ON GUARD FOR THEE

Agosta keeps working beat

The stabbings are really what sealed the deal.

Sure, Meghan Agosta always knew she wanted to be a cop.

As a kid, she said, she would hear sirens and “be curious to know what was happening.” But two years ago, it became more than a fantasy when she was invited on a ride-along.

For wannabe cops, this is often the moment of truth. Agosta was taken to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside — an area notorious for its drug and sex trade, homelessness and mental illness — for an overnight shift. If she had any doubts about what it really meant to be a cop, they would surface here.

“We had two stabbings that night,” Agosta said. “It definitely was an eye-opener.”

The experience might have scared away other potential candidates. But three months later, Agosta officially became a sworn member of the Vancouver Police Department. That the 30-yearold is still a forward for Canada’s national women’s hockey team — a juggling act that few other players can appreciate — might give new meaning to the term on-ice policeman. Agosta is technically on a vacation leave this week as she participates in the women’s world hockey championship.

When the tournament is over, she goes back to shift work as a police officer, squeezing in hockey games whenever she can.

“I don’t go on vacation,” said Agosta, who hails of Ruthven, Ont.

“All my annual leave goes to Hockey Canada. And when all my annual leave is up, I leave without pay — but that’s a sacrifice that I’m willing to make.”

If anything, Agosta believes being a cop has made her a better hockey player and vice versa. She might not be an enforcer — with her French manicured nails, she is probably the last person on the team you would guess is a cop — but she is someone whose leadership skills are valued.

“She’s tough, for sure,” said head coach Laura Schuler. “She’s always kind of been that mother figure, where she takes the rookies under her wing. She’s such a good person, she makes everybody feel important.”

“Both careers, the biggest thing is team work,” Agosta said. “In policing, you go into situations together. With hockey, it’s leadership. Being the oldest vet here, it’s bringing that leadership here. I take pride in it. It’s fun to be able to come here and take my mind off work and do something that I absolutely love.”