By Mike Scandura
Special to usahockey.com

As hockey hotbeds go, Albuquerque, N.M., will never be confused with Boston or Minneapolis.

That’s why Providence College sophomore wing Sonny Watrous made a crucial decision at one point in her young life -- to play hockey at a high level or continue grinding her skates.

“High school hockey in New Mexico is still at the grassroots level,” said Watrous, who last August played for Team USA's Under-22 team that for the first time swept its annual three-game series vs. Canada. “It was a very difficult decision leaving my family and friends four months out of the year, but it was worth the sacrifice because one of my dreams was to play Division I hockey. Coaches aren’t going to look at players in New Mexico, especially [women] on a guys’ team.”

So, Watrous, who attended Rocky Mountain District Camp from 1999-03, packed her bags and headed to Stowe, Vt., where she entered the North American Hockey Academy from 2000-03. There, she wound up posting 70-96-166 totals in 144 games.

“Kids start high school in their hometown and then [at the NAHA] focus on their studies and have tutors on individual subjects,” said PC head coach Bob Deraney. “In her junior year, we saw a tremendous amount of potential. [Assistant coach] Marnie Hill had coached her in the Rocky Mountain District Camp and was familiar with her as a hockey person and an individual."

After 13 games in 2004-05, Watrous had compiled a point-per-game average, scoring eight goals, including the Friars lone goal in a 5-1 loss to Yale on Nov. 29, and adding five assists. As a freshman, the 5-foot-8 Watrous scored 16 goals, three of which were game-winners, and added 11 assists in 34 games played.

“She’s a class act," said Deraney. "But, to put it in perspective, she had an opportunity to go to Harvard and came to Providence because she believed from an academic, athletic and social fit, Providence was a perfect place for her.”

Watrous’ development was also enhanced by her participation in the U.S. Junior National Camp in Lake Placid from 2001-03. And her participation with Team USA placed her development in perspective.

“It definitely was an awesome experience to see players like [the University of Minnesota’s] Natalie Darwitz and [Dartmouth College’s] Tiffany Hagge,” Watrous said. “You’re so happy to be there, and then you see what you have to work on and how much further you can go.

“I knew going into this season exactly what I needed to work on. One important thing is working on decision making, especially on 2-on-1 breaks. Do I shoot it or pass it? It’s a situational thing and, especially at the national level, it’s a little bit quicker.”

To say Watrous has caught up quickly with top Division I players is to work in understatement. Last season, for example, she was voted Hockey East Rookie of the Year and was named to the Hockey East All-Tournament Team as the Friars won the league's championship. It is a tale made more interesting by the fact that Watrous initially stepped on the ice as a figure skater.

“I was a figure skater from around the age of four, until about seventh grade,” she said. “Then I hurt [my] foot and a local coach suggested I should give hockey a try. I did, and I really liked it.”

But her elementary career had its drawbacks in that a lack of girls’ hockey programs would mean Watrous had to play on boys teams.

“I just wanted to play, period,” she said.

Watrous’ play at Providence elicits a combination of praise and constructive criticism from Deraney.

First, the Friars coach is ecstatic over her skating ability, her work ethic (“She’s a perfectionist and only knows how to practice 100 percent all the time”), her versatility (Watrous plays on the power play and the penalty kill) and her sense that there’s still much to achieve.

“It’s nice that she has high expectations of herself and that she’s achieving her expectations,” said Deraney. “Some coaches are the voice of reason. She’s her own voice of reason, which is rare.”

Even more rare are the occasions Watrous hesitates to shoot the puck. That leaves Deraney gnashing his teeth.

"Sometimes she overshoots it,” he said. “Again, she’s not perfect. But I’d rather have her shoot it than not shoot it. Her next step is to identify and exploit a situation. She has tremendous vision, but one part of her game that she needs to fine-tune is to maximize the opportunity when it's given -- pass it when you need to pass it, and shoot when you need to shoot. That’s nit-picking, but it’s because I care [and] I want to make sure I’m trying to make her the best possible player I can. I would be doing a tremendous injustice if I just let her go out and play. She does all the big things great. Now, it’s a matter of fine-tuning.”

One area that doesn’t need fine-tuning is Watrous’ work in the classroom. In high school, for example, she was a two-year National Honor Society member, an academic letter winner as a junior and an Academic Bar member as a senior.

“Steve Thompson was my coach through midgets and he ingrained in my head that after college I’m not going to the NHL,” said Watrous, a business management major at PC. “Education really is important and you must focus on your grades. At the NAHA and PC, they really emphasize grades, so you really need to work your schedule.”

Just like Watrous worked out a schedule that led her to USA Hockey's program of development and Division I hockey.

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.