Orono, Maine -- Annabelle Hamilton left her home in North Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2011 to pursue an education and continue her field hockey career at the University of Maine.
 

That journey initially took her across the continent, 2,500 miles away, to Orono. Little could she have imagined that it would open the doors for her to continue playing her favorite sport in Europe.

 

Hamilton has taken full advantage of her numerous opportunities. Now, the former center midfielder, one of only two UMaine field hockey players to twice be recognized as a National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-American, has claimed a spot in the UMaine Sports Hall of Fame.

 

Hamilton was an offensive catalyst for coach Josette Babineau's Black Bears from 2011-2014. She racked up 38 career goals and 31 assists for 107 points, all of which rank among the program's top 10.

 

In 2012, Hamilton was named the America East Co-Offensive Player of the Year, joining former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Kelly Newton as the only UMaine players to be so honored. She earned all-conference first-team accolades three times, was an All-Rookie Team pick and registered four all-tournament team nods.

 

"She really impacted the game offensively from her position. She was very dangerous with the ball," Babineau said. "She was dangerous on her own with the dribble, but she was also a good playmaker with her teammates."

 

Hamilton was named a third-team All-American in 2013 and made the second team as a senior in 2014, when she also claimed ECAC Division I All-Star recognition.

 

Despite playing midfield, a position that often is relied upon to control and distribute the ball and dictate the pace, scoring wound up being the primary focus for Hamilton. She collected 12 game-winning goals in her career.

 

"The way I showed leadership was through my actions, through results, and the best way I could do that was through scoring goals," said Hamilton, who served as a captain. "My primary focus was just to be as creative as possible."

 

Hamilton, who was especially effective on UMaine's penalty corner unit, also had a special way of dealing with her teammates.

 

"She did have that personality that she pushed the intensity of the group but did it in a good way," Babineau said. "Leadership is something she thought about, you know, her delivery and how she was with her teammates.

 

Hamilton praised Newton and Steph Gardiner, two other Vancouver products, with setting the tone of hard work, commitment and leadership that she emulated after joining the Black Bears.

 

In spite of her personal accomplishments, what resonates most with Hamilton about her time at UMaine is the women with whom she shared the experience.

 

"It's really the people and the memories I made with those girls that I remember the most fondly," Hamilton said.

 

The Black Bear teams of her era were trying to help the program take the next step in its overall development but the came up short of winning a conference championship.

 

"Just being with these girls and working toward that as a group, I think what's so unique about university and sports in the U.S. is you really become bonded," she said. "It is a team, but really it's a family."

 

As a team, UMaine posted a 47-33 overall record with four consecutive semifinal-round postseason losses during Hamilton's career. Whether they won or lost, they did so together.

 

"I wouldn't be anywhere without my teammates. So many of the girls that I played alongside were so much a part of my successes," Hamilton said.

 

Hamilton graduated in 2015 believing that her competitive field hockey career was over. Instead, she pursued her master's degree in Ireland while on a field hockey scholarship.

 

From there, she moved to Germany, where she has played two seasons in the Bundesliga.

 

"It's not something I planned, but I managed to continue playing hockey," Hamilton said. "The amount of opportunities that the sport has given me, and not just hockey but education, new groups, international travel, has been pretty interesting and really fun."

 

Looking back, she is appreciative of the love and support shown by her parents, Tim Hamilton and Romney Grant.

 

"They really invested in me and saw that I loved playing sports, and especially field hockey, and they gave me everything I needed to help me succeed," Hamilton said.

 

She plans to finally hang up her stick and return home to Canada, where she wants to play an active role in helping aspiring female athletes through a scholarship she has established.

 

"I really want to focus my energy on making sure other girls now have the same opportunities that I have had, because for me field hockey has opened up so many doors," Hamilton said.

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The 2023 UMaine Sports Hall of Fame class will be officially inducted at a banquet held at Jeff's Catering on Friday, Sept. 29. For more details on this year's class, please click here.