When Tilly Couture arrived at SUNY Morrisville from Nova Scotia, Canada, she came with two goals: to earn a degree in residential construction and compete for the Mustangs women’s ice hockey team.
Two years later, she has accomplished both. Couture graduated from SUNY Morrisville this year with an associate degree in residential construction and just wrapped a summer internship with Cooper Construction in Hamilton. Now, she is preparing for the next chapter of her journey.
On Sept. 6, she will travel to Sweden to join IF Troja-Ljungby, a professional women’s ice hockey team that competes in the south division of the Nationella Damhockeyligan (NDHL), Sweden’s second-highest women’s hockey league.
“I’m incredibly excited for this opportunity and everything that comes with it,” Couture said. “At the same time, I am very sad to leave my friends and teammates.”
The 5’4” defenseman appeared in 53 games, recording 21 points on 10 goals and 11 assists. During the 2025-26 season, she recorded a career-high five goals and finished tied for second on the team in points per game. She also ranked fourth among SUNYAC defensemen in goals scored during her senior year.
“We are so proud of Tilly and excited to see what the future holds;” said John Briggs, SUNY Morrisville women’s ice hockey coach. “She is the first player in Morrisville women’s hockey history to play professional hockey, and she is paving the pathway for many more to come. As a coach it has been an honor to coach her and become close to her throughout her time at Morrisville.”
Briggs said Couture’s accomplishment extends well beyond what she achieved on the ice.
“Tilly has been with Morrisville for two and a half years where we have seen her grow immensely as a player on the ice and also in the classroom and as a person,” he said. The import players in the NDHL are comprised of mostly NCAA D1 girls with only a select few D3 players, making this a massive accomplishment for Tilly.
“Although the on-ice aspect is amazing, what Tilly has done off the ice has really led to her getting this opportunity,” he said. “Her leadership, work ethic and determination guided her to this opportunity just as much as her on-ice talent.”
Those same qualities at same determination carried into Couture’s studies in residential construction, where she thrived in Morrisville’s hands-on learning environment. She took on a variety of projects, including helping build a 15.6-by-40-foot small house inside a lab.
“I’ve always been a hands-on learner,” Couture said. “What I like most about Morrisville is the hands-on experience and how much one-on-one time you get with a professor. I enjoy that you learn something in a classroom and then in the next class you’re able to showcase that through doing an activity.”
