Zosia Adamek is no stranger to sporting success, but even she was surprised at just how well her freshman season playing Div. 1 collegiate hockey in the U.S. went.
Not only did the 19-year-old forward from Langford help her Liberty University Lady Flames capture a fourth straight American Collegiate Hockey Association title March 20, finishing off an undefeated season, her “Freshman Line” was the highest-scoring in the conference – Adamek scored six goals and added 13 assists in 19 regular season games.
“It was super cool to come in as a freshman and be able to play and be part of such a great team,” she said. “I didn’t really know what to expect, but I knew I would have to earn my spot on the team, and I was able to do that really early in the season … I think I scored two goals in my first game, so everything only got better from there.”
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While her youth playing hockey, softball, soccer, lacrosse and doing figure skating on the West Shore provided an important foundation for her college hockey success, Adamek said her freshman season based in Lynchburg, Virginia wouldn’t have gone as well as it did if it weren’t for her teammates, friends and family.
She credited teammate Yannick Truter from North Saanich, who won the ACHA tournament’s most valuable player award for a second straight year, for providing important support.
“She is in her third year, so just knowing she was there for me helped me adjust. She knows my family, she knows me and it was really helpful for me to settle in,” Adamek said.
Friends and teammates have been a big help in terms of settling in to life away from family on the other side of the continent, and for settling into her academics – she is studying zoology and aims to become a veterinarian.
Before landing at Liberty, Adamek briefly studied at and was set to play for Long Island University before the pandemic got in the way. She attended high school at Shawnigan Lake School in Mill Bay and played for their U-18 team.
With her freshman season in the books, Adamek is setting her sights on her next hockey objective: earning a letter on her jersey.
“I’d love to become a leader on the team, maybe wear an ‘A’ or something, and just help freshmen as they come in and be someone they can look up to. All the captains and seniors on the team were just so good to me this year … and I think it would be awesome to be that person in the future.”
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