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Blazing a trail on the ice
Talia Hovsepian is a player on the California Bears Club. She has been playing ice hockey for the past 6 years and dreams to go pro.
LOS ANGELES - Talia Hovsepian is a player on the California Bears Club.
She recently helped the team place 2nd in California for the 2022-23 California Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) State Playoffs. Her dream is to go pro!
Talia is 11-years-old and for the past 6 years, she has been playing ice hockey.
"I really like the cold environment. So going on the ice, I think just makes me feel better," said Talia.
Talia said her mother’s love for the game initially piqued her curiosity.
"I was thrilled because I like hockey, but I didn't know where to start. Like I knew where to go watch the game and would always go to the Kings game and watch it on TV. But I had no idea if there were even teams out here or where to even begin," said Ani Hovsepian.
"I think just the action and how fast it was. It just made me really interested."
Talia plays on two teams—the Western Selects and the CA Bears Club.
"We’re third in the nation," said Talia.
Talia said the team welcomed her immediately, but her mother admits not everyone has an open mind.
"I have heard those comments like-- 'oh, that's not a girl thing.' 'You know, she's going to get injured and she should be doing dance or something that's more girly.' But I have three daughters and I always tell them, doesn't matter whether a girl or a boy… just do what you want to do," said Ani.
Talia knows how lucky she is to have her family’s unwavering support.
"You know, as a mom, you're always pushing that, right? Always, always, always. So I think on one hand, I feel like I'm adding more stress to her because I'm constantly pushing her. But I'm only doing that because I know how much she can do. But I think, you know, as parents, our job in life, our goal in life is to see our kids flourish and what they love doing. And so we're just here to support," said Ani.
The support from her family keeps her going. When her older sister Hera isn’t busy with volleyball, she shows up for encouragement.
"Never give up and never listen to the haters," said Hera.
Talia’s coach is retired NHL player Alex Frolov.
"Talia is the power forward for us. And she's one of our best players in the team and she's a really good listener. She really tries hard, listens to the coaches, which is good and different from the boys," said Frolov.
Coach Frolov said Talia’s passion pushes everyone to succeed.
"She works hard… she's definitely one of our leaders… and she's really strong, one of our toughest players. She can break someone," said Frolov.
Talia hopes to keep playing and see what happens.
"I hope that she pushes herself to her potential, whether she plays for college or not, whether she goes to the Olympics or not. I just want her to be happy," said Ani.
Talia’s message to other young girls who may have an interest but feel intimidated to try something different is simple:
"Just try it and see if you like it. Like they're always going to be welcoming. If they don't, you can find other people," she said.
There are several division female players like Talia. Emma Woo is a female goalie for the 12U division of the Bears. Woo is one of the strongest goalies in the club—and the only female on the team.