The Sudbury (Ontario) to Aston (Pennsylvania) girls hockey pipeline remains open. While the 2009 graduating class for the Neumann College Knights' women's ice hockey team will see the school part ways with Sudbury natives Robyn Armstrong, Jenelle Marier and Carly Fitzsimmons, the freshman class is re-stocking the Northern Ontario connection.

A College Notre-Dame graduate and four year veteran of the Sudbury Lady Wolves' program, defenseman Stephanie Bonin will join local products Jessica Schroeder and goaltender Melanie Brunet with the 2009-2010 version of the Knights. It's the next step for Bonin in a journey that began around the age of four when she was enrolled in the Nickel Centre Minor Hockey system to suit up alongside her cousin in a boys hockey league.

Playing NOHA hockey in her youth, Bonin and Lady Wolves' forward Morgan McCrory progressed through the minor hockey ranks together, making the jump to girls hockey in Bantam, both at the same time. "For me, it was the right time to cross", suggests Bonin. "I was always a big girl, so when they (the boys) started catching up to me, it became tougher. The last year I played boys, I really got bruised."

Essentially a stay-at-home shutdown defenseman, Bonin made the transition to the girls hockey ranks rather seamlessly and over the past two seasons, can count herself among the few and far between who bring home medals at the OWHA Midget "AA" Provincials in back to back years. "All my years with the girls have been so much fun - I've made best friends that I'm going to talk to forever", says Bonin.

The success of a Gold medal performance on a very strong Sudbury contingent in 2008 combined with a surprise Bronze medal outcome with a 2009 squad that possessed no great expectations heading into Provincials translated into an additional opportunity for Bonin. A chat with Tim Armstrong, a long-time coach within the Lady Wolves' organization and father to one of the Neumann ladies, would lead the second eldest of the four children of Pierre and Lisa Bonin to consider the option of moving away from home.

"I had talked to my parents about staying at Laurentian. My program is offered here and I could play Intermediate hockey...I would still be on the ice", notes Bonin. But a visit to the Aston campus located roughly 15-20 minutes outside of Philadelphia sealed the deal for the perpetually-smiling Alouettes' senior. "I just fell in love with the school", said Bonin. "It's a really central town - close to Philadelphia, just two hours from New York City."

And, of course, positive feedback from the existing Nickel City grouping didn't hurt. Janelle Marier, the Knights' captain during the 08-09 campaign and also a CND graduate, provided words of encouragement for Bonin, who knows that adjusting from the Canadian to American academic environment can be challenging enough, let alone leaving a French-only school and entering a U.S. college.

"I'm actually a little nervous about the program because it will be all in English" admits Bonin, although she is clearly quite adept at chatting in her second language. She hopes to use the Biology degree to pursue a career in the Health field, possibly looking at returning to a med school in four years' time.

Neumann head coach Matthew Kennedy has just completed his fifth season with the ECAC College and appears to have a definite affinity for the Lady Wolves' alumni. "He (Kennedy) is very down to earth...and really cares about the girls", states Bonin. "And it's a small school, which I like. I've already met my professor for Biology. Everything just really impressed me."

While some may cling to the hope that their recruitment to a Division III NCAA program might provide the springboard to bigger and better things in hockey, Bonin is nothing if not completely grounded and realistic. "To come back to Sudbury (after graduation) and still be able to play here and there would be awesome. Hockey is a big part of my life", she says.

She looks forward to using the increased practice time (the Knights work out, on-ice, five days a week) to further develop both her endurance and her shot. As an incoming freshman, her goal remains simple - try and earn some ice time. "Not all freshman do", she points out. And when all is said and done and Bonin is prepared to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Robyn Armstrong, Jenelle Marier and Carly Fitzsimmons in graduating from Neumann College, she knows she will retain her prevailing thought with her love of the sport.

"The biggest thing is really the friends that you meet playing hockey...and the experiences you enjoy." Experiences that provide another chapter, Pennsylvania-style, come September for Stephanie Bonin.