Fischer going extra mile for success
UBC forward left home in Norway for chance to play North American university hockey
As a 10th-grader growing up in the Norwegian capital of Oslo, University of B.C. Thunderbirds forward Mathea Fischer never really stopped to ponder how big the world actually was.
All she knew was that she loved hockey and that to become the best player she could, Canada was where she needed to be.
“My parents thought I was too young back then, but the next year I finally convinced them,” Fischer, who left home at 16 for a two-year stint at the Ontario Hockey Academy before being recruited to UBC for the 2015-16 season, said with a laugh. “It was hard for me to leave home, to move away, but it was also hard for my parents to let me go.”
In hindsight, she couldn’t have made a better choice.
At the Canada West conference-wide winter break, the 5-foot6 Fischer, one of UBC’s Stars of the Week, has become an emerging player on a ’Birds team riding a 14-game winning streak and carrying the nation’s No. 1 ranking.
And later this month, she will return to Oslo in time to join both the Norwegian national team for its 2018 Olympic Games qualifying tournament and her family for its traditional Christmas dinner.
“The whole family, uncles, cousins, we will all be together for a big celebration,” says Fischer, 19, of taking her place at the table to feast on her dad’s native specialty, a pork dish with gravy, potatoes and vegetables called ribbe.
Just based on her resumé alone, UBC coach Graham Thomas knew that bringing Fischer to the Point Grey campus would add an intrinsic element to the roster and he hasn’t been disappointed.
“The word that comes up when you think about her is commitment,” says Thomas. “It’s what she has shown in leaving her home at such a young age and coming over here to play. She is super passionate for the game, she smiles a lot and she’s humble. That’s why all the girls just love her.”
Based on Norway’s low enrolment numbers and a talent delivery system not nearly as sophisticated as the one in Canada, Fischer realized at a young age that in order to grow, a big sacrifice would have to be made
“My goals were to play university hockey overseas and to establish a place on Team Norway,” she says. “Back home I really looked up to a couple of players on that team who had moved away to play university hockey in the U.S. Then, when I was playing for (Norway’s) under-18 team at a tournament, a scout asked me if I wanted to come over and play.”
Over two seasons, Fischer scored 50 goals in 115 games at her Cornwall, Ont., academy. And when it came time for her to find a university program, UBC’s status as an emerging national power and the city’s unique charms dovetailed to produce a perfect match.
“Vancouver is a lot like Oslo,” she says. “It’s the mountains and the ocean and the people are very polite. Right now, things couldn’t be any better. The team is having such success and it’s fun to be a part of. I really think this team has something special.”