King’s Kate Martini an example on Yale team

March 19, 2013 · 0 Comments

By Jeff Doner

Kate Martini is a name you might be hearing more in the future – especially if you’re a hockey fan. The King City native is making a lot of noise down in Connecticut playing on the women’s hockey team at Yale University and has had a season to remember.
In her first year, Kate has accomplished something that doesn’t happen often, by leading her team in scoring as a freshman defenceman.
“I am having a great first season and year,” she said. “I am really enjoying school, love the team, my coaches, the rink I’m playing in, my living situation. I don’t think I could have asked for a better situation.”
The 18-year-old hockey star was modest about her accomplishments, but her coaches said they knew they had added a key piece to their team before the season even began.
“We put her in all the key situations from day one and that helped Kate become a go-to defenceman more and more as the season went on,” said assistant coach Eddie Ardito. “She ended up leading our team in points and every game Kate got better and better.
“She was playing her best hockey as we were trying to make a playoff run and has one of the hardest shots in the league. She scored a goal against Union College a few weeks ago and the puck was in the net before the goalie even moved.”
Even as a freshman, Kate showed herself as a leader on and off the ice, something her coaches noticed.
“Kate’s attitude towards hockey and learning is one of the best I have seen,” Ardito said. “She is very truthful about her game. She knows when she played well and she knows when she didn’t and is always willing to listen and give feedback. She is someone I always look to for an honest answer.”
Kate figures her leadership skills as something that have come naturally.
“I am the type of person that if I see something that needs to be worked on or I could help somebody with something, I’m going to say something – I’m not going to just sit by and watch and I want to help my teammates be the best they can,” she explained. “It’s definitely something that I work on, because I can also have a bit of a temperamental personality sometimes, but I always try to channel it into something positive and try to take more of that leadership role.”
Before heading south to Yale, Kate went to Country Day School in King City, something she remembers fondly. There she played a variety of sports including soccer, volleyball, rugby and shot-put and even learned to play the flute.
“They were more than I ever could have asked for,” she said without hesitation. “They were super accommodating when it came to my academics and trying to combine it with my athletics. I was playing three and sometimes four sports at school as well as rep hockey outside. The academics there were tough, but I was well prepared coming to university and there were some great teachers that definitely helped me along the way.”
To keep busy this summer, Kate said she will come home and most likely play rugby with the Barbarians in Aurora.
Even though she is enjoying her time at Yale, Kate said she is looking forward to coming home for the summer and spending time with her family who encourages and inspires her.
“My brother is probably my biggest inspiration,” Kate said proudly. “He played hockey at Niagara University and being a guy playing hockey, it’s a tougher road and he had some bumps along the way, but he worked hard and ended up being captain his senior year and he’s just somebody I’ve always looked up to.”
Kate also offered some words of wisdom to young girls who might want to follow in her footsteps.
“Don’t be afraid to go against the grain. I played boys’ hockey and boys’ soccer growing up, whereas a lot of female athletes think that if they play with boys they won’t be accepted and bullied, it’s not the way it is. Just do what is best for you.”