Brooke Wolejko Explained

Birth Date:June 18, 1996
Birth Place:South Windsor, Connecticut, United States
Height Cm:175
Position:Goaltender
Team:Metropolitan Riveters
League:PHF
Played For:Connecticut Whale
SUNY-Plattsburgh
St. Lawrence University
Career Start:2019

Brooke Wolejko is an American ice hockey goaltender, currently playing for the Metropolitan Riveters of the PHF.

Career

Wolejko began playing as a goaltender as soon as she started playing hockey, sticking with the position even as players on her youth team were rotated through different positions.

From 2014 to 2017, she attended St. Lawrence University, serving as a backup goalie for the university's NCAA women's hockey programme.[1] She transferred to SUNY-Plattsburgh for her final year of university.[2] That season, she led all NCAA Division III goaltenders in goals against average and save percentage.[3]

After graduating, she initially thought her competitive hockey career was over and moved to Maine for her work. She would continue playing in a local men's league, but soon found that she missed the speed and intensity of her previous leagues.[4] After being spotted at a ball hockey tournament along with Sarah Hughson and Kayla Meneghin, the Connecticut Whale reached out to her, and she signed her first professional contract with the team ahead of the 2019–20 NWHL season.[5] In her rookie professional season, she set a Connecticut team record for saves and finished fourth in the league in save percentage, averaging over 38 saves per game, and leading the Whale to an upset victory over the Buffalo Beauts in the playoffs to reach a semi-final match against the Minnesota Whitecaps.[6] The only goalie to have forced the near-undefeated Boston Pride into a shootout during the regular season, she was named one of the NWHL Fans’ Three Stars of the Season.[7] [8]

She re-signed with the Whale ahead of the 2020–21 NWHL season, the first Whale player to re-sign for the season.[9]

Personal life

Her sister, Kristin Wolejko, played university hockey for the University of Southern Maine in the late-2000s.

Notes and References

  1. Web site:
    1. 1 Brooke Wolejko - 2016-17 Women's Ice Hockey Roster
    . St. Lawrence Saints.
  2. Web site: Women's hockey set for title run in new conference. Press Republican. 21 October 2017 .
  3. Web site: Brooke Wolejko - 2017-18 - Women's Ice Hockey. Plattsburgh State Athletics.
  4. Web site: 2020-06-06. TXHT Interview with Brooke Wolejko. The Xperience Hockey Talk.
  5. Web site: 'Nothing to lose': The Connecticut Whale have their sights set on shocking the NWHL. February 28, 2020. TheHockeyNews.
  6. Web site: Whale shocks Beauts, Buffalo out of playoffs after play-in loss. Buffalo News. 7 March 2020 .
  7. Web site: Brooke Wolejko's triumphant season deserves your attention. Mike. Murphy. February 28, 2020. The Ice Garden.
  8. Web site: NWHL 2020 Playoffs: X-Factors. Dan. Rice. 3 March 2020. The Hockey Writers.
  9. Web site: Whale Re-Sign Goaltender Brooke Wolejko . Rice . Dan . April 1, 2020. thehockeywriters.com. 2020-07-06.