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Sergeant with a slapshot

Wheelock, Naval Academy take ice at ACHA D2 nationals

It's well known that student-athletes have a lot on their plate when it comes to juggling school, being a part of an athletic team and having a social life.

Now think about all the extra work a student-athlete at the United States Naval Academy has under their belt.

Couple all the responsibilities of a normal student-athlete with the duties of a Naval officer and there is very little free time. The likelihood of burnout is through the roof.

Fredonia native Kirsta Wheelock is taking on all of those challenges and crushing them. Wheelock is currently in her Second Class year at the Naval Academy and is a member of the Women's Division 2 Club Hockey team that will be the participating in American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championships beginning today in St. Louis.

"It is a hard balance," Wheelock stated. "I am in my Second Class year and it's the most responsibility this year."

A typical day for Wheelock, her company's first sergeant, includes her waking up at 5:20 a.m. to help people pass brigade training. Then there's mandatory breakfast with her company until 7:45 and after that she has class from 7:55 until 11:45. Then there's a noon meal and class from 1:20 p.m. until 3:20 p.m.. That schedule is all before she does anything with the hockey team.

"It's incredible our team is able to perform with how busy we are," added Wheelock. "When we go to school, the courses are really tough. I'm a political science major and I still have to take thermodynamics and electrical engineering."

Wheelock and the rest of her teammates are handling the workload about as well as possible considering Navy has the second-best record in women's Division 2 at 17-1-0, just behind Lake Superior State University which boasts a 27-3-1 record as the top-ranked Division 2 team in the country. Navy has just given up nine goals against all season long and Wheelock has contributed eight goals and nine assists at the forward position.

"We've got a really solid team," added Wheelock. "We have so many high performers. Our goalie Julie Chenoweth is really good; she's absolutely crushing it this year."

Chenoweth is a large part of why Navy is the No. 2 team in Division 2, posting a .965 save percentage, 0.52 goals against average and 10 shutouts. Chenoweth will be a big part of Navy's success at nationals, starting with today's game against the University of Pittsburgh at 10:30 a.m.

For Wheelock, today's game will start off the biggest tournament of her hockey career that had a humble beginning on her grandparent's outdoor rink.

"I started playing in the fourth grade," stated Wheelock. "My parents built us an ice rink in our grandparents' yard. That's how I learned how to skate."

Her grandparents rink eventually moved her into Steele Hall Arena where Wheelock played with the Dunkirk-Fredonia Steelers.

"Played on the Steelers girls team at Steele Hall," added Wheelock. "In either eighth grade or my freshman year of high school I played on the boys team. I also tried to play other sports like basketball with Coach Carol Zirkle."

As Wheelock finished up high school her mind was not set on playing hockey at the next level; she planned on joining the military after high school.

"I was thinking about the military because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do," Wheelock said. "I had two coaches enlisted in the military, one of them being Ross Conti. I was originally thinking about the Air Force, but I talked to Ross quite a bit about the Navy and then I talked to one of the recruiters and decided to join."

When Wheelock first enlisted with the Navy she was a cryptologist before she enrolled at the Naval Academy. It wasn't until last year that she made the hockey team, but unfortunately was unable to play any games due to the pandemic.

"When I got to the academy I tried out but didn't make the team my first year," stated Wheelock. "Then the next year I made the team but wasn't able to play because of the pandemic."

After waiting a year to play games, Wheelock and the Naval Academy have played practically perfect all season and will try to continue that this morning. Then on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. against Adrian College and on Thursday group play will wrap up against Dakota College-Botineau at 11:45 a.m.

"Hopefully we'll kick everyone's butt and move on to Saturday and Sunday," Wheelock said about this week's games.

The American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championships will be broadcasted on HockeyTV for $5 with the promo code ACHA2022.