus that she will be returning next year as “there is a little part of me that is not yet satisfied, I play hockey to win as a team. My goal is to win a championship, and that’s really one of the reasons that I came to Bishop’s. . . I am happy for the awards and recognition, but my focus is to come back even stronger as a team.”

Santerre is driven by finding new ways to improve her game and the team overall. When asked how she was going to top this season she was quick to answer “that we can always do better. This was one of our best seasons both as a team and for myself individually, but we will always have new ways we can improve.” She says there is “no greater motivation” than the fact that the team didn’t make it to nationals this year. “That is a goal that we didn’t realize. However, it’s fine because it is something that we will learn and grow from and be able to come back next year” through hard work and team growth, she says.

It is clear through speaking with Santerre and the people surrounding her that she is down to earth, focused on the game and her team rather than individual success and recognition. Santerre is absolutely a player to watch as her career in hockey progresses.