Kelty Apperson, captain of the St. Thomas University Tommies women’s hockey team, has been given the opportunity to shoot for glory at the 2017 Winter Universiade on Team Canada.
Apperson, a fifth-year student from Kingston, Ont., was selected after her time spent at a Team Canada development camp held in Calgary in August for university hockey players from across the country.
She is the first member of the STU women’s hockey team to ever get to play on the world stage.
Apperson is thrilled and grateful for her chance to compete and represent her school and country.
“I am extremely excited,” she said.
“It was something I was really hoping for, and I am very fortunate for the chance to do this.”
Apperson was named most valuable player by both the Tommies and the Atlantic University Sport conference last season after recording 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists) in 24 games. She also led the AUS in playoff scoring with 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in seven contests.
In March, Apperson found the back of the net once in STU’s 2-1 upset win over the McGill Martlets in the consolation semifinal at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport nationals in Calgary.
From Jan. 29 to Feb. 8, 2017, Apperson will play alongside 22 other players selected by Canadian Interuniversity Sport to play at the world tournament in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The CIS is a national governing body of university sports in Canada that selects students from around the country to compete in Winter and Summer Universiades, which are international multi-sport events for university athletes, as well as many other world university championships.
Tommies head coach Peter Murphy has been Apperson’s bench boss throughout her entire time at STU. He said the team saw her shot at international hockey coming from a mile away.
“Kelty is a very versatile player and has impressed a lot of people with her achievements,” said Murphy.
Apperson said she’s been playing hockey since she was six years old.
From a young age, Apperson said, she has wanted to play professionally.
“When I was growing up, it was just a hobby,” she said. “But as you get older, you have to put a lot of time aside for it and make sacrifices because it is important to me.
“Playing university hockey is something I want to look back and be proud of.”
Not only is Apperson excited to don the red and white Team Canada uniforms, but she also looks forward to travelling somewhere she has never been.
“I love travelling, and Kazakhstan is definitely not a place I thought I would be visiting unless an opportunity like this arose,” said Apperson.
“To go somewhere new and experience another culture is very exciting.”
Apperson said the support from her family, her team and her coaches are a huge part of her success as a hockey player.
“I have an amazing team,” she said.
“They’re always pushing me and encouraging and supporting me. I had a great season last year but it was only due to them.”
Apperson also said she is overwhelmed by that support from her friends, family and teammates. Her coach shared her sentiments on the well wishes she has gotten lately.
“She’s received a lot of support and praise from her team and through social media,” said Murphy.
Apperson extends her gratitude to everyone who has supported her along the way.
“I can’t thank everyone enough,” she said.
“My teammates who have always had my back, and my family who supports me financially but also with love and compassion; I am so grateful that I have all these people in my life.”
