Annabel Raffin is a four-year Senior from Woodbridge, Connecticut. She is co-captain of Girls Varsity Hockey and will play for Amherst College next year.
Head Coach Ms. Kelsie Fralick ’11 said, “She is on our top line, has significant minutes on the powerplay and penalty kill, and has contributed on the scoresheet as well.”
How did you start playing hockey?
My dad and his brothers played hockey while they were growing up, so I got involved through him. Initially, my mom didn’t really want me to play, because there can be many injuries and a lot of travel.
However, I started skating when I was around three years old and started hockey at around six years old.
What made you fall in love with hockey?
My teammates helped create a great culture that made a huge difference. My dad and older brother’s passion for the sport helped foster my love for it.
Every winter, my dad sets up an outdoor ice rink where my brother and I play at night. I think these experiences really made me fall in love with the sport.
What has been one of your favorite moments with the team?
Unfortunately in my Prep year, we had just gotten into the pandemic and weren’t able to play any games.
My Lower Mid year, we went to the Big School tournament [the higher of the two playoff tournaments], which was a really huge moment for me, because that was my first experience playing high school hockey.
Why did you commit to Amherst?
Not only does Amherst have a great hockey program, it also has a really good academic program and a great community. I like the coach and when I went for a revisit, I felt a sense of belonging.
What was your recruitment process like?
It was a difficult process containing lots of emails and visits to the school. For me, it was quite delayed because of everything going on with Covid. It definitely took a long time, but I ended up committing during my Upper Mid summer.
What are some of your goals for this season?
We’re going to the Big School tournament, but we have five games left. I would really love to win at least three out of the five and have a lot of fun playing, since this is my Senior year.
What advice would you give to younger players?
Make sure that it’s fun. People can lose sense of that. It can feel like you’re doing too little or too much. On top of that, the recruiting process really drains the fun out of hockey. Ultimately, it’s a game, and I hope that you play because you love it.
