Mari Pietersen discusses her hockey journey to reach the NCAA level with Boston University For Boston University sophomore goaltender Mari Pietersen, the long list of accolades and tremendous success early in her hockey journey is only one part of her fascinating story. Pietersen, who hails from Goodwood, Ontario, is an only child, whose parents never played the game, which resulted in her taking a different path to hockey than many do. “I spent a lot of time as a kid, from the age of like two or three years old, watching games with my dad on the couch,” Pietersen recalled. “Honestly, from there, I just kind of pointed to the TV and was like, I want to do that.” Early on, Pietersen struggled, as many do when first putting on skates, as she found herself spending more time falling and getting back up than actually skating. “I remember this very vividly,” she said. “I had a birthday party and I had these hockey skates. I tried but I fell a lot, so I went back inside and I told my parents that I didn’t want to do this. And they said, ‘No, Mari! Keep trying! You’ll get it!’ And I kept going for the rest of that hour and I figured it out.” From there, Pietersen played on boys' teams and strapped on the goalie equipment for the first time only because everyone would rotate through the different positions. Despite enjoying her time behind the mask, she only really viewed it as the chance to have some fun with her friends. It wasn’t until U-13 when she realized that there could be a future in the sport. “I don't think it was really until like U-13, I would say, that I realized, ‘Hey, I'm actually pretty good at this!’” Pietersen said. “‘And this is something that I could keep thriving and getting better at and aspire to make something from.’” Pietersen took that passion for the game and began her hockey career with the Mississauga Hurricanes of the Provincial Women’s Hockey League before heading off to Central York to play for the Panthers. She then spent three seasons with the Etobicoke Dolphins under the tutelage of head coach Joe Butkevich. “I honestly enjoyed every second of it,” Pietersen said. “Having a coach that pushed me to be better, but also supported me every step of the way and really taught me a lot about how to be a pro. I felt like it prepared me so much and I was so ready for all the things that college had for me.” During her time with the Dolphins organization, Pietersen also had the opportunity to represent Canada at the U-18 Women’s World Championship, playing in five games, where she sported a 4-1 record, along with a 1.32 GAA and a .938 SV%, and “Player of the Game” honours as Canada took home the gold medal. That gold medal was added to a cabinet which continues to fill with awards, including gold at the 2022 U-22 Provincials with the Dolphins, Top Goaltender of the Central Challenge Cup and gold at the U-16 Ontario Summer Games. For Pietersen, having seen success on the ice was only one piece of her journey, as she also knew how important it was to pursue further education while pursuing her passion and love for the game. “Getting a good education was really important to me,” she said. “And going somewhere that was going to set me up for a good future, whether that was in hockey or wherever else that may be in the workforce. BU checked all those boxes for me.” This season, Pietersen is a part of a goalie tandem with Callie Shanahan and is sporting a 2.86 GAA and a .859 SV% in five games. Mari Pietersen, with the encouragement of family, has gone on to win awards, discover lasting friendships, grow and mature both as an individual and a player, and be recruited by a great program at Boston University, all while playing the sport which she first pointed to on the TV years ago and saying “I want to do that!”
