ONCE WE WERE IN THE FINAL GAME, I THOUGHT ‘WE DESERVE TO WIN’
LEAH HERRFORT (BA ’24, Economics)
ONCE WE WERE IN THE FINAL GAME, I THOUGHT ‘WE DESERVE TO WIN’
LEAH HERRFORT (BA ’24, Economics)
PLAYING TO WIN FOR WATERLOO
At the tender age of five, Leah Herrfort (BA ’24, Economics) gave up figure skating to follow in the footsteps of her older brother who played recreational hockey in their hometown of Palmerston, Ontario.
“I don’t think I knew much about it at that time, I just wanted to do what my brother was doing,” she said.
Shortly after taking to the ice in hockey skates, Leah knew she had made the right choice.
Leah excelled at the sport in the co-ed Minto Minor Hockey system before switching to the girls’ program with the Saugeen-Maitland Lightning followed by junior hockey in Cambridge.
She left Canada for post-secondary school to major in economics and play for Union College in Schenectady, New York. After COVID hit, Leah transferred to the University of Waterloo, where she became a star centre on the Warriors women’s hockey team while completing her degree.
Last year, she was a gold medalist with Team Canada, scoring a goal and an assist in the final game at the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games.
This past winter, Leah and her teammates won the McCaw Cup in overtime against the University of Toronto, marking the first time Waterloo has captured the coveted championship in the Ontario University Athletics Conference.
“Once we were in the final game, I thought ‘We’ve worked so hard we deserve to win,’” said Leah, who led the Warriors in scoring last season. “It was surreal when we did.”
By continuing her education at Waterloo, Leah will have the chance to play for a national title with the Warriors, as the University of Waterloo will host the 2025 U SPORTS Women’s Hockey Championship in March.
She was recently honoured with the Liut Family Athletic Excellence Award, established by Paul Liut (BA ’81, Economics) and his wife Jo-Anne to recognize athletic talent and contributions to Warriors Athletics, their team and the University.
“Our family has chosen to support student-athletes in their quest for excellence while studying for their chosen career,” Paul said.
Leah describes the award as a “game changer.”
“As a student-athlete, finding the time to work is tough,” she said. “It was a lifesaver to receive both money and the support of others.”
See how donor support helps student-athletes like Leah Herrfort excel.
PLAYING TO WIN FOR WATERLOO
At the tender age of five, Leah Herrfort (BA ’24, Economics) gave up figure skating to follow in the footsteps of her older brother who played recreational hockey in their hometown of Palmerston, Ontario.
“I don’t think I knew much about it at that time, I just wanted to do what my brother was doing,” she said.
Shortly after taking to the ice in hockey skates, Leah knew she had made the right choice.
Leah excelled at the sport in the co-ed Minto Minor Hockey system before switching to the girls’ program with the Saugeen-Maitland Lightning followed by junior hockey in Cambridge.
She left Canada for post-secondary school to major in economics and play for Union College in Schenectady, New York. After COVID hit, Leah transferred to the University of Waterloo, where she became a star centre on the Warriors women’s hockey team while completing her degree.
Last year, she was a gold medalist with Team Canada, scoring a goal and an assist in the final game at the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games.
This past winter, Leah and her teammates won the McCaw Cup in overtime against the University of Toronto, marking the first time Waterloo has captured the coveted championship in the Ontario University Athletics Conference.
“Once we were in the final game, I thought ‘We’ve worked so hard we deserve to win,’” said Leah, who led the Warriors in scoring last season. “It was surreal when we did.”
By continuing her education at Waterloo, Leah will have the chance to play for a national title with the Warriors, as the University of Waterloo will host the 2025 U SPORTS Women’s Hockey Championship in March.
She was recently honoured with the Liut Family Athletic Excellence Award, established by Paul Liut (BA ’81, Economics) and his wife Jo-Anne to recognize athletic talent and contributions to Warriors Athletics, their team and the University.
“Our family has chosen to support student-athletes in their quest for excellence while studying for their chosen career,” Paul said.
Leah describes the award as a “game changer.”
“As a student-athlete, finding the time to work is tough,” she said. “It was a lifesaver to receive both money and the support of others.”
See how donor support helps student-athletes like Leah Herrfort excel.
