Whitehorse Daily Star

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KEEPING BUSY – SAIT Trojans goalie Jocelyn Wynnyk makes a save against the MacEwan Griffins in Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference action last season. Wynnyk, a Whitehorse native, is also playing varsity soccer this season.

Two varsity sports? No problem for SAIT’s Wynnyk

Jocelyn Wynnyk has a busy sports schedule these days.

By Photo Submitted on September 24, 2014

Jocelyn Wynnyk has a busy sports schedule these days.

The 19-year-old Yukoner, now in her second year at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary, is playing two varsity sports this year.

Typically a hockey goaltender, Wynnyk is also playing fullback for the women’s soccer team.

Although, this past weekend in Olds, Alta., when the team needed someone to play net, she was the natural choice to step in and helped the Trojans to a 4-4 tie.

“At first, it was pretty tough adjusting to it because with soccer, you have 90 minutes of just running, running, running,” Wynnyk said. “Whereas with hockey, it’s a 45-second sprint with a two-minute break.

“It took a bit of getting used to, but soccer is fun. I was a little rusty at first because I hadn’t played in a while. It’s tough, the girls on the team are really skilled and you have to fight for your spot.”

Wynnyk isn’t the only female athlete playing two sports at SAIT this season. Her roommate, Cora Sutton, is also playing hockey and soccer.

The transition to playing both sports has been made easier by the fact that Wynnyk and Sutton live together, as it’s a life that very few can relate to.

Meals are made ahead of time in order to get out the door quicker, while a white board by their front door has each of their schedules on it.

“We’re huge supporters of each other,” said Wynnyk before starting to laugh.

“I know this sounds bad, but once or twice a week we’ll get an ice cream cone after practice and we just pull in, sit in the driveway, turn the car off and sit there.

“Once we just sat there for 20 minutes and ate our ice cream in silence because we were so tired. Just mentally and physically exhausted.”

Both athletes admit that playing both sports wouldn’t be possible if not for the support of their head coaches – soccer’s Grant Stevens and hockey’s Terry Larson.

They express gratitude towards both coaches for being open-minded about playing two sports, as they know some days they’re not able to give their best to one or the other depending on how things are scheduled.

At the end of their very long days, when their bodies are tired, and they’re asking themselves what exactly have they gotten themselves into, they remind each other that they are doing what very few post-secondary student-athletes have ever done.

And that makes the pain hurt just a little bit less.

“Not many people get to say they played two college-level sports, and have been successful in each of them,” said Wynnyk proudly.

“Just the fact that I get to do that is incredible.”

By BRODY MARK
Special to the Star

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