Login

goilers · 04-03-2017, 12:24 AM

Code:
Ready to be graded

Word count: 3108

Double Media Week

Getting to know Sophia Bennett # 9 - RW

We’re here for an exclusive interview with the Brandon Times covering the path of Right wing prospect Sophia Bennett. I am Jeff Anderson and I am very excited for this interview as she enters the S34 SMJHL draft. This is a very exciting time for her and all us back home.

“It’s good to finally meet up with you Sophia, thank you for taking the time out of your day to meet with me. I know you are crazy busy training with the upcoming SMJHL draft coming up.”

Sophia: “Thank you for having me; it’s always a pleasure when I get to meet up with you. It’s been awhile since my last interview with you, probably back when I was still in pee wee with the Manitoba Broncos. Yeah… these last couple months have been extremely busy getting prepared for this draft but it truly is a dream come true and I can't wait to get started!

“Yeah you’re right, it has been a long time, it sure is nice to see you. First off, I want to congratulate you on your recent success with the Brandon Tigers winning the first championship in the teams history. You have made all of us back home so proud, so great job on that! Now let's get right to it, are you starting to get nervous with the upcoming draft?”

Sophia: “Yeah, what a crazy year it has been, I can honestly say that this was my favorite and biggest growth year of my hockey career so far and I can't wait to see what happens this year. I would be lying to you if I said I wasn't nervous but I definitely am, a part of me is also super excited though for a new opportunity and to start something special. I’ve received so much support from everyone back home and I am so thankful for everything everyone has done for me, it makes things so much more exciting when you have people rooting for you. I've been training hard this summer on some extra workouts with my trainer so I'm feeling more ready than ever and hoping I can make them proud.”

Interview

“You mentioned you have done some extra training this offseason, is this something new you’re trying or something you have done your whole career?”

Sophia: “I have a pretty steady work out schedule and always have since I was about 10 years old. I never started taking hockey seriously and didn’t believe I had potential to further my career until I was about 12 years old. Training wise, I try not to change my routine too much in the offseason, just so my body stays used to it and in shape. I do take a couple rest days here and there though. My training coach is new this year and has been working very closely with me this offseason; he’s actually one of my parent’s friends and has worked with many other successful hockey players from areas around me, so I trust him in helping me reach my potential and goals.”

Interview

“Very nice, sounds like you have been working very hard lately. Speaking of your parents, have they always supported you throughout your hockey career?”

Sophia: “My parents have been my biggest supporters since day one, being a girl in this sport hasn't always been the easiest for me but it has been the most rewarding. I want to be able to inspire people to follow in my shoes and know that sports are for everyone. I have two older twin brothers who were constantly pushing me to be the best I could and to prove everyone wrong, so it made things a little easier on me. They both play hockey on a recreational team once a week and it is always a competition between the two of them until I came into the picture. We have so many holes in our wall downstairs from all of the mini stick tournaments that we had on week nights and weekends… my mom’s not the happiest about it (laughs) but she has no choice with three kids who love the game.”

Interview

“Daniel and Derrick, I remember them, I went to school with them back in the day. Good guys... Next question, as sports are constantly evolving, have you noticed it being more acceptable for females to play hockey or has it remained the same, have you ever experienced any problems?”

Sophia: “Good question, each year it seems it becomes more acceptable for girls to play hockey, I've never personally received any hate or anything from any teams or my teammates so it's hard for me to give a straight answer. However, outside of hockey when I was at school it was sometimes a challenge for me since I was always busy and focused on hockey I did lose quite a few friends but I still have my main group of friends I haven’t lost touch with. Every team I’ve ever played on has been very welcoming to me and I’ve been treated the same way the men are. I’m actually noticing that way more females are entering into the league every year and it is more acceptable for them to play. Which makes me really happy! I’ve actually been able to chat with a few girls in the league already so I feel a lot more comfortable going into the draft. “

Interview

“Good to hear, what do you do for fun in the offseason other than training for the upcoming season? “

Sophia: “To be honest with you I’ve actually been really really busy, I actually went to Alberta for a couple weeks and did some hikes and went fishing with my family and boyfriend throughout the mountains. They were so beautiful and the scenery was incredible. (Nothing better than a fresh fish fry over an open camp fire) A lot of my family is actually from Alberta so this offseason I’ve spent a lot of time with them there. I have a lot of friends from previous hockey teams that live there so even though I wasn’t home to always train with my trainer they let me join there sessions. But to honest with you I haven’t really got a break, so this upcoming week before my draft I’m probably going to try to rest and relax a bit. “

Interview

“There’s been some talk around the league that you are actually dating someone in the SHL? Can you confirm this?”

