From growing up outside a town of 16,000 in Wisconsin, to graduating from an Ivy League university, to playing in front of sellout crowds in Canada, Mariah Keopple’s life has changed a lot.
After graduating from Princeton University last spring, Keopple signed a contract with PWHL Montréal out of training camp. This season she has worked her way up from the seventh defender spot to the top pairing, where she has been averaging over 22:30 minutes a game. Off the ice, she’s been growing the game with her fresh fits and learning how to live on her own.
The Ice Garden spoke to Keopple about the transition from life as a student athlete, her experiences as a rookie pro on PWHL Montréal, and her future in fashion.
Content has been edited for brevity and clarity.
The Ice Garden: Coming out of the NCAA prior to the season, prior to the training camp, did you have any idea of what to expect, and was there anybody who give you any advice?
Mariah Keopple: I had no idea what to expect. Especially coming out of the season, this league wasn’t a thing right away and then even when it was announced no one knew the cities, no one knew anything really, so I had no idea what to expect. I was just kind of asking people in other leagues that were older than me that had been graduated for a couple years what they’re doing. But in regards to this league specifically I think everyone was really just going with the flow, which is great, that there were so many people willing to just dive right in.
TIG: A lot has changed in a very short amount of time! Including– you ended up in Canada, so how has it been for you moving up to Canada and getting situated in Québec?
MK: It’s definitely different, especially being in Montréal, you know being in a completely different culture. Also I’ve technically lived by myself at college, but… moving away to a new country for the first time I’ve really moved away from home was definitely a big change, but I absolutely love it. My parents joke that they’re never going to get me back. So I love it, it definitely was a change, but I’ve adapted pretty well.
TIG: What is your favorite thing about the city so far?
MK: There are just so many things to do. I always say the coffee and the coffee shops. Being able to explore different little shops here and things like that has been amazing. My parents were up here and they joked that you could probably live here for 20 years and never be able to visit every lunch spot, brunch spot, coffee place, so I think that’s my favorite part.
TIG: How has the transition been for you going from being a student athlete to being a professional athlete?
MK: It’s definitely interesting. I think specifically being an Ivy League student athlete is very different, I obviously cannot speak to players that didn’t go to an Ivy League [college]. It was always so packed with classes and so much homework, especially senior year, you’re working on your senior thesis for the whole year. So a difference is I get home from the rink at one or two and I’m like ‘oh, what’s next?’ I’m really wired that way, you know, of ‘what’s next what’s next what’s next’ until I lay my head on the pillow. So it’s definitely been a change in that sense. And then also specific to Princeton, hockey was always in the afternoon and now it’s in the morning. I’m really wired to be constantly busy, like I cannot be bored, so it’s definitely a change. But once you have travel for a week straight, like we just had…it’s definitely different.
TIG: You mentioned a year-long senior thesis. You were a Psychology major, so what was your thesis about?
MK: I ran a study that analyzed personality clusters. I took the personality clusters and basically tried to figure out how they self-express through clothing, a medium of clothing. I’m really into clothing, fashion, things like that and really think it’s a huge part in people’s lives even though they may not even think of it. So I tried to analyze if people really do self-express through clothing or not.
TIG: How did it feel to play in front of the big crowds at Minnesota and Scotiabank?
MK: Yeah our crowds have been really great! I mean even [March 10] against Ottawa, it was a quote unquote random Sunday and we had over 10,000 fans, which was just incredible. But especially in Minnesota the first time was really special to me. I haven’t gone back to Minnesota since my freshman year of college to play, so it was really really special especially given in high school we would go there for the state tournaments, so it really reminds me of high school even though now I’m a professional athlete. I think that was really special and I had over 40 family members in the stands, and friends. It was amazing and it’s just crazy seeing the signs, little kids, and they try to find you after and get your signature. It’s kind of a surreal moment because that used to be me at college games, just thinking so highly of all the girls, so it’s just crazy to be in that position now and I’m really grateful for that.
TIG: Do you have any pictures of you playing at that tournament? You could make… Brock Faber, who is on the [Minnesota] Wild now, they had a picture of him when he was in the stands watching the Wild and then playing on the Wild.
MK: Yeah! Yeah, I should pull up a photo before we go to Minnesota again and try to recreate something.
TIG: Before the season, was there anyone you were looking forward to playing against and how did that go?
MK: The person I was the most excited to play against, even though we were sad we were on different teams, was Maggie Connors. She plays for [PWHL] Toronto. We just graduated together, so I was really excited to play against her. We didn’t play Toronto for what seemed to be so long at the beginning of the season so we were just waiting to play each other. She’s one of my best friends from school so it was amazing to see her and just her confidence in this league and she’s doing so well. On top of excited to play against her, I was just so proud of her too, and her role on the team, so it’s just been amazing.
