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M H J O N L I N E . C O M | N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 14 by Steve Mann Get Noticed Tips important," she said. "If you don't have the grades to go to a university and have success, that can hold you back from athletic opportu- nities. From a hockey perspective, continue to work on your skating. Work on your edges, practice doing tight turns, stopping on a dime. In today 's game, the top-level players can all skate really well. If you can skate, you can hang in there." Bellamy shared the top things she looks for in recruits. These are not necessarily in order of importance, but more chronological. "Our first contact with players is watching them play, seeing what they can do on the ice," she said. "As you get to know them, the others come into play." LAURA BELLAMY HAS BEEN PART OF THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE COLLEGE HOCKEY RECRUITING PROCESS AS BOTH A PLAYER AND AS A COACH. The 2009 graduate of Duluth Denfeld High School starred in goal for the Duluth Northern Stars and then Harvard. Now an associate head coach of the University of Minnesota Duluth wom- en's hockey team, Bellamy knows more than most about what it takes to catch the eyes of evaluators at the next level. She's a proven leader behind the bench, and knows what it takes to build a winning program. It all starts with recruiting, and identifying the right players to fill out a roster. "We're on the road scouting different tournaments, seeing as many players from different areas as we can," said Bellamy, the 2022 recipient of the Women's Ice Hockey Assistant Coach Award given by the American Hockey Coaches Association. "Talented hockey players stand out. But getting to know that player and their family, what makes them tick, what they're like as a person, all the things beyond hockey, are a big part of it as well. Different programs look for different things, but really high talent and the right fit are both important." Bellamy says there are a few things that players between the ages of 12-16 can work on to get them in a position to be noticed by college recruiters down the road. "First and foremost, being a good student and a good person are really Photo / UMD Athletics, Derek Ricke 5 Things UMD Coach Laura Bellamy Looks for in Recruits "Different programs look for different things, but really high talent and the right fit are both important." Duluth native Laura Bellamy was the 2022 recipient of the Women's Ice Hockey Assistant Coach Award given by the American Hockey Coaches Association. Bellamy and Co. led the Bulldogs to the NCAA championship game last spring.