Skip to content

Mariah Segee makes history as first female captain in Lake Cowichan

Seven-year hockey player prefers the boys’ game
15824219_web1_190327-LCO-mariah-segee-1_2
Mariah Segee is believed to be the first girl to captain a minor hockey team from Lake Cowichan. (Kevin Rothbauer/Citizen)

Mariah Segee may not always have a lot to say, but she can speak up when it’s necessary.

Like when serving as captain of the BRI Security bantam Lake Cowichan Lakers hockey team.

“I guess I’m not afraid to say anything to the team,” she shrugged, when asked what characteristics that make her a good leader.

It also helps that she doesn’t take the sport too seriously, or dwell on results.

“I don’t really care about winning or losing,” she said. “I just like playing. It doesn’t bother me if we lose.”

In her second year of bantam hockey, which wrapped up recently, Segee was elected by her teammates to captain the team, believed to be the first time a female player has received that honour. She admitted she was surprised when she was picked at the start of the season to wear the “C.”

“It was pretty exciting.”

Segee has played hockey for seven years, making the switch from figure skating after watching her cousin play hockey. She’s never looked back.

“I like everything about it,” she said of the sport.

There is just one other girl in Segee’s age group, teammate Elise Nelson, but she has never seriously considered playing permanently on an all-female team, despite giving it a try one season, splitting time between the Lakers and an all-girls squad. She just prefers the boys’ game.

“It’s faster and more rough, I guess,” she said.

As a female player, Segee has to change in a separated dressing room from most of her teammates. She has to wait until 10 minutes before the game starts to join them, but that doesn’t get in the way of her duties as captain.

“That’s why I have assistants,” she related. “To help stop any bullying that goes on.”

Having wrapped up her second year of bantam, Segee plans to play hockey through the end of midget, but doesn’t see herself going beyond that.

“I just play for the fun of it,” she said. “I don’t want to go anywhere with it.”



Kevin Rothbauer

About the Author: Kevin Rothbauer

Kevin Rothbauer is the sports reporter for the Cowichan Valley Citizen
Read more