University of Minnesota Athletics
Stepping it up - Senior Allie Sanchez
11/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
One key returning component to the team this season is senior defenseman Allie Sanchez. A physical defender, who really picked it up during the playoffs last year, Sanchez’s confidence in her team to continue to play at an elite level has not even wavered one iota. In fact she is part of the great senior leadership that put in the extra time this off-season to make sure that this season was no letdown.
“We all knew that it was going to be different this year, being without the people we lost. With that, I think we all knew that we all needed to step up and work harder in the weight room last summer; to work harder on the things we each needed to improve individually to make sure that we remained as competitive this year,” explained Sanchez. “I don’t think we were ever worried at all; we just knew that we all needed to step it up.”
Things change from year to year, that is just a reality in not only sports, but life. Sanchez is a player who can handle change, and that combined with the maturity and experience she has gained over her time here at the U of M, enables her to not get distracted and focus on the task at hand. A good example of that is how she started out her freshman year as a forward and was switched mid-year to defense, but she didn’t let the change faze her and throw off her intense drive and focus.
“It wasn’t hard because I had played defense all while I was growing up so I knew what I was doing. But, they threw me in there for the first time on defense against Duluth, so I was a bit nervous,” stated Sanchez.
Since then, Sanchez has done nothing but improve her game, playing a bigger role each season and contributing more and more. In her junior year she set a career high in assists with eight, and has an impressive +37 plus/minus ratio. That plus/minus mark was the fifth highest on the entire team, and second among defensemen. The humble Sanchez doesn’t credit the spike in numbers to her own talent, but to the fact that she’s around, and that it is a product of experience.
“I think a lot of that has to do with having more experience. After switching from forward, it was more just getting into the groove of defense, and stepping up more,” said Sanchez. “One of the most important things that I’ve learned is to play consistently so that you can become a dependable player that the coaches can put on the ice any time.”
Not only has Sanchez racked up the experience on the ice, but she has also been putting in time to better herself for life after hockey. Last summer Sanchez started interning for the marketing department in Golden Gopher athletics, something she continues to try to help out with during the season in her limited free time. The experience has been something Sanchez has enjoyed while also learning a lot of valuable lessons that she’ll take with her one day in the business world.
“It was a lot of fun. It was nice to see how things get put together. For our games, we don’t get to see much of it because we are around the ice. It was nice to see how they put promotions together; it was a fun environment,” commented Sanchez. “I think marketing is kind of what I’m heading towards, so I’m still doing it now.”
Most collegiate athletes have enough on their plate with homework and their sport, that it is even more impressive that Sanchez can still devote a few hours here and there to her internship. It’s just another testament to her will to succeed, but it seems as if Sanchez has always had the ability to handle a lot on her plate. In high school she was a three sport athlete, while also playing for the Minnesota Thoroughbreds year round. The challenge of college life has not slowed her progress either, in fact she has excelled in the classroom, earning Academic All-WCHA and Academic All-Big Ten honors the last two seasons.
“I think the main thing is managing your time. It’s nice to have such a consistent schedule, like having our own arena so that we can have practice at the same time every day. It’s all about having the discipline to do it and get it done,” stated Sanchez.
To say that Allie Sanchez is driven would be an understatement. She has the ability to juggle her increased role on the team, school, and an internship. She has an impeccable confidence that has allowed her to become a talented defensemen, a great teammate and most importantly a successful person.
The Golden Gophers may not be the same team they were last year or the year before, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have the ability to be even better. With mature, experienced players like Allie Sanchez leading the way, that’s not so hard to believe now, is it?
Story by Dominic Ladd, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant There’s no question that the Golden Gopher women’s hockey team lost quite the crew of talented players from last year. Last year’s primary goal scorers are gone, the team has brand new captains, and there’s a freshman goalie in the net. If you think head coach Laura Halldorson is hitting the panic button; think again. Not only did her coaching staff bring in a stellar recruiting class, but what’s left over from the back-to-back national championship squads is not too shabby either.
One key returning component to the team this season is senior defenseman Allie Sanchez. A physical defender, who really picked it up during the playoffs last year, Sanchez’s confidence in her team to continue to play at an elite level has not even wavered one iota. In fact she is part of the great senior leadership that put in the extra time this off-season to make sure that this season was no letdown.
“We all knew that it was going to be different this year, being without the people we lost. With that, I think we all knew that we all needed to step up and work harder in the weight room last summer; to work harder on the things we each needed to improve individually to make sure that we remained as competitive this year,” explained Sanchez. “I don’t think we were ever worried at all; we just knew that we all needed to step it up.”
Things change from year to year, that is just a reality in not only sports, but life. Sanchez is a player who can handle change, and that combined with the maturity and experience she has gained over her time here at the U of M, enables her to not get distracted and focus on the task at hand. A good example of that is how she started out her freshman year as a forward and was switched mid-year to defense, but she didn’t let the change faze her and throw off her intense drive and focus.
“It wasn’t hard because I had played defense all while I was growing up so I knew what I was doing. But, they threw me in there for the first time on defense against Duluth, so I was a bit nervous,” stated Sanchez.
Since then, Sanchez has done nothing but improve her game, playing a bigger role each season and contributing more and more. In her junior year she set a career high in assists with eight, and has an impressive +37 plus/minus ratio. That plus/minus mark was the fifth highest on the entire team, and second among defensemen. The humble Sanchez doesn’t credit the spike in numbers to her own talent, but to the fact that she’s around, and that it is a product of experience.
“I think a lot of that has to do with having more experience. After switching from forward, it was more just getting into the groove of defense, and stepping up more,” said Sanchez. “One of the most important things that I’ve learned is to play consistently so that you can become a dependable player that the coaches can put on the ice any time.”
Not only has Sanchez racked up the experience on the ice, but she has also been putting in time to better herself for life after hockey. Last summer Sanchez started interning for the marketing department in Golden Gopher athletics, something she continues to try to help out with during the season in her limited free time. The experience has been something Sanchez has enjoyed while also learning a lot of valuable lessons that she’ll take with her one day in the business world.
“It was a lot of fun. It was nice to see how things get put together. For our games, we don’t get to see much of it because we are around the ice. It was nice to see how they put promotions together; it was a fun environment,” commented Sanchez. “I think marketing is kind of what I’m heading towards, so I’m still doing it now.”
Most collegiate athletes have enough on their plate with homework and their sport, that it is even more impressive that Sanchez can still devote a few hours here and there to her internship. It’s just another testament to her will to succeed, but it seems as if Sanchez has always had the ability to handle a lot on her plate. In high school she was a three sport athlete, while also playing for the Minnesota Thoroughbreds year round. The challenge of college life has not slowed her progress either, in fact she has excelled in the classroom, earning Academic All-WCHA and Academic All-Big Ten honors the last two seasons.
“I think the main thing is managing your time. It’s nice to have such a consistent schedule, like having our own arena so that we can have practice at the same time every day. It’s all about having the discipline to do it and get it done,” stated Sanchez.
To say that Allie Sanchez is driven would be an understatement. She has the ability to juggle her increased role on the team, school, and an internship. She has an impeccable confidence that has allowed her to become a talented defensemen, a great teammate and most importantly a successful person.
The Golden Gophers may not be the same team they were last year or the year before, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have the ability to be even better. With mature, experienced players like Allie Sanchez leading the way, that’s not so hard to believe now, is it?
Story by Dominic Ladd, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant
