The University of British Columbia Athletics

Vancouver, BC - This weekend the UBC Thunderbirds women's hockey team will be debuting a new player, but not one that is an unfamiliar face to the team. She has been with the 'Birds every step of the way this season from their competitive training camp through intensive daily practices to gruelling workout sessions. But despite her unwavering devotion and her potential to be a big difference maker on the ice she has been sidelined for reasons beyond anyone's control – until now, that is. Enter Katie Zinn.
 
As a transfer student and previous player for the NCAA Div. 1 Penn State Lions, Katie was by CIS regulation ineligible for CIS competition until this past Sunday. The 5'7" forward was one of the final few athletes subjected to a ruling that barred those exiting the NCAA system from playing in Canadian interuniversity competition for one year following their NCAA departure. Unlucky for Zinn, the rule is being phased out in September.
 
On January 12, the 22 year-old forward of Coquitlam, B.C. reached the one-year requirement and at last became an official roster member for UBC. She finally suits up this weekend in the blue and gold as the team confronts the Alberta Pandas on Friday and Saturday. No doubt stepping onto the ice with the 'Birds for the first time comes with tremendous meaning and emotions for the new T-Bird.
 
"I'm nervous but more than anything I am excited – a year is a long time," said Katie Zinn. "I have some things to prove and I'm glad it's finally time to do so. The desire to play builds up quite a bit when you sit out – it's been bottled up for too long! Finally I found a team that I am ecstatic to be a part of and a coach who I am more than happy to play for. The team has been supportive throughout this whole process and I couldn't be any more grateful."
 
Head coach Graham Thomas urged that he didn't want Katie feeling any pressure.
 
"She's well-liked on the team and well-respected, so that makes the transition easy. The team's excited for her to come in and contribute," Thomas said.
 
Indeed, facilitating the switch will be Zinn's experience playing at the NCAA level, which has acclimated her to the competitive atmosphere of a top-performing team like UBC. Coach Thomas noted that she adds speed, crafty playmaking abilities, and a competitive drive that fuels her to play hard. On top of all that Zinn possesses a team-player mindset – a much-desired trait in a forward – that will pay off by generating scoring opportunities for her and for others.
 
"[Katie has] an unselfish style of play – she likes to distribute the puck, she works really hard, is a great teammate and can play with anybody, wherever. She's a dynamic team-first player," said Thomas.
 
Having played with Zinn for the Pacific Steelers in previous years, Thunderbirds second-year forward Nicole Saxvik is eager for the two of them to be back on the ice together.
 
"I've played with Katie since high school and I'm looking forward to having her as part of the team on Friday and Saturday nights [during games], not just Monday through Thursday [for practices]. She has tremendous speed, sees the ice very well, and will add a lot of depth to the front line," Saxvik said.
 
Assistant captain Stephanie Schaupmeyer anticipates that Katie will make a very positive impact this season, pointing out that she has already been influential in spite of being sidelined.
 
"Adding another player to the roster adds more healthy competition into practice, which I think will only translate positively onto the ice," said Schaupmeyere. "She pushes us to work harder. All year she has put in the work but hasn't yet had a chance to showcase her abilities in a game situation, so I'm excited that she'll get the opportunity to do so on Friday. She's played with a lot of different team dynamics so it will be an easy transition from red shirt to player."
 
The unanimous consensus, then, is that Zinn has the talent and the attitude to add even more force to the first-place Thunderbirds, the victors of 14 of their last 15 games. As they head around the bend toward playoff season there is no time like the present to draw a secret weapon from their arsenal. As she has demonstrated already, Zinn is striving to be just that.
 
Zinn and her fellow T-Birds, who ranked No.5 in the nation, will face off on Friday at 6:00 pm (PST) and Saturday at 5:00 pm (PST)  at the University of Alberta. In their last meeting with the Pandas, UBC swept the two-game series with back-to-back 2-1 wins; this weekend they will be looking to repeat in order to increase their winning streak to seven games. Alberta is ranked No.8 in the CIS with a record of 12-5-3.