Caledon Citizen's Student-Athlete of the Week: High-scoring defenseman Piper Sebben leads the Hall Wolfpack Varsity Girls Hockey Team and the U15 Brampton Canadettes

By Jim Stewart

Piper Sebben has made quite a first impression in her Grade 9 year at Robert F. Hall Catholic Secondary School.

Not only has the first-year Honor Roll student carved out a leadership role for herself on the Varsity Girls' Hockey team and thrived as a freshman on the Varsity Girls' Flag Football team, but she is also serving as Captain of her Brampton Canadettes rep team this winter as the team enters its playoff season.

Sebben played a key role in the resurrection of the Girls Hockey program at Hall and helped the re-born Wolfpack capture a tournament championship.  After the hockey season, the tri-sport athlete will take to the pitch to compete for the Wolfpack Varsity Girls' Rugby squad.

Sebben was nominated as The Citizen's Student-Athlete of the Week by her entire high school hockey coaching staff who were impressed collectively with the young student-athlete's level of play and her comportment on and off the ice.

According to Coaches Nick Pusateri, Chris Fielder, and Holly Jai, Sebben is viewed as an exceptional athlete.

“Piper's prowess on the ice has set a new standard for excellence in our varsity girls hockey team. Despite being a Grade 9 playing Varsity hockey, Piper has demonstrated remarkable skills both defensively and offensively, making her a true standout player. As a defenseman, Piper has not only excelled in protecting our goal, but has also shown incredible finesse in launching offensive plays, obtaining five goals and five assists in eight games played. Her strategic positioning, quick thinking, and unwavering determination have undoubtedly contributed to the success of our team on the ice. Beyond her impressive performance at the rink, Piper embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and teamwork, inspiring her teammates to strive for greatness.”

In addition to using these glowing superlatives to describe their rookie defenseman, the Wolfpack coaching staff also extolled Sebben's virtues as a student.

“Despite being a student-athlete with a demanding schedule, Piper consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to her academic success. Her unwavering determination and disciplined approach to both her studies and her sport serve as an inspiration to her peers.”

What impresses the Hall hockey coaching triumvirate the most about Sebben is her “composure as a young defenseman playing against older students.”

“She was patient with the puck and never chose the wrong play. She excelled under pressure, and consistently defended against the rush, and broke the team out of the d-zone quickly and effectively.”

They highlighted a key performance moment that encapsulated Sebben's freshman season with the Wolfpack.

“In our final tournament of the year, we were playing very shorthanded in the finals, down three players to a great Collingwood team. Collingwood had an excellent forward in Grade 12, whom Piper did not back down from. Double shifting, and in her fourth game of the day, Piper gave her absolute best effort to shut the opposing player down. She was relentless on defence, while also driving the team forward on offence. It was an inspiring effort and was a true show of character.” 
Piper Sebben took time from her second semester studies and her rep hockey playoff commitments to respond to our interview questions:

Caledon Citizen: What qualities did you demonstrate in your sports season to earn Student-Athlete of the Week honors?

Piper Sebben: “I feel that I have demonstrated a strong work ethic and commitment to the sports teams I belonged to so far this season. I am a team player and feel I bring a positive outlook to the teams. As well as on these teams, I always try my best in order for self-improvement and the improvement of my teammates.” 

Caledon Citizen: What were your key statistics and performance moments from the 2023-24 season that you are most proud of?

Piper Sebben: “I am very proud that as a Grade 9 student, I made the varsity flag football team in September. I was one of three Grade 9 students amongst a team of mostly Grade 11 and 12 students. As a rep hockey player, I was proud to play a big role on the school's female hockey team, the first that Robert F. Hall has had in years. As a team, we won our first tournament and I feel I was a strong contributor to the success of this team.”

Caledon Citizen: In addition to your high school sports team(s), what other community teams do you play for and at what level?

Piper Sebben: “I am currently the Captain of the U15AA Brampton Canadettes Hockey Rep team. I have been called upon to practice several times with the U18AA rep hockey team as well as play in tournaments and games with the U18AA rep team.” 

Caledon Citizen: How would you describe yourself as a student at Robert F Hall? To which sports teams and clubs do you belong?

Piper Sebben: “As a Grade 9 student, I have made a concentrated effort to involve myself in the school community both academically and athletically. I was on the flag football team as well as the school hockey team. I have also been asked to try out for the spring rugby team as well. Along with my outside sports commitments, I have still maintained a 90% average.” 

Caledon Citizen: What are your post-secondary plans regarding prospective academic/athletic destinations?

Piper Sebben: “My goal for post-secondary school is to attend a College/University in the USA and pursue hockey at a high level (ie. NCAA, PWHL, Team Canada). I intend to pursue a degree in Kinesiology which will allow me to pursue sports medicine.” 

Caledon Citizen: Who is your role model in terms of the person you admire the most?

Piper Sebben: “Throughout my hockey career, I have been lucky enough to be coached by many different coaches. The one who stands out to me and who I admire the most is Cheryl Pounder. She is a past Olympian and is currently working with PWHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Ottawa Senators, and with TSN. I have been coached by her on and off the ice since I was six years old. She is a positive role model for women's hockey and the opportunities that exist within it. She has mentored me for years and has made a huge impact on me especially as I made the switch from playing forward to defense. As much as she helped me with my hockey career, she also helped me with my career as a person, helping and supporting me when and wherever.”

Caledon Citizen: How do you feel about being nominated as the Caledon Citizen's Student-Athlete of the Week?

Piper Sebben: “I am very honoured that, as a Grade 9 student, I was chosen to be Caledon's student-athlete of the week. I plan to continue on making athletics and academics both a priority.”