Local ice hockey star has eyes firmly on the ultimate goal

A local play-off winning ice hockey ace, studying at the University of Northampton, is hoping to trade in hockey pucks for counting the big bucks as her future career.

Kirsten Noble, second year Accounting and Finance student, is on a winner’s high after her team, the Milton Keynes Falcons, recently won the Women’s Premier League Play-offs.

Although Ice Hockey is a passion, the majority of Kirsten’s week is consumed by studying the books and crunching the numbers for her course.

Kirsten said: “I chose to study accounting and finance because I have always enjoyed maths and found that I have a natural ability in this area. Plus I believe that there will be a range of career options upon the completion of my degree.”

For some students, balancing studies with a demanding hobby can be a struggle, but Kirsten is taking it all in her stride.

She said: “Combining my studies with ice hockey hasn’t been too taxing, since training is on a Friday evening and games are at the weekend. Keeping on top of my studies during the week allows me to focus on sport at the weekend. If you are dedicated to your sport, you will find a way to make time for it.”

A key player of the high flying Falcons, Kirsten was an integral part of the team’s play-off push with a goal and a player of the match performance in an emphatic 5-1 semi-final victory against the Chelmsford Cobras.

An Ice Hockey addict, Kirsten’s passion for the ice started young, as she rose through the local ranks from an early age.

Kirsten said: “My dad taught me to skate when I was 3 years old, we used to watch ice hockey games at the weekends, and that’s where my interest stemmed from. I started playing when I was about eight, so it’s coming up to 13 years.

After joining the Falcons in 2013, Kirsten has seen her position in the team change over time, she added: “I mostly play forward on the wing, but my coach loves putting me in defence to keep me on my toes. I prefer playing forward and feel more confident in this position, but I am of course happy to play wherever my team needs me.

Her meteoric rise to local ice hockey stardom has seen her be selected to trial for the Great Britain University team.

She said: “To trial for the GB University team is very exciting. The trial process began with two days trials at Sheffield Ice Rink. Invitations were sent out to eligible players by the GB University manager. The trials are ongoing with the next one in September. The selected team will then go to Krasnoyarsk in Russia in March 2019 for the Winter Universaide Games.”

When it comes to the future, Kirsten is keeping her options open, she added: “I am excited to see what I can achieve. If I find a way to combine ice hockey and accounting, I’d certainly give it a go! But for now I’ll always have Ice Hockey as a way to keep fit, be social, and push myself to be the best that I can be.”

For more information on Accounting and Finance, please visit the course page.