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Commits
Woodstock Academy seniors Ellie Jellison, left, who will play ice hockey for Assumption College, and Irene Askitis, who will be headed to the University of New Haven, sign their National Letters of Intent Jan. 25. Photo courtesy of Joel Thretheway/Woodstock Academy.
The girls’ ice hockey program at Woodstock Academy is only three years old.
It already has one of its own headed for the collegiate ranks.
Ellie Jellison could be considered a pioneer.
The Woodstock Academy senior was a member of the first-ever girls’ ice hockey team at the school three years ago.
Now, she will do the same at Assumption College in Worcester.
Jellison signed her National Letter of Intent to play Division II college hockey for the Greyhounds Jan. 25. Her hockey teammate, fellow senior Irene Askitis, also signed her National Letter of Intent to play Division II college soccer for the University of New Haven.
“I was actually the first commit, so I’m technically the first girl on the team at Assumption which is really cool,” Jellison said.
Jellison is currently on the sidelines for the Centaurs due to illness. She scored four goals and had an assist in their first two games.
Jellison wasn’t sure if she wanted to play college hockey, because of her desire to go into pre-med.
But she put up a video and profile on the NCAA website and Assumption reached out to her.
“I was like, ‘Why not’,” Jellison said.
She went on an official visit to Worcester, fell in love with the school and found she wanted. Instead of pre-med, she will major in biology to have more time to concentrate on the hockey team.
“It will be a club team for the first year, so it will not be as intense as a D-II sport. They are planning to play top club teams to start, but it will develop into a D-II program,” Jellison said.
Woodstock Academy girls’ hockey coach Jeff Boshka was happy to see the first player from the Centaurs program move on to play college hockey.
“It’s so awesome to have coached a player like Ellie,” Boshka said. “She loves the game so it’s really fun, and she wants to get better. What is the most fun is seeing her play, her intensity. Other players get out of her way. If they don’t get out of her way, they will be bounced out of her way.”
Askitis, the goalie for the Centaurs girls’ soccer team, always wanted to go to New Haven where she will major in forensic science.
She talked with Centaurs girls’ soccer coach Dennis Snelling who suggested, if she wanted to go to the school, why not go to a soccer camp held by the Chargers.
Askitis thought it was a good idea and attended a New Haven summer camp.
She opened enough eyes to get the offer to play.
“When I was younger, I didn’t have a lot of confidence in myself. Now that it’s official that I’m going to play in college, it’s a huge weight lifted off my shoulders,” Askitis said.
The senior posted 13 shutouts in goal for Woodstock Academy this season including six in the first seven matches.
“I think I have a lot more work to do,” Askitis said. “I believe I’m a good player, but if you look at college goalkeepers, they are at the highest level they can be. I know I can get there, but I have to put a lot of work into it.”
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy
.