TIG: Aside from Montréal, what city, state, or province would you most want to play in?
MK: In Canada I would say BC, like Vancouver would be really fun, like somewhere out west. Even though that most likely won’t happen for a really long time just travel-wise, but I think somewhere out west.
TIG: What about your game fits well with Montréal’s play style?
MK: I think it’s really a team effort and I like to think that I fit in well on a team that has a goal at the end of the day. Doing any single part that I can and playing any role that I can in order to make that happen. So I think in regards to that I fit really well. I definitely think our team, we play really fast and simple and that’s exactly what I like to do. Of course, try things when you can, but just fast and get the job done, so I think that’s one of the main reasons why I think I fit really well into the culture and program here.
TIG: Is there anything you’ve had the chance to focus on and improve on while playing there?
MK: Yeah, I’ve definitely been focusing on my stick placement. I’m obviously 5’9” and have a longer stick, so definitely learning how to use that to my advantage. I’ve been focusing on that a lot this season specifically.
TIG: Who are some of the funniest people on the team now?
MK: Oh gosh. Sarah Bujold is so hilarious, we get along great, we banter all the time. Gab [Gabrielle] David is hilarious as well and we kind of knew of each other playing against each other in the ECAC, so getting to meet her finally in person and get her vibe was hilarious, she’s so funny. And Pou [Marie-Philip Poulin] is hilarious as well and so is Stace [Laura Stacey]. They’re so serious but so funny so when they crack a joke it’s great.
TIG: Who on your team do you think does a good job of expressing themselves through their fashion?
MK: I would say Kristin O’Neill actually. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a practice or a game or an off day, you can tell that her personality really shows through in her clothing.
TIG: Plug a friend! This can be from Princeton or elsewhere, and you can’t say Sarah Fillier. Which of your former teammates could you see making an impact at the professional level?
MK: I would say Issy Wunder. She’s a sophomore now so obviously she’s my little frosh. I definitely think that she would make an impact when her time comes, given that she still has two years left. I definitely think that she would do so well, like she would flourish in this league.
Sarah Fillier picks it out of the corner and Issy Wunder does the rest! Tigers up two!
Watch the game here: https://t.co/2nUYkq4tge pic.twitter.com/jXDwHy0UoD
— Princeton Women’s Ice Hockey (@PWIH) January 7, 2023
TIG: Are you afraid that she would score against you, or would you try and angle for her to get on the same team as you?
MK: Personally I would love her to be on the same team as me, but I guess if she had to score, I would be happy for it to be her… just not against our team, you know? Go score three goals against Ottawa, not us.
TIG: Is there any advice you would give to current student athletes who are looking to go pro?
MK: I would just say, like I know this might be just so cliche, but having fun. Even now, it’s professional and it’s serious, but you’ve got to have fun. You know if you’re not laughing and you’re not smiling, if you get off a seven-hour bus trip and you’re still smiling, I think that shows a lot. So just having that, showing up every single day and having fun… It really goes so fast. I mean the fact that our season is already in March is insane. The more fun you have with it, the better you’re going to get skill-wise as well.
TIG: Plug yourself! Is there anything you’ve been up to lately that you want people to know about?
MK: Well of course! I spend my entire time that I’m not at the rink making clothes for game day fits or just in general. I’m working on a couple projects and projects for other people. I just created my own brand that I’m building right now, it’s in the works. It’s called Riah the Label on Instagram. That’s what I’ve been working on and it’s definitely a work in progress, but everyone was like ‘you gotta do it, you gotta do it, you gotta do it,’ so I did it and I’m having a lot of fun with it.
TIG: I’ve seen some of your walk-ins, so very optimistic on that front.
MK: Laughing. Thank you!
TIG: What sort of things are you looking to do with that?
MK: I would love to do a lot with it. The big dream is to have my own collections one day. Currently I really like to make custom things for myself and other people, so definitely like custom things. But yeah, in the grand scheme of things I would love to do big collections one day.
TIG: Who are some designers you’re following lately?
MK: One that I really like is Marc Jacobs. But also, and this is a plug for a Princeton alum, Deviate Fashion. They’re based out of Detroit and she was actually a women’s hockey alum. And their stuff is so creative, so unique, so I also really, really like their brand as well.
TIG: Which company should hire you as a spokesperson/influencer?
MK: Oh gosh. I know they’re so bad for you, but Alani Nu, it’s so good. It’s an energy drink. But on the healthier side, I would say either Cymbiotika or LMNT, they’re supplements that I absolutely love and I take every single day, so I think those would be great as well.