Sophia: “Oh wow… (Laughs) I didn’t know many people knew we were a couple. But yes… I can confirm that we are a couple and have been for many years. He actually just got drafted 10th overall to the Los Angeles Panthers where one of our best friends has been playing for the last couple seasons and I know he loves it. So it’s actually a really exciting time for all of us and I am really proud of him. He’s worked really hard and I know he won’t disappoint their organization… they’re actually really lucky to have him (smiles)”

Interview

“Word gets around fast now a days don’t you know, how would you feel if you were drafted to the same team?”

Sophia: “We’ve talked about it to be honest with you, we think it would be an incredible experience to be on the same team, our parents always tell us were too competitive to play against each other and they want us the same team, but we think it’s just so they can see each other more often at the games (laughs) but me and him always joke around about playing against each other, we think it would be really fun. We actually do quite a bit of training together in the off-season and make sure we stick to our strict diets. I find it so much easier when you have someone close to you going through the same experiences.”

Interview

“Back to the draft, is there a certain team in the SMJHL that you are hoping drafts you? “

Sophia: “I will be honored to play on any team in the league that hopefully drafts me and wants me, however I would be lying if I didn’t mention playing on a Canadian Team would be a dream come true, a lot of family lives all over Canada so basically anywhere would be amazing. But once again just to be drafted to any team in the SMJHL is an extreme honor in my opinion. This is such a highly skilled league with so many amazing upcoming prospects. I’m really looking forward to Thursday; I’m not sure if I am going to be able to sleep these next couple of days.”

Interview

Have any General Managers from any teams in the SMJHL been in contact with you in these upcoming weeks?

Sophia: “Yeah… I have been in contact with a few General Managers with interest this week, I think once it starts to get closer to the draft there will be a lot more interest. But just talking to a few of them things are starting to feel more real and exciting for me. It's really hard to say which team needs right wing players right now so it makes things a little more interesting for everyone in the draft. “

Interview

“ You’ve played right wing for your whole hockey career, am I correct? “

Sophia: “Well kind of, my first year couple of years I tried defence but my coach kept moving me to the right wing and I just grew into that position and excelled there. So basically ever since I was little I have played on the right wing and don’t plan on changing since I’ve been playing so well. “

Interview

What do you like most about the position you play? “

Sophia:” I think my favorite thing would definitely be scoring goals. I love the limelight on me, and I love celebrating. I’m pretty superstitious, so changing things up now when I'm doing well would be very hard for me because I’ve never really been good with change. A part of me is interested in maybe trying a different position one day but that would be entirely up to my coach and team management. “

Interview

“You mentioned you don’t like change too much, do you have any pre-game rituals or superstitions before a game? “

Sophia: “I am a very superstitious player, if I have a good game I make sure to eat the same thing that I did that evening. If I did something different that day I will make sure to do that exact same thing before my upcoming game. My pre game ritual includes me watching TSN’s sports highlights, a nice shower and then I make myself a nice meal. After that I head over to the rink, I’m usually at the rink two hours before game time to get myself ready and warmed up. One thing that I do before every game is some sewer ball with the team and then while I’m getting dressed I listen to some of my favorite songs to get me ready to play. “

Interview

“You started hockey at very young age, do you feel you have an advantage on any of the players who started later on? “

Sophia: “Yeah I did start pretty young! I really don’t feel like I have an advantage on any players that started after me. I feel like every one progresses at different speeds and my progress happened a lot sooner than most, which made me stand out to some of the scouts. I feel like someone with less experience could play to the same potential as me. Just to make it to this point in my hockey career is a huge accomplishment and I feel like I would be a very valuable choice to any team, but there are a lot of solid players in this draft that will be excellent as well.”

Interview

Will you be disappointed if you fall in the later rounds of the draft?

Sophia: “Well… I would have to say yeah, because I’ve worked so hard these last couple years and feel like I deserve it. I like to view myself as an elite player who could potentially be taken in the first or second round. However you never know where you are actually going to end up and what the teams are actually really looking for until it happens. Honestly it all comes down to the generals managers decision but regardless of their decision if I go last round or first round I will be extremely proud and honored to be a part of this elite league.”

Interview

What are you looking forward to most this season in the SMJHL?

Sophia: “I’m really looking forward to hopefully getting some playing minutes and to produce some points. I love scoring goals and I love winning games so I’m really looking forward to getting started and hopefully be able to help my potential team do just that. I’m also excited to get to know all of the other players on my team, its actually interesting cause the only people I know right now our my fellow draftees… “

Interview

“Last question…. I know everyone has been dying to know… do you have any pets.”

Sophia:” My favorite question (Smiles) my boyfriend would have an annoyed look on his right now if he heard this question because for the last two months that’s all I’ve been talking about. We’re getting a Golden Doodle puppy in July 2017 and I’ve been talking about it non-stop. He is excited too….. Just not as extreme (laughs). Both of our parents have dogs and always have since we were both little so we have grown to love them.”

“I just want to thank you again for taking the time to do an exclusive interview with me and I look forward to meeting up with you after the SMJHL entry draft. Good luck this year Sophia!! We will be cheering for you back home in Brandon.”

Sophia: “Thank you very much! I look forward to it as well!”

As you can see, Sophia is eager to get started and excited to make her home town proud and I can’t say anything else except Good luck from all of us back home. Attached are her player attributes.

Player Attributes

CK = Checking: 41
FG = Fighting: 25
DI = Discipline: 62
SK = Skating: 70
ST = Strength: 61
EN = Endurance: 60
DU = Durability: 50
PH = Puck Handling: 62
FO = Face Offs: 40
PA = Passing: 59
SC = Scoring: 68 1/2
DF = Defense: 65
PS = Penalty Shot: 40

Additionally, we have a scouting report that has been crafted from one of the Brandon hockey scouts for Sophia prior to this year’s SMJHL draft.

<center> [Image: 20150823-232446-g.jpg]

Sophia Bennett – RW - #9

Sophia is the definition of a scoring winger. Even though she is undersized, she has a rocket of a shot, especially for someone going into the SMJHL. She plays much like Jordan Eberle, and has the hands that come along with it. However, she is extremely defensively aware, and is able to pick up the puck from opposing players and turn around with it to cause an offensive opportunity. Additionally, she is an extremely fast skater and is able to blow past opposing team’s defensive, especially the players on the lower pairings.

On the power play, she usually plays on the left wing, as it allows her to open up her cannon of a one-time shot, as well as being able to place her shot much more accurately as her stick is open to the goalie.

She is also able to play the penalty kill, and not only get the puck out of her own zone, but be a threat to score shorthanded as well. She is fearless for getting into shot lanes to block shots, and teams like that about her. Let’s take a look into her strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths:

Skating: Sophia has rockets on her feet, as her ability to cause a defensive breakdown for the other team is very good. She is elusively fast, and that allows her to catch opposing defenders off guard, and allows her to rocket past opposing defenders. Additionally, her great speed and conditioning helps her get back defensively and back check extremely hard.

Scoring: Bennett’s greatest gift is her rocket of a shot. Even for a player going into the SMJHL, her shot is extremely hard and accurate. This is going to give opposing goalies nightmares, as they try to shut her down. Combined with the rest of her skills, it makes her a very valuable player in the SMJHL. She could play top 6 minutes no problem and easily be able to score goals.

Defense: Something that snipers lack is the ability to defend. Sophia is not the average sniper, as her defensive responsibility is phenomenal. With the game constantly evolving, Sophia will always be a valuable player with her great defense. She can play in any situation, and that makes her extremely valuable.

Puck Handling: The hands on Bennett are unreal, as she can dangle a lot of opposing players to open up space for her to either let her booming shot go, or to dish the puck to a wide open teammate. With her excellent puck handling, she can draw more than one defender to her, opening up more space on the ice for her teammates. Great for the power play, which she can help on any team in the SMJHL league.

Weaknesses :

Checking: There is no shying away from the fact that Sophia is not a physical player; she doesn’t go to the dirty areas and retrieve the puck from corners. However, that doesn’t deter her game, as her game is mostly poised on puck possession. Any team that is looking for Sophia to go deep on the fore check and grab the puck from corners is looking for the wrong player. Even though she will try, her size prevents that and that’s not a knock on her. Some players are just better at doing other things, and going deep into the corners is something that Sophia doesn’t excel at. If she goes on the fore check, she needs to be the 2nd or 3rd fore checker as it allows her to strip opposing players of the puck and turn it into an offensive chance quickly.

</center>