“It’s really special. It’s such a small hockey community. I’ve always grown up with so much support, so getting to go home and play in a rink I grew up playing at with a lot of familiar faces in the building is going to be really special,” said Sophie Compeau ’25 prior to the Soaring Eagles trip up north to take on the SUNY Potsdam Bears on Tuesday night.
Compeau, a native of the Potsdam area, will play in the rink she grew up playing at for the first time since her high school hockey career ended. Compeau has also dealt with hip surgeries following the last two seasons, making this homecoming game even more special for the senior forward.
Compeau says that this is the best she has ever felt. After having a hip surgery following each of the last two years, playing at full health has allowed her to tie her career high in goals in a season and is on pace to match or set a new career high for points in a season as well. Compeau’s dedication to returning to full health and being available to play up and down the lineup played a role in head coach Greg Haney‘s decision to make her a part of the leadership group, made up of fellow assistant captain Emily Lenzen ’24 and captain Alayna Toole ’26. Haney said “Sophie’s dedication to both herself and the program solidified her position in our leadership group.”
The forward has credited her return to the ice to the rehab work she did following her surgery from last summer. Compeau explained that it was “a lot more rehab focused. I was kind of itching to get back on the ice all summer. When I finally got the green light, it was a lot of getting my feet back under me, putting muscle back on, and getting ready to get back to school and get going as soon as I could.”
With her eyes set on Tuesday night’s matchup, Compeau knows there will be a lot of friends and family watching her, “it’s definitely a little bit funny. It’ll be a weird feeling, bittersweet, but I’m really excited to play at the rink I grew up playing at just on the visiting bench. It’s going to be really special for a lot of family and friends to see me wear the Elmira jersey in Potsdam.”
With her main focus on the game and coming back to Elmira with a win, Compeau admitted she is excited to compete against former high school teammates and friends, saying “There’s a couple of my high school friends on the team. I’m excited to give them a little tap on the shin pads and shake their hands after the game. But also [am] focused on what lies ahead of us and enjoying all 60 minutes of the game.”
