Skates scrape on ice, competitive cries from one teammate to another, wooden sticks clash in pursuit for the puck.
Senior Rachel Grewette experiences this every day as a hockey player. Now she’s been recruited and received an academic scholarship, allowing her to play at the college level for the next four years.

“Sports to me is the ultimate learning experience and the ultimate preparation for life; and I believe Rachel has that mixture of both,” coach John Vigilante of the Detroit Belle Tire Girls’ 19U AAA hockey team said. “She’s a brilliant student. She gets great grades, she is ready for sports and prepared for life.”

Inspired by her brother, who was a player, Grewette started her hockey career at age nine. Before she knew it, she pursued the sport for the past nine years.

“It’s just something I love, something I love to do. I really enjoy it,” Grewette said. “It’s a place for me to escape my mind and to get away from school and drama.”

Though, she plays on girls’ leagues now, Grewette got her start on all-boys’ leagues. She met with minimal resistance in the time she’s played. In fact, she’s gained more than just support from fellow teammates and friends.
“They were cool with it, like it wasn’t bad,” she said. “It gets guy’s attention, too, sometimes. Like, ‘wait, what? You play hockey?’ But, it’s fun though.”

What started as a fun hobby for Grewette that she continued because she liked it, scored into something much greater.
She gained the opportunity to take her passion and skill into her future education by applying to multiple schools.

Her academic skill earned her several different college offers, from places like Augsburg College in Minnesota, State University of New York Canton in New York and Stevenson University in Maryland. The latter she accepted in late November.

Grewette will play hockey for their NCAA Division III women’s team, while she completes Stevenson’s four year pre-physical therapy program; which will prepare her for earning a physical therapy master’s degree.

“I feel very proud of the choice that Rachel has made to attend Stevenson,” mother Julie Grewette said. “It’s a fantastic educational, as well as athletic opportunity for her.”

Though it’s been nearly a decade since Grewette started at the game, she knows her journey is just beginning.

Her advice: “Follow what you love to do and do it.”