By Gillian McMahon
This article is part of the 2022-2023 printed “Hockey Edition” that will be available on campus Friday, Sept. 30 and at both men’s and women’s opening nights. Be sure to get your copy!
Position: Defense
Height: 5’6”
Hometown: Fort St. John, B.C.
High School: George Elliot Secondary School
Born: July 14, 2004
School: Questrom School of Business
Number: #27
Quick Questions:
If not a hockey player, as a little kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? “A fashion model”
Favorite spot on campus? “1019 with my roommates. We just have a really good group in my room.”
Favorite class so far? “My writing class. It’s all about football. We just have to watch the NFL.”
Favorite dining hall? “West Campus is like the only one I go to.”
Favorite place to go in Boston? “We went to Gloucester and went sailing as a team and that was my first time out of the city, but still in Mass. We also went to the North End for a team dinner and it was super cute down there.”
One of the most prominent newcomers to the Boston University women’s ice hockey team for the 2022-2023 season is freshman defender Brooke Disher. The Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada native comes to Commonwealth Ave with an impressive hockey background.
Growing up in Northern Canada, hockey was a family affair. Both of Disher’s parents and her brother played hockey. Father, Jody, spent time in the BCHL with the Quesnel Millionaires and the Merritt Centennials. Brother, Quinn, will play for Michigan Tech in 2023.
“We were just a hockey family, many sticks in the basement, everyday kind of thing,” Disher said of her memories growing up in a hockey focused environment. “When I was 10, we moved away from my hometown so that my brother and I could play on a better team.”
In her previous playing experience, Disher totaled 12 goals and 24 assists with Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna. She also spent three seasons with the Okanagan Hockey Academy where she scored 27 goals and had 26 assists through 73 games.
Around age 14, Disher started exploring NCAA schools and what the opportunity to play collegiately in the US might look like.
“BU was one of the first schools that I toured, and I just loved it so much,” Disher said. “I did commit here, and I’m so happy to be here now.”
Heading into her freshman year, Disher had a full schedule of summer hockey. Most notably, she served as the captain of the gold medal-winning Canadian U18 team at the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championships in Madison, Wisconsin in June. Disher also spent three weeks at Canadian National Camp in August.
The experience of playing for the Canadian National Team was “incredible,” Disher said. “I feel like we were a little bit underdogs to Team USA going into the tournament, and even in there. Pulling off [the gold medal win] was super, super fun.”
The Women’s Worlds showcases the best of the best hockey talent in the world every year: “Now we’re all playing in the same league this year. It prepared us really well, especially because that’s the kind of people that are going to be the top freshman in the league.”
In 2021, the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This year, it was on, and then it was canceled. Then, they postponed it to June. It was nice that it was so close because everyone’s like ‘I haven’t played since February and March’ and well, I just played in June.”
As she transitions to BU, Disher plans to stay true to herself and carry her lessons in leadership from her international experience forward to her new Terrier team.
Disher’s biggest focus in leadership is “just be yourself.”
“I’m not a super vocal person, and I wasn’t leading up to them picking the leadership group. Just knowing what you bring to the table, and not feeling like you have to change because of a certain role or something somebody says. Just be who you are and stay true to that.”
Now in her role as a freshman defender, Disher is learning from upperclassmen leaders like senior captain Nadia Mattivi and senior forward Julia Nearis who bring a supportive, high-energy dynamic to Walter Brown Arena every day.
The Terriers have an exciting schedule lined up this season including highlights like a Thanksgiving trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the Vegas Showcase, Frozen Fenway vs Holy Cross in January, and the 44th Annual Women’s Beanpot Tournament.
Even considering the challenge of navigating college classes and being far from home, “It’s been great being here,” Disher said. “I feel like we’ve got a really good culture. Everyone’s been so nice and welcoming.”
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