‘Tenacious’ athlete remembered
Photo by James Paton.
“Whether you knew Sash or not she had a big impact on all of our lives. Sash was a beautiful young woman full of life, vigor, and will always be remembered with a smile on her face.”
Those are the first words you read when you view the memorial Facebook page for Mount Royal student and former Cougar hockey player Sash Hochlander who was killed in a car accident Jan. 5.
Sash was “a pretty special girl who put everyone first and was a great friend,” said Christina Hodgson who created the Facebook page “In Loving Memory of Sash Hochlander.”
The page includes Sash’s obituary that says the 21-year-old was born in Moose Jaw, Sask. and was a member of Girls’ Hockey Calgary since the age of 10. She had lived in Calgary but was living in Okotoks at the time of her death.
Hodgson recalled meeting Sash when the two were 13 or 14 attending summer hockey camp. She remembered Sash being “so tenacious and not afraid of anything,” on the ice and that, “her speedy little legs just didn’t quit going.”
The two met up again last year as students in the halls of Mount Royal where Sash was taking child studies and had been close ever since.
“[She’s] a pretty special girl who put everyone first and was a great friend,” said Hodgson, “her smile was a huge, huge thing—so contagious.”
Hodgson created the Facebook page both in memory of her friend and because she said it is nice to share pictures and memories from other people.
So far 745 people have joined the page leaving comments and photos of a very happy young woman who will also be remembered as a social butterfly.
“[She was] an amazing girl,” said Hodgson, “sometimes it just seems unfair.”
Hockey was a huge part of Sash’s life, she not only played in the Calgary girls league but also at the University of Vermont and finally with the Mount Royal Cougars.
Sash was with the Cougars women’s hockey team last season, breaking her wrist during the team’s Cinderella playoff run. Athletics manager for MRU, Karla Karch said that because of the injury Sash was unable to play with the team this season but that didn’t stop her from watching and cheering for her teammates.
“[It’s] an extremely sad situation and our hearts are with the family for the loss,” she said.
