Madoc’s Anna Phillips has gone from small-town Ontario to playing hockey for one of the top women’s collegiate programs in the United States.
The third-year Yale student is a star goalie for the Bulldogs after attending Central Hastings High School, where she was an Ontario Scholar and the track and field team’s Most Valuable Player.
Phillips’ journey to the Ivy League school started as a Centre Hastings Grizzly, then with the Belleville Bearcats organization, and eventually Kingston JR hockey.
She attended a showcase tournament in Rochester, New York, but recruitment rules state players could reach out to scouts, but school officials were not permitted to reply until after a player had completed grade 10.
“When the day came around when they were able to respond, on that exact day, I was called and offered a spot.”
Ivy League schools do not offer full scholarships to student athletes but instead work with a financial aid program. They also need to prove themselves in the classroom.
“They take a look at your family’s income, your expenses, and they can give you a certain amount of aid. Everybody who is an athlete still has to qualify academically, which is what I like about Ivy League schools.”
Phillips added many schools offering full scholarships are focused more on athletics, meaning grades in the classroom often take a back seat.
“It’s fantastic to be a part of a program that supports you with both.”
Phillips is taking political science, and while she doesn’t currently have any interest in following in her aunt’s footsteps – Shelby Kramp-Neuman, who is the MP for Hastings-Lennox and Addington-Tyendinaga. However, law school could be the next step in her academic journey.
“You can apply to Yale not knowing exactly what you want to do, unlike in Canada. I took my first year, taking a variety of classes, trying to figure out what I wanted to do. Political science made the most sense for me.”
Phillips said she has taken a particular interest in bioethics in law, a topic which combines science and the law.
The 21-year-old was redshirted last season because of two serious hip surgeries and another on her thumb, meaning she missed a year and a half on the ice. As a result, Phillips has one more season of eligibility remaining after the 2026-27 season, but she won’t be able to suit up for Yale.
“I will probably enter the transfer portal to play elsewhere because at Ivy League schools, you are only allowed to play as an undergrad student.”
Phillps credits much of her success to a strong family support system back home in the Madoc area.
“Obviously, there are highs and lows and ups and downs, and they’ve just been there no matter what. I owe all of my success to them. They’ve just set a very, very high standard, but the level of support matches it. I’m eternally grateful for them.”
The Bulldogs reached the round of eight at the NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Championship before bowing out to eventual runner-up Ohio St.
Phillips started the Yale playoff run, eliminating Union in the ECAC quarterfinals with two straight home wins on Feb. 27 and 28. She posted a goals against average of 1.93 and save percentage of .919 with three shutouts, and was featured on the ECAC Goalie of the Year watchlist. She is looking forward to her senior year at Yale.
