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goilers · 04-06-2017, 11:01 PM

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Ready for grading 

Word Count: 1044

Double Media

SMJHL DRAFT.

April 6th, 2017.

7:30 EST.

Best day of my life so far.

Sophia Bennett nervously awaits her name to be called amongst the fans and her family at the SMJHL draft center. One name was called prior to hers, "Robert Phelps" drafted first overall, she expected to hear a couple names before hers but to her surprise she heard her name get called out 2nd Overall by the Vancouver Whalers.

She sits fiddling with her hands with a big smile on her face in front of a group of reporters.

â€œHello, my name is Sophia Bennett I am a right wing player for the Vancouver Whalers and I will now be accepting all your questions regarding my new team and draft positionâ€

Reporter: â€œDid you expect to be drafted second overall? â€œ

Sophia: â€œTo be honest with you I always had a feeling I would be going in the first round and maybe late second. A lot of the talk around the league got back to me, so I kind of knew what to expect... it made things a little easier. However I was not expecting to go second at all, there is so much talent in this draft class it caught me by surprise. Overall I am thrilled to have been selected to play with the Whalers and I canâ€™t wait to get started, this is truly a dream come true. â€œ

Reporter: â€œDo you think you can live up to the expectations of such a high pick? â€œ

Sophia: â€œAbsolutely, I have worked so hard just to get to this point Iâ€™m not going to just let it go easy. Iâ€™m going to train every day to be a better and bigger player and work on my skills. Hopefully ill have a good enough year so I can make it into the SHL draft next season. But yes I believe I can live up to those expectations. â€œ

Reporter: â€œWhere do you think you fit on your new team? â€œ

Sophia: â€œYou know what, I actually havenâ€™t had too much time to think about that. Itâ€™s still a little early to say but looking at their roster I think I will play 2nd or 3rd line for this season, thereâ€™s a lot of other skilled players that have been there for a few seasons but Iâ€™m hoping I can catch them. â€œ

Reporter: â€œBeing a girl headed in to this draft was there ever any doubt in your mind you wouldnâ€™t be drafted? â€œ

Sophia: â€œNo actually, I had a lot of support from my fellow draftees and wasnâ€™t treated any differently from any of them. So I actually want to take the time to thank them for that. Even though Iâ€™m small I have the skill to protect the puck and play offensively. Iâ€™ve had a lot of support from all of my family and friends which made things a little easier on me. â€œ

Reporter: â€œWhat are your first impression of the locker room? â€œ

Sophia: â€œThe locker room is very active right now, all the rookies are buzzing around and getting to know everyone on the team. So far my everyone has been very welcoming and the experience has been great, Iâ€™m just really excited to get things started. â€œ

Reporter: â€œDo you have any specific goals for this season on the Whalers? â€œ

Sophia: â€œWell itâ€™s a little early to sayâ€¦.. But I think every players dream is to win the cup so Iâ€™d be lying if I didnâ€™t mention that. I think my biggest goals for this upcoming season is to hopefully get lots of playing time and be able to help the team offensively. I also want to train a lot harder this season. I think those are my most important goals right now. â€œ

Reporter:â€ Do you know much about your new team? â€œ

Sophia: â€œI did my fair share of research before this draft, a couple general managers had reached out to me strongly and they were one of them so I kind of know what type of player they wanted and needed. I know they are a part of a rebuild this season and I want to be able to get them back on top. â€œ

Reporter: "What do you think of the players drafted to the Whalers from your draft class? "

Sophia: "I think there's lots of talent... we have the first overall draft pick from this draft class... what more can you say. But to be completely honest every single one of the players who were drafted by the Whalers are going to make an impact, I think we're going to do great this year. "

Reporter: "How many seasons do you think youâ€™ll spend in juniors?"

Sophia: â€œI would probably say two or three seasons in juniors. I donâ€™t want to rush my development and jump too fast into the SHL. I need to spend some time learning how to play in such an elite league first, but I know when the time is right the team management will make sure that I am ready. â€œ

Reporter: â€œIs your family here with you, is this something special for you and your family? â€œ

Sophia:â€ Yes, my mom and dad, my two brothers and my boyfriend Matthew. This is a very special time for all of us. Matthew had his draft last week so that only hyped this event and me up even more. Maybe even one day we will play on the same team but for now we're rivals [laughs]. But yes this is a super special day for all of my family and myself and I am so excited to finally say all of my hard work has finally paid off. But it doesnâ€™t stop here, Iâ€™m going to continue to make myself a bigger and better player and hopefully be drafted into the SHL next season. â€œ

Reporter: â€œThank you for your time Sophia. Good luck with in Vancouver this season. Go enjoy and celebrate with your family during this special time. â€œ

Sophia: â€œThank you, I appreciate it. â€œ

She stands up, shows the crowd a big smile, waves and walks out of the room.

Reporter: â€œI think weâ€™re going to like her. â€œ