Game On Magazine - April 2017 Game on Preview Edition | Page 130

Va n e s s a
Kilmp
S c o t t Tay l o r
Photos by Jeff Miller
Winning
on the ice
battling
depression
off it
Vanessa Klimpke’s
2016-17 hockey season
could not have been
better. At least it could
not have been better
on the ice
1 3 0 | G AM E O N | SE P T EM BER 2 0 1 7
Vanessa Klimpke, a former
Manitoba Women’s Junior
Hockey League MVP with
the Northern Stars, had a
tremendous 2016-17 season
on the ice for the NCAA
Division III Morrisville
State University Mustangs.
However, off the ice, she
fought horrible bouts of
depression and despite
leading the team in scoring
(former Northern Stars
teammate Renee Stevenson
was second in Mustangs
scoring), Klimpke decided
to take the fall semester off.
Fighting depression isn’t
easy, but Klimpke vows to
win the battle.
Klimpke, a 22-year-old
Winnipegger, had 23 goals
and 36 points in 26 games
and was plus-31 for the
Morrisville State Mustangs
of the NCAA’s Division III
Colonial Hockey Conference.
Along the way, she had
three goals on the power
play, one shorthanded, four
game-winning goals and two
hat-tricks.
As well, her roommate,
Renee Stevenson another
Winnipegger, had nine goals
and 30 points in 21 games
and was plus-21. It was an
outstanding season for the
two Winnipeggers who are
both First Nation’s athletes –
Klimpke from Roseau River
and Stevenson from Peguis.
“We had quite the year.
We racked up a whole lot
of awards,” said Klimpke,
who led all of Division III
in goal scoring for much of
last season. “I had a very
successful season on the ice.
It wasn’t easy. I had my ups
and downs, but I was pretty
proud of how well I played.
As much as I want to play for
the whole season this year, I
just need to take a little time
to look after myself.”
Klimpke was the Colonial
Hockey Conference Rookie
of the Year and led her
team to a 20-6-1 record last
season. Morrisville then
won the CHC championship
tournament, beating
Endicott 3-1 in the final
as Klimpke was named
the MVP.
However, the year before
Klimpke and Stevenson got
to the tiny town in upstate
New York (there is only one
traffic light in Morrisville),
45 minutes from Syracuse, it