Athlete of the Week: Zoie Campbell, a superhero that wears two masks as goalie for Dimond boys and girls hockey

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Dimond’s Zoie Campbell was honored with two separate senior nights last week.

“It is kind of sad, but exciting at the same time,” Campbell said of competing in her final year of high school hockey.

However, due to a scheduling conflict, she was only able to attend one of the celebrations.

But that sums up the life of the goaltender who wears two masks for Dimond, juggling pads for both the boys and the girls programs. And both programs always want Campbell protecting the net for them.

”It has been a battle,” Dimond boys coach Dennis Sorenson said. “Zoie is committed to several teams and unfortunately there is conflict. But when she plays and she is on her game and she’s focused, she is a very good goalie.”

Campbell is sought after to stand in the net for good reason. She has allowed just three goals in two undefeated seasons in the girls high school hockey league, while also excelling in games against boys. Campbell recorded 15 saves in a win against the defending state champions on Wednesday, before posting a shutout conference win against Service in the regular-season finale Friday.

”She slides side to side well, she recovers well, she gets up quickly and back to her position. Very solid fundamentals on Zoie, everything we want in a goaltender,” said Brian Gross, who has been coaching Campbell for four years on the girls Dimond/West program. “She is just a big competitor, she pushes everybody at practice, when girls in practice score on her they get excited because they know it’s not easy to do.”

”She is committed to her craft, she works hard off the ice and on the ice,” Sorenson added. “Both her parents were athletes so it really helps to have a player like that come from an athletic family and understand the dedication it takes on the ice, off the ice, in the weight room, the classroom. She is the full package and we hope that she can lead us to a few more wins this year and then when she goes away to college next year have her be successful.”

Campbell has verbally committed to Aurora University, a Division III women’s program in Illinois with plans to study physical therapy.

”It keeps me into sports and helping people out, that’s really what I want to do,” Campbell said on the empty ice of the Ben Boeke Ice Arena after another win in net.

Fearless in the crease, Campbell has been playing against boys since she first put on the pads at 11 years old.

”The boys definitely have much harder shots and it is a faster pace and momentum out there,” Campbell said of the difference between the two leagues. “I think talking trash is kind of part of the game, you give it, you take it.”

When asked if she gives out the trash-talking as well, she responded, “Of course!”

While she has grown into one of the top tenders in the state, not everyone had the same vision as her when she first started.

”My first year playing, my team didn’t have a goalie and I wanted to play so I offered it,” Campbell, the daughter of a goaltender, recalled. “[My coach] was like, ‘No, you’re too small, you’re not good enough’ ... I just wanted to try it out, but when he said that, that made me determined to be one.”

Stopping pucks in the historic Cook Inlet Conference, while also giving time and attention to the girls programs such as Dimond/West and her travel teams, has made for a busy four years.

”I have been growing up with all of [the girls], playing against my own teammates, playing with them, all of that together, it is just so much fun,” she said. ”I really love seeing the girls expand and having them play at higher levels like this, it really makes me happy seeing that grow.”

The Dimond boys hockey team is currently competing in the conference playoffs as the No. 3 seed, while the Dimond/West girls team has put together an undefeated regular season with the state tournament next weekend. This is before she puts on the mask and protects the net for Team Alaska at the 2024 Arctic Winter Games in March.

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