UNB Saint John Athletics
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Jocephine Splitgerber has officially signed with the Women’s Soccer team and will be making the trek from Ontario to the east coast in the fall. Her hometown is Clarington, Ontario and she is a graduate of Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High in Oshawa.

She has a long list of athletic achievements that will surely benefit the Seawolves squad once they hit the turf for the 2021-22 Varsity Season. Her soccer team won the LOSSA championships in her freshmen year which then led them to the OFFSA provincial playoffs. During her career she has won multiple tournament titles, made it to the semi-finals for the Ontario Cup, and took first place at the Ontario Regional Championships. Jocephine is a multi-sport athlete including basketball, volleyball, ultimate frisbee and badminton which adds to her overall dynamic. She graduated with the Ontario Scholar Recognition award and maintained a grade average above 80 in all her years of high school.

Jocephine uses soccer as a consistent outlet for life and a great way to meet new people. Soccer is what she looks forward to the most and it has been a part of her identity since she was young. She enjoys the challenges that playing soccer presents and motivates her to take care of her physical and mental health. Soccer has prompted her to make positive life choices and it keeps her grounded so she can stay on track.

“Covid has been tough on everyone, but it made me realize how much I have missed playing. I like the training aspect and getting to know different people and Soccer is the one thing that I could count on no matter where I was in my life. It has been something I want to continuing enjoying no matter what life has to bring”.

Jocephine had many conversations with her family about picking the “right school”, bringing her search across Canada and even into the United States. Her top three priorities are: program of choice, soccer, and a great campus culture. She feels that the environment she is in will have a large impact on her success as a student athlete. Ultimately after many considerations, she chose UNB Saint John because it has the culture and atmosphere that she was looking for. Jocephine will be taking the health program once she moves into the next chapter in her academic career. She feels the health program will present her with a multitude of avenues to explore in order to decide which career path she will take.

As an athlete, Jocephine wants to make a large impact on the team. She wants to push herself to become a tough competitor and be the reason that opponents have to work harder. Her goals are important to her, and she has a thirst for becoming a better athlete for herself and the team, rather than just going through the motions.

“When people ask about my first year, I want to say it was legendary”.

Her mother is her biggest role model and has been through a lot and because of that Jocephine admires her strength and resilience in the face of adversity. Jocephine appreciates how genuine her mother is and she always provides different perspectives when she needs it the most. She is grateful that her mother challenges her to become a better person.

Head Coach Dave Vicente had Jocephine reach out to him via email showing interest in the Seawolves soccer program. With the current pandemic it was not possible to watch her play live to see the extent of her abilities. He did get a chance to see some of her game film and spoke to her coaches. It became clear to Coach Vicente that she was very mature and had a great love for the game. He was impressed with her pace, work rate and ball control.

“I believe that Jocephine will give us more depth and provide us with another target up front, I see her pushing the veterans for game time, which will only make the team better”.

Welcome to the Seawolves Family Joce!