BALMORAL HALL BLAZERS
ally good team chemistry and not all teams have that and it really showed on the ice.“ And I really like my coaches. They’ re all very good coaches and I know I’ m consistently getting better.” Olivia grew up in Gimli and still lives there in the summer. She started playing hockey in Grade 3 simply because,“ my brother and sister played and I wanted to be like them.” She played with the boys until Grade 7 and then, at the age of 12, started playing girls hockey at the Bantam level. She played for the Interlake Ice in Grade 8 and then decided to try the Prep program at Shaftesbury High School. However, after her Grade 9 year, Shaftesbury dropped its Prep team and Cvar had to make a change. She chose Balmoral Hall and has not regretted a moment of her decision.“ It was the right choice for me, both for school and for hockey,” she said.“ My parents also thought it was a good decision for me to start taking school more seriously. It’ s pretty tough, going to Balmoral Hall and
114 GAME ON 2017 CHAMPIONS EDITION
It was pretty easy for me because St. Cloud is close to home and the hockey’ s really good. I liked the environment there. For me, it just felt like the right place to go for me and my family
keeping up with hockey, but it’ s manageable.“ Everybody here is really nice and everybody has the same goal – to succeed.”
Blazers head coach Gerry Wilson has nothing but praise for his 15-year-old star. After all, when you’ ve committed to an NCAA Division 1 scholarship in Grade 10, you’ ve obviously caught someone’ s attention.“ When I think about Olivia, two words come to mind-- Power Forward,” said Wilson bluntly.“ She’ s an exceptionally strong player that dominates the corners and the front of the net with her physical play and soft hands. She also possesses the best shot I have seen for a player her age. Her shot is already better than most college players.“ She was a JWHL All-Star in her first year in the league and has already committed to St. Cloud State University. That says an awful lot about her.” It’ s not always easy for young women, who also happen to be great hockey players, to decide on where they’ ll play and attend school at the next level. Many have concerns – and rightly so-- about making a decision that could affect the rest of their lives. However, Cvar’ s decision to accept an offer from St. Cloud State University was a lot easier for her than for many young players who have gone before. In fact, when she added up the pros and cons, it was quite easy.“ It was pretty easy for me because St. Cloud is close to home and the hockey’ s really good,” she said.“ I liked the environment there. For me, it just felt like the right place to go for me and my family.“ I talked to a lot of schools, but I had only two visits. St. Cloud and another team in the same league. I just really liked St. Cloud.” Assistant coach Zacharias is thrilled that Cvar has already accepted an NCAA Division 1 offer. However, it will also be nice having Cvar back in the Blazers lineup next season. The young player said her summer will be spent“ training, playing summer hockey and hanging out with her friends in Gimli again.” But there is no doubt she’ ll be ready to put on the Blazers uniform next September.“ Olivia has been a tremendous asset to the Blazers Hockey Program, but more importantly, she’ s been an exemplary ambassador for our school and what it means to be a Blazer,” Zacharias said.“ I think a great example of what I mean occurred when we were in Vancouver this past season. Walking home from dinner on a snowy night, Olivia noticed a homeless man sitting on the street in a sweatshirt. Olivia took it upon herself to offer the man the blanket from her backpack. It was a simple act of compassion towards another human being, but I think it truly emulates the type of person Olivia is; kind, caring, lighthearted and fun.“ Oh, and she is almost always smiling.” With her skills and success on the ice and with the coaching and education she gets at Balmoral Hall, no wonder she smiles all the time. n