Sammy Heyward’s dedication to the Dunedin Thunder women has never wavered.
During her final year of secondary school, Heyward used to spend her weekends catching flights from Wellington to Dunedin to play for the national women’s league side.
It was obviously a big commitment for the then-teenager, but after watching one of her team-mates previously commute to Canterbury to play, Heyward knew she could also chase her dream.
"I just sort of saw her do it and thought ice hockey’s something I really want to do," Heyward said.
"Now we’ve got two Wellington girls coming down to play for us this year, which is really cool because they’re kind of following in the same lead that I did a number of years ago."
Heyward, who is originally from Levin, moved to Dunedin four years ago for university and has been a mainstay for the Dunedin Thunder since.
The Ice Fern is preparing for another big season, getting under way with a double header against Canterbury tomorrow and Sunday in Dunedin.
The league has also expanded from six to 12 games — plus playoffs — this season, which was welcome news for Heyward.
"I think it’s something we’ve been pushing at for a really long time.
"There’s been a 13% increase, I think, of ... female ice hockey players registered in New Zealand in the last year.
"I guess it’s just reflective of the demand of ice hockey across New Zealand.
"Even in Dunedin it’s really exciting to be able to play more games at home as well and sort of develop more of a fan base in Dunedin to really boost us.
"But also boost, I guess, the scene of women’s ice hockey in New Zealand, so girls can see us playing and know that there’s a place for them to end up in, which is really cool."
The national league has always been tight — "I think that’s something that’s pretty unique to the women’s league, particularly in New Zealand" — and the Dunedin Thunder narrowly missed out on last year’s final, after conceding a goal in the last 90 seconds of overtime in the semifinal.
Heyward, 22, would love nothing more than to see her side reach the top.
"We’d really like to win this year, I think.
"We’ve been pushing for it for a really long time and been unlucky with the outcome in the past couple of years, but I think it is honestly anyone’s game.
"We’re a young team, but I think we’ve proven ourselves and we know that we can win, we can medal for sure."
It is a big season all round for Heyward, who is also preparing to represent New Zealand at the division two, group B world championships being played in Dunedin from April 14-20.
Heyward, who is a post-graduate student in clinical exercise physiology and is working as a research assistant in the same field at the University of Otago, began playing inline hockey at 9 and later picked up ice hockey at secondary school.
Having already represented New Zealand at inline hockey, Heyward debuted for the national under-18 ice hockey team in 2020 and made her senior international debut in 2023.
She played in South Africa, Turkey and Australia for a transtasman series last year — but nothing could beat playing on her home ice.
"It’s incredible. For me, Dunedin is home now.
"It’s pretty exciting to be able to play at home and, of course, play in front of family and friends who often will get up at 3 in the morning and watch us when we’re overseas.
"That’s pretty special to have them in the crowd cheering for us and being able to hear and see them on the ice too."
