BY SCOTT
HADDOW
Jessica Schroeder never met a hockey rink she didn't like.
Growing up in the Valley, Schroeder spent a lot of time playing
hockey, and polishing her skills. Her hard work and devotion
has paid off.
Now in her fourth year of high school hockey, Schroeder has
developed into one of the premiere players in Greater
Sudbury.
In 10 games, she leads all Division II scorers with a whopping
34 goals and 46 points.
Her explosive offensive exploits have made a difference in the
Chargers' play, position in the standings and earned them some
respect.
Last year, Confederation finished last overall with only one
win all season. This year, the Chargers are in fifth place with
a record of 4-5-2, and giving every team a run for their
money.
Schroeder downplays her impact and points to many factors for
the team's better fortunes this season.
"We're all actually competing hard this season," said the Grade
12 student. "It means a lot to all of us that we're having some
success. It's a lot more fun this year because we're winning
more. We have good coaching and our goalie has really come
around. A lot of other players are scoring. Everyone is doing
their part."
Due to her impressive stats, Schroeder made the high school
all-star game. She made her mark in the skills competition by
winning the fastest skater award.
It was a big moment as Schroeder has spent more time on her
skates than on her feet.
"Growing up…my parents put me in power skating every year and I
still go and coach it," said the 17-year-old. "I was happy to
win because I beat Lively's Candice Morgan who won last
year."
Schroeder developed a strong bond with the power skating
program and makes it a point to go coach young skaters each
week.
"I did it first for my school community hours," said the
sniper. "I really liked coaching, so I decided to help out all
the time. 'Boots' Rick Lebouthillier taught me how to skate and
now I am helping him teach kids how to skate…I've come full
circle. Teaching kids is great. Parents come up to me and thank
me for teaching their kids how to skate…it's worth it."
It's no secret Schroeder is the main cog in the Chargers'
machine.
"She has a huge role and impact on this team," said coach Jamie
Turcotte. "The team looks up to her…they look to her to get the
team going. She leads them well. It says a lot about the way
Jessica handles herself. She's always looking to help teammates
out."
Schroeder has a great deal of natural talent and is driven to
succeed.
"Her skating really stands out," said Turcotte. "It's fun to
watch…you can tell she has spent a lot of time on her skates.
She's a great shooter and passer…it's hard to find weak points
in her game. Jessica has a lot of potential and can take hockey
to any level she wants to. It's all up to her. She's not done
getting better."
Schroeder is modest about her scorching scoring pace in the
high school loop.
"I'm proud of it…I'm going to keep working hard at it."
On top of helping Confederation reach new heights, Schroeder is
also playing forward for the Sudbury Wolves intermediate AA
squad, which plays against boys. In 34 games, she has 14 goals
and 25 points.
"We're having a good season…we're one of the top ranked teams
in the province," said Schroeder. "We want to win provincials.
In my time, we haven't won it. We're a fast team and we can
score. We have a strong defence and goaltending…we're an
all-around team. Overall, girls' hockey in Sudbury is good.
More girls are playing and it's making for some good
competition."
Schroeder has plans to come back to high school next year,
making a collection of goalies groan, but will pursue hockey at
the next level.
"I am working towards trying to earn a scholarship," said
Schroeder. "Either way, hockey will be an influence as to where
I go to school. I would miss hockey too much if I gave it
up."
