A native of Miesbach, Germany, Seiler was chosen as a representative of her country. Six senior teams and six under-18 teams sent a combined 17 players and five staff to the week-long camp, which ran from July 5-12. The event is part of a long-term project designed to improve the quality and equality of women’s hockey worldwide, according to a press release issued by Carleton’s department of recreation and athletics.
The camp featured player ambassadors and coaching mentors from the world’s four top women’s hockey nations: Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland. Team Canada women’s hockey captain Hayley Wickenheiser and former Olympic team coach Melody Davidson were the primary player and coach ambassadors for this project, the press release stated.
At the camp, players were put through physical testing, on-ice workouts and seminars. The hope in organizing this camp is that the women’s hockey programs will see significant improvement in future international competitions, according to the press release.
Seiler said participating in the camp was a great experience.
“It was very exciting to be invited to the camp. Just to be able to skate with some of the best players of the world was a great experience,” Seiler said in an e-mail. “You were able to learn a lot just watching the top players prepare, and how they handle themselves in practices and games. They are very professional.”
Seiler is no stranger to international competition. She has been a member of Germany’s national team since 2003, and has played over 125 official IIHF games, she said. This includes four top division World Championships and two division one World Championships. In 2006, she also participated in the Olympic Games in Torino, Italy.
This opportunity was a dream come true, Seiler said.
“It's just the ultimate goal for every athlete and I was fortunate enough to participate and contribute to the German team,” she said, crediting her achievements to hard work.
Seiler brings all of her experience to the rink and applies it to her role as captain of the Ravens, said sophomore netminder Victoria Powers.
“[She] knows what it takes to compete with the best hockey players in the world and she shares that knowledge with us,” Powers said. “She has a really good work ethic and leads by example. She never gives up.”
Seiler believes the future of women’s ice hockey is a bright one, and the recent high performance women’s camp is a big part of that future.
“The [camp’s] biggest impact is that we learned that the IIHF cares about women's development and that for the first time ever, there are new programs in place [to] help develop the game of hockey all over the world.”
Editor’s note: Alexandra Yallouz is a second-year member of the Carleton Ravens women’s hockey team.