University of Minnesota Athletics
Five Minutes with Amy Potomak
1/25/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS -- Gophers freshman Amy Potomak caught up with the voice of Gopher Women's Hockey Dan Hamann last week. Potomak has joined the Gophers for the spring semester after beginning the 2017-18 season centralized with Canada's National Women's Team in preparation for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
Listen to Potomak's complete interview.
Dan Hamann: Today I'm joined by redshirt freshman Amy Potomak. Welcome to Minnesota. How was your first week of classes?
Amy Potomak: It's been really good. It's been really fun. I am still getting used to the cold, but I am loving it all so far. Definitely a bit of a change, but I'm surviving.
DH: If I remember right, two years ago you were set to graduate early to enroll at the University of Minnesota, is that right? Talk about the process of trying to finish up high school early. What was that like?
AP: It was a lot of time management trying to do grade 10 and 11 together and just trying to graduate a year early. The high school I went to, George Elliot, in Kelowna was very supportive and my teachers were very helpful. I also took a lot of online classes. Help from the older girls was really helpful for me, too.
DH: You got detoured in those plans when Hockey Canada gave you a call. What was it like getting that call? What did it entail? It opened up some opportunities as you were able to compete for a spot on the Olympic team. What was it like having to put those plans to attend college early on hold?
AP: It was really cool they called me and told me they were taking me for centralization. My sister Sarah, who has been here, also got that call so we were both really excited to be able to go through that together. It's always an honor to represent your country, especially if it is something like the Olympics, that's definitely something you don't turn down. Minnesota and Brad [Frost] were very understanding and were all very happy and excited for me.
DH: Was it intimidating at all when you arrived to the centralization camp for Canada?
AP: Actually Sarah and I were both the youngest. It was definitely an interesting dynamic playing with players that we looked up to our whole lives. Being able to be on the same team as them was really cool. They were all very welcoming and very helpful, and if we ever had any questions or anything, whether it was a system or play, they would always be there to provide feedback.
DH: What was the most memorable part of being part of that centralization camp?
AP: Honestly, there is a lot of good memories. It is a long year. You train really hard and you practice together. I think just our team had a really good dynamic, everyone got along really well. Again just being able to learn from those older girls was something that was really huge for me. Being able to play alongside someone like Marie Philip-Poulin who is arguably the best player in the world and is just so humble; it was cool to see how she carries herself and how she plays firsthand.
DH: You and your sister Sarah seem to be very close. What makes you two so close?
AP: We are very close. I think having four older brothers did its job, too. Our whole family was always close, especially all of us siblings. That's just the way it always has been, and I think my parents were always running back and forth from rink to rink that you were always with one sibling. I was either at my own practice or watching Sarah practice, or watching one of my brothers practice. And when you spend hours at the rink together and we would always just play ball hockey with each other outside and mini sticks.
DH: When you were being recruited for college, was it a given that you and Sarah would end up at the same place?
AP: I did look at other schools, but at the end of the day I knew that if I was going to play college hockey, I would ideally I would like to do it with my sister.
DH: Obviously it was a hard time when both you and Sarah were cut from the Canada centralization roster. What was going through your mind?
AP: It was definitely difficult, I actually got cut before Sarah, so when I got cut Sarah spent the day with me and she took me through it which is incredibly helpful. That same night I actually flew back home to Aldergrove. My parents kind of picked me up, and I got to spend time with my family. I remember one of the things that my dad asked me, he said, 'If you were to do it again knowing you would get cut would you still do it?' and I said to him, 'Of course I would 100% do it again.' Just having that perspective and keeping it in mind, being grateful for that opportunity and all that I did get to learn that's what has really help me get through it.
DH: How about your decision to sit out the remainder of this year? You've missed the majority of the games already, but how hard was that to decide?
AP: It was difficult. I kind-of just decided going this way I could just ease into school; I have been out of school for a little while. Also just getting to know the girls. When I got cut, I was obviously pretty emotional, and one of the things I was told was not to make a decision based off emotion, not be upset and decide I need to get back and start playing games right away. I figured it would be smarter just to kind-of take some time to reflect and get to know the girls. It is difficult some times when maybe the games aren't going so well and you really want to lace it up and go on out there, but I've been enjoying it so far. The girls have really been welcoming me in, and I feel like I am a part of the team.
DH: How is Sarah doing? I know she stayed behind to catch up on some schooling. When she got the call that she wasn't going to make the roster, what did you tell her?
AP: It was also really difficult for her. She got let go right before Christmas so at least when she did come home she kind of had Christmas to look forward to, and Christmas is that time of year where you are always appreciating and thinking about your family. I think it was a really good distraction for her. I know she is having fun at home, she is doing some work and some coaching back home as well as her school, so I think just taking some time, again, not playing games just kind-of helping out some younger kids and remembering why you do play the game is good for her.
DH: I'm sure you're looking forward to the start of next season. How special is it going to be taking the ice with your sister for the University of Minnesota?
AP: I am so excited I can't even put it into words. Even when I first got here I was so excited when I got to put on a practice jersey. I think everyone was kind of chuckling in the room because I was just so excited to get out there. To actually put on a game jersey and then get to play with Sarah, I can't wait.
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