On Jan. 20, St. Thomas University’s women’s hockey team captain Ekaterina Pelowich won a silver medal with Team Canada at the 2025 International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Games in Torino, Italy.
For the Stouffville, Ontario native, this made a lifelong dream of hers a reality.
In November, Pelowich was working in her placement as part of the education program when she received a text that would change her life.
Pelowich, who started playing hockey at the age of 7, was chosen to represent Canada as an alternate captain.
For her, it was an honour to represent her country on the international stage.
“I never thought that I would be putting on the maple leaf,” said Pelowich. “To be able to put that on and be selected for that team was incredible. I don’t think anything tops that moment for me right now.”
“I’m gonna say it’s my favourite memory ever. I’m still trying to, like, come down from the adrenaline, I swear, is still keeping me up. I feel accomplished.”
Pelowich’s journey to Italy started with a nine-hour layover in Montreal, during which she got to know her teammates by playing cards.
“It was definitely intimidating. I kept reminding myself that everybody else is in the same boat, but then I saw girls from the same team and I was like, ‘What, they know each other? Like, how am I gonna fit in with them?’”
“I think I’m gonna have some lifelong friends from this tournament.”
This didn’t stop her from missing her team back in Fredericton.
“I didn’t think I was gonna miss my team here, the Tommies, as much as I did. I was looking over on the bench and I was like, ‘Wait, I don’t know these girls.’”
Pelowich’s first trip outside North America was an entirely new experience. Fortunately, her family was in Italy to support her.
“It put me at ease a little bit just to have some familiar faces in the stands,” she said. “Being able to see them a little bit after the games and having them there across from the bench, making themselves known.”
“Yes, they were loud.”
In an email Tamara Pelowich, Ekaterina’s mother, said that she used to tuck her into bed every night and whisper “2022” because she would be 20 and maybe that could have been her Olympic year.
“We like to sit opposite the bench and were in a crowd with her brother, sister, uncle, Team Great Britain and some young Italian families. They all chanted along with Isabelle [Ekaterina’s younger sister] ‘Go Kat Go’ on every shift.”
“This was always a dream of hers and we were so excited, proud and happy for her. Seeing Katia in her red Team Canada jersey with our family name on the world stage was incredible,” said Tamara.
Pelowich also represented the STU Tommies and said that she felt she had to prove herself because not many players knew about her team and “then also wearing an ‘A’ on top of that was kind of counterintuitive.”
“I couldn’t have gone to FISU without St. Thomas and the faculty that have supported me in my undergrad, the faculty at the education program and overall the STU community,” she said. “I can’t imagine being at any other university and also my coaching staff as well. Big shout out to them.”
Her journey is still far from over, as she plans to continue playing with the Tommies for at least one more year and then her goal is to play in the Swedish Women’s Hockey League.
“I’m not ready to hang up the skates.”
