After playing for almost ten years, senior Kate Devlin made the decision to continue her hockey career at the Division III level at New England College (NEC) in Henniker, New Hampshire on Oct. 27, 2021. 

Although being a high-level student-athlete can be very demanding, Devlin found that she enjoyed the routine of being a high school athlete and wanted to continue to be a part of a team in college. Additionally, Devlin feels inspired by some of her coaches to continue at the next level.

“My U10-U12 coach, John Flueckiger, influenced me to take the sport more seriously and learn the game mentally in addition to the physical skills needed,” Devlin said.

At Walpole High, Devlin has enjoyed some great success as a member of the girls’ hockey team that went to the state semi-final her freshman year. As she goes to compete against the talented New England Hockey Conference next year, which includes local teams like University of Massachusetts Boston, Babson College and Salem State University, she hopes to continue this success, but more importantly she chose NEC because of the close team culture.

“I chose New England College because I liked the small, close-knit community,” Devlin said. “I liked the campus and how everything is close together, which makes it easier to get around.”

New England College is a private liberal arts school with an undergraduate student population of 1,849 and offers 220 different educational programs both on campus and online. Next year, Devlin plans to major in health sciences and looks forward to meeting her new teammates who will help her to succeed as a college-level student-athlete.

“I hope to continue to succeed academically and have a successful hockey season and overall keep a healthy balance,” Devlin said.