Ex-MN College Hockey Standout Turns to Firefighting

Alexis Joyce had some extra responsibilities this past season beyond her involvement with the Bemidji State women’s hockey team, and they weren’t exactly of the usual variety.

The former All-WCHA defenseman not only served as the Beavers’ co-director of hockey operations, but she also geared up as a firefighter with the Bemidji Fire Department.

“I knew growing up I wanted a more active job,” Joyce said via email.

Her interest in the profession was piqued further by getting acquainted with Jon and Beth Thibodeau, the parents of former BSU teammate Summer Thibodeau. Jon and Beth spent more than a decade as firefighters in Maple Grove.

“After getting to know Jon and Beth Thibodeau… I knew I wanted to pursue becoming a firefighter.

“... I am a very energetic and active person so a desk job just wasn’t for me. I fell in love with the Bemidji community when I moved up here for college and hockey, so I knew this is where I wanted to give back to and be a part of.”

At the same time as she embarked on a firefighting career, the 2018 BSU graduate also returned to the Beaver hockey program after playing professionally in Sweden for one season. This time, Joyce would serve alongside another former player, Jessica Ellinghuysen, as co-director of hockey operations.

“She handled the role extremely well. She’s a very, very intelligent young lady,” head coach Jim Scanlan said. “It’s not easy sometimes coming back. She played with a couple of the classes (of players) that were still here. It’s not always an easy transition, but I thought she did a really good job with that.”

Ever the iron woman, Joyce never missed a game in her collegiate career and is the program’s record holder in consecutive games played at 148. She finished second all-time in BSU history in career points (81) and goals (22) by a defenseman, and tied for second in assists (59).

Did it surprise Scanlan that Joyce wanted to pursue being a firefighter, as gruelling a job as it can sometimes be?

“Not really,” he said. “Knowing Alexis and the type of person she is, it was a challenge and she was going to take it on. … Knowing her and knowing how determined she is, I knew she was not going to be deterred in terms of what the physical testing might be. There’s no limitations for her.”

Wearing multiple hats

At the fire department, Joyce is what’s known as a “dormer” -- someone who lives at the station and responds to medical calls, car accidents and all fire-related calls, while also helping educate the public about fire safety.

When donning her hockey hat this season, Joyce helped break down video, created scouting videos of the Beavers’ upcoming opponents and helped plan away trip meals and travel, while also lending a hand with the team’s social media presence.

Balancing multiple jobs isn’t easy, especially when it comes to being on call as a firefighter. But even while working a third job at the Bunkhouse, Joyce didn’t find it too challenging.

“It wasn’t too difficult. The timing of everything actually ended up working well for me,” she said. “I did miss some calls because of hockey and traveling but for the most part the three jobs didn’t overlap too much. Some days would be longer than others obviously when I had all three jobs in a day though.”

A typical day for Joyce would start with her being on call for BFD when she’d respond to any calls. Her day would then shift over to the Sanford Center.

“In the afternoon I would be at the rink for practice, team meetings, video needs, and aiding with social media,” she said. “Some nights we would have meetings or drills for the BFD department-wide. In the first couple months of being on the department I did have training for a couple hours and two nights a week.”

“Time management has never been an issue for her,” Scanlan added. “Any athlete -- whether you’re Division I, Division II, it doesn’t matter -- if you’re playing a collegiate sport, time management is really important. I think she handled all that really well.”

With many people staying at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, Joyce said the department has received a few less calls per day lately, with fewer people on the roads leading to fewer accidents.

Once life returns to normal, Joyce knows where she ultimately wants to take her career.

“My goal is to work at the D1 level as a coach,” she said. “I would love to stay here in Bemidji and become an assistant for BSU.”

———

©2020 The Bemidji Pioneer (Bemidji, Minn.)

Visit The Bemidji Pioneer (Bemidji, Minn.) at www.bemidjipioneer.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.